SA Housebreaking Hotspots Exposed: What Thieves Want

Some Regions Are Hit Harder Than Others

Although burglaries and robberies in South Africa have shown a slight decline over the past year, this only tells part of the story, as some regions are hit harder by these crimes than others.

The latest crime data from the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the first quarter of 2024/25, covering April through June 2024, offers insights into these trends.

According to SAPS statistics, residential burglaries dropped by 7.4% year-on-year. However, aggravated house robberies – where victims are present and threatened – saw a marginal increase of 0.2% from last year and a 1.3% increase from the previous quarter.

While both involve intrusion and theft, the distinction lies in the victim’s presence. Burglaries occur when a thief enters an unoccupied home, whereas robberies involve a victim who is threatened or harmed.

Despite the yearly decrease, burglaries still far outnumber robberies in South Africa and remain one of the largest crime categories, behind drug-related offenses and assaults.

From April to June 2024, police stations across the country recorded 34,075 home burglary cases – averaging 379 incidents per day. Meanwhile, 5,641 home robberies were reported, averaging 63 incidents daily.

However, the official data doesn’t capture the whole picture.

Stats SA’s latest Victims of Crime (VoC) survey reveals that South Africa’s true crime rate could be much higher than what SAPS reports. Official crime data relies on cases that are reported to or uncovered by the police, potentially missing many unreported incidents.

The VoC survey, by contrast, focuses on victims’ experiences, including unreported crimes. According to the survey, burglaries and robberies increased by 4.6% and 7.2% from 2022/23 to 2023/24, showing a concerning upward trend.

These figures suggest approximately 94,167 burglaries and 17,417 robberies occur annually in South Africa.

Experts have flagged certain items that are increasingly stolen from properties in 2024, including solar panels, gas bottles, and gate motors.

Burglaries at Residential Premises

Gauteng leads the provinces in home burglaries, accounting for 21.4% of the incidents nationwide. This is likely tied to the province’s high population, with crime rates following suit.

Meanwhile, the Northern Cape, being the least populated province, has the fewest reported burglaries (3.5%).

But every province in South Africa features in the list of the worst areas for break-ins. Mankweng in Limpopo tops the list, followed by two KZN suburbs, Plessislaer and Inanda.

Robberies at Residential Premises

The SAPS report shows that contact crimes, which include both common and aggravated robbery, were the most significant category of crime, with 153,637 cases reported from April to June 2024 – a 2.6% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Contact crimes involve violence or threats against victims during the crime. Aggravated robbery at homes, classified under “Trio crimes” (alongside carjackings and business robberies), is a serious concern.

Gauteng ranks highest in home robberies, accounting for 36.7% of the national total. Half of the “worst areas” for robberies are in Gauteng, with KZN at 21% and the Eastern Cape at 10.4%. New Brighton in the Eastern Cape tops the list, followed by Tembisa in Gauteng and Kwazakele in the Eastern Cape.