Crime stats | South Africa ‘improves’ to 65 murders per DAY
· The South African
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has announced a year-on-year decline in South Africa’s murder rate, reporting that killings dropped by 8.7% in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.
Speaking during the release of the latest crime statistics for the period 1 October to 31 December 2025 in Pretoria, Cachalia said 602 fewer murders were recorded compared to the same period last year.
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A total of 5 940 murders were reported during the quarter.
Violent crime
“After more than a decade of annual increases, murder – our most accurate crime statistic – started decreasing in the first quarter of 2023/24, and this trend has continued,” he said.
Despite the improvement, Cachalia cautioned that South Africa remains in the grip of a violent crime emergency.
The country is still recording an average of just under 65 murders a day – roughly 2.7 every hour.
Overall violent crime has declined by 8.3% over the past two years, with a 6.7% drop – amounting to 12 682 fewer cases – reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) compared to the same quarter last year.
Provincial disparities
Five provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West – recorded double-digit reductions in murder cases.
However, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape saw only marginal decreases, with with slight increases recorded in Limpopo and the Northern Cape.
Gang-related violence remains a major concern in parts of the Western Cape, particularly in hotspots such as Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Delft.
“These are statistical patterns. While many communities have recorded decreases in violent and property crimes, others continue to face daunting challenges,” Cachalia noted.
Other crime trends
The quarterly figures also reveal:
- 6 730 attempted murders
- 38 442 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH)
- 8 517 reported rape cases – nearly four per hour
- 4 402 carjackings, with Gauteng the highest contributor
- Cash-in-transit robberies increasing from 29 to 37 incidents
Cachalia said organised crime syndicates continue to fuel many of these offences, particularly armed robberies. Illegal firearms remain a key driver of violent crime.
Reform and accountability
To address persistent challenges, Cachalia called for expanded policing powers at local level where operational capacity exists, stronger forensic capabilities and urgent lifestyle audits for senior SAPS management to restore public confidence.
He stressed that integrity vetting of police leadership is essential for meaningful structural reform.
Meanwhile, advocacy group Action Society has questioned the completeness of the crime data, arguing that conviction rates must be made public to accurately measure the effectiveness of the justice system.
Spokesperson Juanita du Preez said arrest figures alone do not reflect true accountability.
“Arrests without convictions do not deter violent crime. The real test of a functioning criminal justice system is how many criminals are convicted,” she said.
While the latest statistics suggest a positive trajectory, authorities acknowledge that significant work remains to curb violent crime and restore a sense of safety across communities.