93 cars are stolen in South Africa per day – The most affected areas

The latest crime data from the South African Police Services (SAPS) shows that 8,597 cars and motorcycles were stolen across all nine provinces in South Africa between July and September 2024.

Averaged out over over this period, this means that approximately 93 vehicles were stolen in South Africa every day in the second quarter of 2024/2025.

While this number is shockingly high, there is good news in that this figure is lower than the same period last year, having dropped by 989 cases (10.3%).

Bear in mind that the theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles does not account for models acquired by hijackings, as the SAPS records these as two different crimes.

The theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles is listed as a property-related crime, while carjackings are a form of aggravated assault.

The distinction between the two is that “theft” occurs when the owner is not present, usually when the vehicle is left unattended in a parking bay, on the street, or in a garage.

Car theft hotspots per province

Gauteng was the worst-affected province over the monitored period with 4,497 cases.

The top 10 police stations in Gauteng for car theft were as follows:

KwaZulu-Natal then came second with 1,477 stolen cars.

The top 10 police stations in KZN for car theft were as follows:

Third hardest-hit was the Western Cape, which had 1,108 reports.

The top 10 police stations in the Western Cape for car theft were as follows:

The Eastern Cape was fourth with a much lower figure of 381.

The top 10 police stations in the Eastern Cape for car theft were as follows:

Mpumalanga then moved up one spot in the list, as it had four more cases than North West at 379.

The top 10 police stations in Mpumalanga for car theft were as follows:

Right behind is North West with 375 reports.

The top 10 police stations in North West for car theft were as follows:

After this was the Free State, where 188 cars were stolen.

The top 10 police stations in the Free State for car theft were as follows:

Limpopo wasn’t far behind the Free State with 168 incidents.

The top 10 police stations in Limpopo for car theft were as follows:

Last on the list is the Northern Cape, which saw 24 incidents of car theft.

The top 10 police stations in the Northern Cape for car theft were as follows: