Sedans, hatchbacks, and coupes are the most likely vehicles to be hijacked in South Africa, revealed the Police Services’ (SAPS) latest crime statistics report.
These body styles accounted for an astounding 2,511 of the 5,438 carjackings that took place across the country between April and June 2024, the equivalent of just over 46% of all cases.
In second were bakkies and panel vans with a tally of 1,695 hijackings, or roughly 31%, followed by SUVs and station wagons at 404 reports, which equates to around 7%.
On the other side of the spectrum, the least likely vehicles to be hijacked were motorcycles, which saw a total of 265 incidents (5%) over the same period.
Strictly speaking, ambulances were technically the least targeted automobiles as only one was hijacked in the second quarter of the year, though when it comes to vehicles that the general populace will use to get from point A to point B, motorcycles remain the lowest on the priority list for criminals.
The SAPS’ figures substantiate statistics shared by security firm Fidelity Services Group with BusinessTech earlier this year.
Over the last 12 months, Fidelity identified 13 high-risk vehicles for which criminals have shown a particular zeal, including:
- Ford Ranger
- Hyundai i20
- Nissan Almera
- Nissan NP200
- Toyota Corolla Cross
- Toyota Corolla
- Toyota Etios
- Toyota Fortuner (GD6 and D4D)
- Toyota Hilux (GD6 and D4D)
- Toyota Prado
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Toyota RAV4
- VW Polo
All of these vehicles fall into either the sedan, hatchback, bakkie, or SUV camps, and they are usually targeted for a specific reason.
For instance, models like the Toyota Hilux and Fortuner are often taken for components such as their engines, whereas others like the Toyota Corolla Cross and RAV4 are frequently stolen to be smuggled across the border as they are well-suited to handle Africa’s harsh terrains.
While no motorcycle cracked the list of the most sought-after models, it is primarily delivery motorcycles that are in hijackers’ crosshairs.
The Road Freight Association recently highlighted that it has seen a dramatic increase in instances of hijackers targeting e-hailing and delivery app drivers largely due to the valuable cargo they often carry combined with the relative ease with which they can be lured into a trap.
Most and least hijacked vehicle body types in South Africa from April to June 2024. Source: SAPS
Hijacking hotspots
The latest SAPS crime stats for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 period revealed that 5,438 vehicles were hijacked in South Africa between April and June 2024, averaging out to 60 incidents every single day.
The table below details the SAPS stations at which the most hijackings were reported in Q1 of the 2024/25 period, based on province.
| Province | RSA position | Station | Carjackings reported in Q1 2024/2025 | Count difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WC | 1 | Nyanga | 98 | +17 |
| EC | 3 | Kwazakele | 81 | +43 |
| Gauteng | 4 | Orange Farms | 81 | +21 |
| KZN | 20 | Newlands East | 42 | +35 |
| Mpumalanga | 37 | Delmas | 33 | +16 |
| NW | 84 | Hebron | 21 | +13 |
| Limpopo | 135 | Thohoyandou | 13 | -11 |
| Free State | 167 | Bloemspruit | 9 | +6 |
| NC | 393 | Barkly West | 1 | +1 |
In response to the alarming levels of vehicle crime, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu vowed that he will take decisive steps to put an end to the culture of lawlessness in the country.
Delivering his inaugural budget speech in July, Mchunu said that the SAPS has been given a sizeable budget of R113.597 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year which will enable it to “enhance the capacity and capabilities of the SAPS, modernise our operations, and work collaboratively with communities and stakeholders to combat crime and ensure the safety and security of all South Africans.”
Amongst others, the SAPS aims to appoint some 10,000 trainees over the next year to address recent personnel losses that have hamstrung the organisation.
In the last financial year, the SAPS lost 5,733 members largely as a result of retirements and resignations, with 77.5% being highly skilled or senior staff.
Likewise, the Department of Transport said it aims to implement a 24/7 shift schedule for all traffic police departments in the country come March 2025.
“This administration will speed up the resolution of all issues that have delayed the implementation of a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, and 365-days-a-year campaign visible traffic law enforcement across the country especially in highly accident-prone zones on our road network,” said the new Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, during an address in July.
At present, the Western Cape and the National Traffic Police are the only authorities that have instated such a 24/7 shift system in South Africa.
“It is crucial that all provinces fast track their processes to obtain approval for the implementation of the shift system to ensure visibility of officers on the road daily and at all hours,” said the deputy minister.
“The DoT will monitor and ensure the introduction of the new shift system by 31 March 2025.”
Hlengwa stated that more visible policing will unquestionably contribute to safer roads.
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