Carjacking numbers in South Africa have been in a sustained decline over the past few years, and while this has been welcomed, certain vehicles and vehicle types remain in high demand from criminals.
Annually, carjacking cases reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS) decreased from 22,735 in 2023/2024 to 20,150 in 2024/2025, representing an overall drop of 11.4%.
This decrease was sustained throughout the 2025/2026 financial year, which started with 4,657 recorded cases, a 14.4% decrease from the previous year.
In the second quarter of the year, 4,778 cases were recorded – a 12.3% decrease from the 5,447 cases recorded in the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.
This was followed by an 8.1% year-on-year decrease to 4,420 cases in the third quarter, and a 20.4% decrease to only 3,609 cases in the final quarter of the 2025/26 financial year.
In the first three months of the current financial year, encompassing April to June 2026, the South African Police recorded 3,811 cases, down from 4,657 – a year-on-year reduction of 846 cases or 18.2%.
Of the recorded cases in the previous financial year, passenger vehicles like sedans, hatchbacks, and coupés made up 1,552 cases, or 41.0% of all hijacked vehicles.
Bakkies and panel vans, which are counted together by SAPS, made up 1,083, or 28.6% of all cases, while SUVs and station wagons, also grouped by SAPS, comprised 386 cases, or 10.2%.
These figures reflect the full 2025/2026 financial year data for the most part, as passenger car hijackings once again made up over 40% of all recorded cases, followed by bakkies and panel vans at 34%.
However, in the last full financial year, motorcycles were more of a target of hijacking than SUVs and station wagons.
Throughout the 2025/2026 financial year, SAPS recorded 1,311 motorcycle hijackings, which represents 7.5% of all cases, while 1,279 cases of SUV or station wagon hijackings were recorded, representing 7.3% of all cases.
The most-targeted individual models
Earlier this year, it was revealed that, despite SUVs not being the most carjacked vehicles in South Africa, the Toyota Corolla Cross has become a surprise hijacking target.
This was revealed by Discovery Insure, which added the popular crossover to its list of high-risk vehicles after reviewing claims data which showed a significant increase in theft and vehicle hijackings.
In an email to its clients, the insurer wrote that it regularly reviews the risks associated with the vehicles it insures to make sure cover remains appropriate and sustainable.
“Our latest analysis shows a significant increase in vehicle theft trends affecting certain vehicle types and locations. Using data insights, we’ve identified vehicles with a higher risk of theft and hijacking,” Discovery wrote.
“To help reduce this risk and to keep your comprehensive cover in place, your vehicle(s) must have two Crowd Search Sensors installed and active.”
That said, these vehicles still don’t rank among the most-stolen vehicles in South Africa, despite being from a desirable brand.
According to King Price, the most targeted cars in hijackings are the following:
- Toyota Hilux
- VW Polo Vivo
- Ford Ranger
- Toyota Fortuner
- Hyundai Grand i10
- Nissan NP200
- Isuzu D-Max
- Toyota Corolla
- Kia Picanto
- BMW 3 Series
“These vehicles are frequently targeted because they are widely driven in South Africa, straightforward to resell and in constant demand for spare parts,” the insurer said.
During the latest 91-day period, 77 vehicles were stolen, and 42 were hijacked across South Africa daily, totalling 119 vehicles going missing on an average day.
More than half (53.5%) of theft cases were recorded in Gauteng, while the province also recorded 2,207 carjackings – nearly 60% of all cases over the period.
The safest province in South Africa to own a car, according to the SAPS statistics, is the Northern Cape, which recorded 25 thefts and 5 carjackings in the last period, or 0.4% and 0.1% of the country’s total, respectively.
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