Crime Detected by Police
Drug-Related Crime in South Africa
Dealing in and possession of drugs
Total Drug-Related Crime (2025)
165,943
17.7%
Rate per 100k
274
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 306,996 | 508 | — |
| FY2019 | 170,510 | 282 | -44.5% |
| FY2020 | 121,339 | 201 | -28.8% |
| FY2021 | 141,120 | 233 | +16.3% |
| FY2022 | 163,165 | 270 | +15.6% |
| FY2023 | 171,372 | 283 | +5.0% |
| FY2024 | 187,919 | 311 | +9.7% |
| FY2025 | 221,257 | 366 | +17.7% |
Overall change since FY2019: -2.7%
Drug-Related Crime by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 75,488 | 1,061 |
| 2 | Free State | 6,145 | 210 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 33,692 | 209 |
| 4 | Northern Cape | 2,473 | 190 |
| 5 | KwaZulu-Natal | 19,783 | 172 |
| 6 | North West | 6,652 | 162 |
| 7 | Eastern Cape | 10,463 | 155 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 7,676 | 130 |
| 9 | Mpumalanga | 3,571 | 75 |
Top 20 Precincts — Drug-Related Crime
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maydon Wharf | kwazulu-natal | 31 | 3,100,000 |
| 2 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 28 | 2,800,000 |
| 3 | Hermanus | western-cape | 2,004 | 8,363 |
| 4 | Mitchells Plain | western-cape | 4,756 | 6,278 |
| 5 | Cape Town Central | western-cape | 4,183 | 5,521 |
| 6 | Worcester | western-cape | 1,744 | 4,650 |
| 7 | Delft | western-cape | 2,829 | 3,734 |
| 8 | Malmesbury | western-cape | 639 | 3,212 |
| 9 | Vredendal | western-cape | 614 | 3,086 |
| 10 | Atlantis | western-cape | 2,275 | 3,003 |
| 11 | Paarl East | western-cape | 1,111 | 2,962 |
| 12 | Humansdorp | eastern-cape | 383 | 2,945 |
| 13 | Lentegeur | western-cape | 2,163 | 2,855 |
| 14 | Knysna | western-cape | 1,130 | 2,830 |
| 15 | Grabouw | western-cape | 616 | 2,571 |
| 16 | Oudtshoorn | western-cape | 989 | 2,477 |
| 17 | Porterville | western-cape | 485 | 2,438 |
| 18 | Steenberg | western-cape | 1,787 | 2,359 |
| 19 | Grassy Park | western-cape | 1,751 | 2,311 |
| 20 | Caledon | western-cape | 540 | 2,253 |
About Drug-Related Crime in South Africa
Dealing in and possession of drugs. In 2025, there were 165,943 reported cases of drug-related crime across South Africa, representing a rate of 274 per 100,000 population. This represents a 17.7% increase compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Crime Detected by Police" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Drug-Related Crime | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 100,651 | 1,415 |
| 2 | Free State | 8,193 | 280 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 44,923 | 279 |
| 4 | Northern Cape | 3,297 | 253 |
| 5 | KwaZulu-Natal | 26,377 | 229 |
| 6 | North West | 8,869 | 216 |
| 7 | Eastern Cape | 13,951 | 207 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 10,235 | 173 |
| 9 | Mpumalanga | 4,761 | 100 |