Prime Business Africa
Despite a drop in the national murder rate, South Africa recorded an average of 63 murders per day between April and September 2025. This was contained in quarterly crime statistics released by the South African Police Service SAPS on Friday.
The report showed that 5,770 murders were recorded between April and June, followed by 5,794 cases from July to September. The July–September figure represents a decline of 751 cases compared with the same period in 2024, an 11.5 percent year-on-year drop, even as sexual offences, extortion and other serious crimes climbed.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSAPS said the statistics provide a benchmark for targeting deployments, evaluating operations, and identifying hotspots, while also helping the police monitor trends in serious crime nationwide. The data is collected from incidents reported or detected at the country’s 1,163 police stations, coded according to a detailed classification system, and entered into a national crime administration system. For quarterly reports, these figures are aggregated at provincial and national levels to produce official statistics, expressed both in raw numbers and per 100,000 population. Police and analysts caution that unreported crimes are not captured in the data, meaning the figures likely understate the total level of criminal activity.
The Eastern Cape recorded the highest murder rate between July and September, at 15 murders per 100,000 people, down from 16.5 in the previous quarter. The Western Cape also reported 15 murders per 100,000, KwaZulu-Natal 10, and Gauteng eight. In absolute numbers, Gauteng recorded the highest number of murders over the six-month period, with 2,872 cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 2,388. The Western Cape was the only province where gang-related killings exceeded other causes, with 293 gang-related murders in the second quarter and 282 in the first. Public arguments and robberies were the other main drivers of killings.
The Western Cape also led in multiple-victim incidents, recording 228 deaths across 100 events, followed by Gauteng with 191 fatalities in 75 incidents between July and September. For the first time, extortion was tracked as a separate category, contributing to delays in the release of the report. At least 250 cases of financial extortion were reported in the second quarter, mostly in Gauteng, with 87 cases, while protection-racket incidents accounted for 125 cases, 54 of which were in the Western Cape. Taxi operators, spaza shops, and the construction sector were primary targets.
At the briefing, Police Minister Firoz Cachalia acknowledged public concerns over safety. “I want you to know that I understand and respect your worries about the lack of security. I know what it feels like to be mugged in the streets, to be raided in one’s home, and my heart goes out to those whose lives have been shattered when their loved ones are killed, injured, and traumatised as a result of violent crime,” he said. He highlighted that the two quarters had shown “significant declines in most crime categories” and added, “Importantly, we are seeing ongoing and significant reductions in serious and violent crime, but at a high level. Murder has started to decrease significantly, particularly in the last two years, and that is often a very good indicator of crime trends.”
Cachalia also warned that some areas remain deeply concerning. “There were categories that remain stubbornly high, including sexual offences, gender-based violence, and commercial crime,” he said. The police said the statistics, combined with the crime tracking methodology, provide a crucial guide for intelligence-led operations and targeted interventions, though analysts note that unreported crimes, particularly in sexual and gender-based violence, are likely underrepresented.
