Other Serious Crimes
Culpable homicide in South Africa
Unlawful negligent killing of another person
Total Culpable homicide (2025)
7,879
3.3%
Rate per 100k
13
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 22,100 | 37 | — |
| FY2019 | 11,313 | 19 | -48.8% |
| FY2020 | 9,111 | 15 | -19.5% |
| FY2021 | 11,557 | 19 | +26.8% |
| FY2022 | 10,784 | 18 | -6.7% |
| FY2023 | 11,227 | 19 | +4.1% |
| FY2024 | 10,860 | 18 | -3.3% |
| FY2025 | 10,505 | 17 | -3.3% |
Overall change since FY2019: -30.4%
Culpable homicide by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limpopo | 940 | 16 |
| 2 | Mpumalanga | 767 | 16 |
| 3 | Northern Cape | 206 | 16 |
| 4 | Free State | 444 | 15 |
| 5 | Eastern Cape | 927 | 14 |
| 6 | North West | 586 | 14 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 1,541 | 13 |
| 8 | Gauteng | 1,698 | 11 |
| 9 | Western Cape | 770 | 11 |
Top 20 Precincts — Culpable homicide
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maydon Wharf | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 200,000 |
| 2 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 1 | 100,000 |
| 3 | KwaMaqoma | eastern-cape | 23 | 106 |
| 4 | Jacobsdal | free-state | 7 | 101 |
| 5 | Rustenburg | north-west | 54 | 96 |
| 6 | Mokopane | limpopo | 26 | 85 |
| 7 | Naboomspruit | limpopo | 26 | 85 |
| 8 | Dutywa | eastern-cape | 18 | 83 |
| 9 | Harrismith | free-state | 22 | 82 |
| 10 | Butterworth | eastern-cape | 17 | 78 |
| 11 | Makhado | limpopo | 58 | 77 |
| 12 | Springbok | northern-cape | 5 | 77 |
| 13 | Parys | free-state | 18 | 74 |
| 14 | Port Shepstone | kwazulu-natal | 33 | 73 |
| 15 | Ngcobo | eastern-cape | 18 | 72 |
| 16 | Trompsburg | free-state | 5 | 72 |
| 17 | Mahwelereng | limpopo | 22 | 72 |
| 18 | Ermelo | mpumalanga | 24 | 71 |
| 19 | Graaff-Reinet | eastern-cape | 9 | 69 |
| 20 | Bela-Bela | limpopo | 20 | 66 |
About Culpable homicide in South Africa
Unlawful negligent killing of another person. In 2025, there were 7,879 reported cases of culpable homicide across South Africa, representing a rate of 13 per 100,000 population. This represents a 3.3% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Other Serious Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Culpable homicide | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mpumalanga | 1,023 | 22 |
| 2 | Limpopo | 1,253 | 21 |
| 3 | Northern Cape | 275 | 21 |
| 4 | Free State | 592 | 20 |
| 5 | North West | 781 | 19 |
| 6 | Eastern Cape | 1,236 | 18 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 2,055 | 18 |
| 8 | Gauteng | 2,264 | 14 |
| 9 | Western Cape | 1,027 | 14 |