South Africa has seen a dramatic increase in vehicle hijackings since the start of the Covid-19 period, with crime rates seeing an even larger spike within the last 12 months.
Third-quarter crime statistics revealed by police minister Bheki Cele on Friday, 17 February showed that hijacking incidents have increased by 30% since 2019.
In 2019, the country reported 17,777 carjackings – equating to 49 vehicles per day – but by the end of 2022, this figure had escalated to 23,025 incidents – roughly 63 stolen vehicles per day.
Compared to 2021, the country still experienced an alarming 15% increase in these incidents.
Which areas are most affected
According to crime statistics tracked by the South African Police Services (SAPS), carjackings are most common in South Africa’s highest-populated provinces, such as Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.
Gauteng may have recorded a dip in hijackings in the most recent quarter, but still ranks as the worst affected province overall with a total of 2,632 cases filed – three times that of the Western Cape.
The province worst affected by the recent spike in crime rates was the Eastern Cape, however, which reported a concerning 47% increase in cases between 2021 and 2022.
| Province | Total carjackings in 2022 | Average incidents per day |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 11,626 | 31.9 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 3,757 | 10.3 |
| Western Cape | 3,052 | 8.4 |
| Eastern Cape | 1,835 | 5.0 |
| Mpumalanga | 1,315 | 3.6 |
| North West | 584 | 1.6 |
| Limpopo | 558 | 1.5 |
| Free State | 262 | 0.7 |
| Northern Cape | 36 | 0.1 |
Even though Gauteng experienced the highest number of hijackings overall, the single worst concentration of vehicle thefts happened in Nyanga precinct in the Western Cape with 110 separate occurrences.
The most commonly-targeted vehicles by these syndicates are among the best-selling hatchbacks, bakkies, sedans, and SUVs in South Africa, including:
- Toyota Hilux
- Volkswagen Polo
- Toyota Quantum
- Nissan NP200
- Toyota Fortuner
- Toyota Etios
- Toyota Yaris
- Ford Ranger
- Ford Figo
- Nissan Navara
Motorists are urged to be vigilant at all times and not be distracted at red lights and intersections by things such as checking their phones.
The most high-risk areas for vehicle hijackings in South Africa per province, based on incidents that occurred between October and December 2022, are listed below:
Gauteng
- Olievenhoutbosch – 71 hijackings
- Ivory Park – 66 hijackings
- Pretoria West – 61 hijackings
- Bramley – 58 hijackings
- Tembisa – 56 hijackings
- Evaton – 55 hijackings
- Midrand – 54 hijackings
- Moroka – 49 hijackings
- Kempton Park – 49 hijackings
- Rietgat – 45 hijackings
- Mamelodi East – 43 hijackings
- Sandrinham – 43 hijackings
- Akasia – 43 hijackings
- Tsakane – 43 hijackings
- Mabopane – 41 hijackings
Western Cape
- Nyanga – 110 hijackings
- Harare – 105 hijackings
- Philippe East – 61 hijackings
- Mfuleni – 61 hijackings
- Khayelitsha – 47 hijackings
- Gugulethu – 43 hijackings
- Ungelethu West – 40 hijackings
Eastern Cape
- Kwazakele – 79 hijackings
- New Brighton – 62 hijackings
- Motherwell – 55 hijackings
- Kwadwesi – 42 hijackings
KwaZulu Natal
- Umlazi – 55 hijackings
- Inanda – 51 hijackings
- Marianhill – 48 hijackings
- Kwamashu E – 42 hijackings
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