Contact Crimes
Kidnapping in South Africa
Unlawful taking and holding of a person
Total Kidnapping (2025)
14,013
3.2%
Rate per 100k
23
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 12,436 | 21 | — |
| FY2019 | 6,623 | 11 | -46.7% |
| FY2020 | 6,032 | 10 | -8.9% |
| FY2021 | 10,196 | 17 | +69.0% |
| FY2022 | 15,415 | 25 | +51.2% |
| FY2023 | 17,063 | 28 | +10.7% |
| FY2024 | 18,107 | 30 | +6.1% |
| FY2025 | 18,684 | 31 | +3.2% |
Overall change since FY2019: +111.6%
Kidnapping by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gauteng | 7,635 | 47 |
| 2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 2,506 | 22 |
| 3 | Free State | 505 | 17 |
| 4 | North West | 692 | 17 |
| 5 | Mpumalanga | 714 | 15 |
| 6 | Northern Cape | 127 | 10 |
| 7 | Western Cape | 724 | 10 |
| 8 | Eastern Cape | 578 | 9 |
| 9 | Limpopo | 532 | 9 |
Top 20 Precincts — Kidnapping
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 2 | 200,000 |
| 2 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 1 | 100,000 |
| 3 | Zamdela | free-state | 61 | 251 |
| 4 | Heidelberg (Gp) | gauteng | 166 | 195 |
| 5 | Vosloorus | gauteng | 181 | 174 |
| 6 | Orange Farms | gauteng | 139 | 163 |
| 7 | Kempton Park | gauteng | 168 | 161 |
| 8 | Welkom | free-state | 50 | 154 |
| 9 | Tembisa | gauteng | 160 | 153 |
| 10 | Umlazi | kwazulu-natal | 150 | 149 |
| 11 | Evaton | gauteng | 115 | 135 |
| 12 | JHB Central | gauteng | 152 | 133 |
| 13 | Roodepoort | gauteng | 141 | 123 |
| 14 | Midrand | gauteng | 140 | 122 |
| 15 | Boksburg North | gauteng | 120 | 115 |
| 16 | Germiston | gauteng | 119 | 114 |
| 17 | Ivory Park | gauteng | 119 | 114 |
| 18 | Jeppe | gauteng | 126 | 110 |
| 19 | Delmas | mpumalanga | 76 | 110 |
| 20 | Inanda | kwazulu-natal | 108 | 107 |
About Kidnapping in South Africa
Unlawful taking and holding of a person. In 2025, there were 14,013 reported cases of kidnapping across South Africa, representing a rate of 23 per 100,000 population. This represents a 3.2% increase compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Contact Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Kidnapping | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gauteng | 10,180 | 63 |
| 2 | KwaZulu-Natal | 3,341 | 29 |
| 3 | Free State | 673 | 23 |
| 4 | North West | 923 | 22 |
| 5 | Mpumalanga | 952 | 20 |
| 6 | Western Cape | 965 | 14 |
| 7 | Northern Cape | 169 | 13 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 709 | 12 |
| 9 | Eastern Cape | 771 | 11 |