The time of day when the most hijackings occur in South Africa has shifted, with attempts occurring more frequently during the week and earlier in the day.
According to new data from the South African Police Services (SAPS), 4,533 hijackings were reported within the latest three-month monitoring period, working out to roughly 50 incidents per day.
While this figure is still worryingly high, it marks a 15.1% year-on-year decline from the same period in 2024.
Unfortunately, these stats only include the cases reported to the SAPS, and the true number is likely to be much higher.
The Victims of Crime Survey, which captures unreported incidents, noted that hijackings fell from 114,000 to 81,000 year-on-year, a drop of nearly 29%.
While this is an improvement, it still means approximately 222 hijackings are taking place every day.
While the year-to-date data indicates that carjackings have declined overall, there has been an increase in incidents in the second half of 2025.
Co-founder of Naked Insurance, Ernest North, told BusinessTech that there has been a small, yet noticeable increase in carjacking-related claims during the second half of 2025.
New operating hours for hijackers
According to Naked, hijackers appear to be operating earlier in the day compared to historical trends.
Most incidents now peak around lunchtime from 11h00 to 13h00, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
“This suggested that hijacking risk is elevated during busy but non-peak periods, when there are still enough vehicles on the road to create opportunities, but fewer traffic delays that could complicate a quick getaway,” said North.
Tracker found similar trends in its data, noting that there has been a shift in time and location.
Mpumalanga has emerged as a new hotspot, and incidents are happening more frequently during the week instead of the weekend.
While hijackings can occur at any time, specific days face higher risks than others.
Most cases were previously reported over weekends, but more recent attempts were reported on Thursdays between 16h00 and 21h00.
Vehicle theft tends to occur most frequently on Saturdays between 11h00 and 16h00.
Activities also vary between regions, as Gauteng saw more hijackings on Tuesdays between 11h00 and 16h00.
In KwaZulu-Natal, incidents peaked on Wednesdays between 16h00 and 21h00, and the Western Cape saw more attempts on Wednesdays from 06h00 to 11h00.
“Crime trends change over time, and the shifting pattern of hijackings shows that they can happen anytime, anywhere, making it essential to remain alert to your surroundings,” said Tracker COO Duma Ngcobo.
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