Safest Areas in South Africa

These are the 50 police precincts with the lowest crime rates in South Africa, based on official SAPS data for the 2022/23 fiscal year. The national average crime rate is 3,124 per 100,000 people — every precinct on this list falls well below that threshold.

Precincts Ranked

National Crime Rate

3,124 / 100k

Safest Precinct Rate

2 / 100k

Top Province

Eastern Cape

Top 50 Safest Precincts — Ranked by Crime Rate

Rank	Precinct	Province	Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Grade
1	ChattyEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	2	0	A
2	Elands HeightEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	13	0	A
3	BoetsapNorthern Cape	Northern Cape	13	0	A
4	SaamboubrugLimpopo	Limpopo	36	12	A
5	MokopongNorth West	North West	37	4	A
6	Van ZylsrusNorthern Cape	Northern Cape	41	15	A
7	HendersonEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	48	12	A
8	MbizeniEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	66	0	A
9	Pilgrim's RestMpumalanga	Mpumalanga	70	24	A
10	SteunmekaarFree State	Free State	72	58	A
11	NoenieputNorthern Cape	Northern Cape	73	28	A
12	CumberlandLimpopo	Limpopo	75	33	A
13	HoopdalLimpopo	Limpopo	88	29	A
14	DoringkloofEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	92	14	A
15	VorstershoopNorth West	North West	93	15	A
16	FloukraalEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	99	26	A
17	SkukuzaMpumalanga	Mpumalanga	100	18	A
18	GroenvleiKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	102	32	A
19	KhubusidriftEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	110	0	A
20	RhodesEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	112	20	A
21	TolweLimpopo	Limpopo	115	41	A
22	RossouwEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	119	73	A
23	VerkykerskopFree State	Free State	119	22	A
24	Thomas RiverEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	124	28	A
25	KolomaneEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	133	50	A
26	LukholweniEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	133	83	A
27	RoadsideFree State	Free State	134	4	A
28	BulgerivierLimpopo	Limpopo	134	10	A
29	WaterpoortLimpopo	Limpopo	137	33	A
30	Fort BrownEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	138	46	A
31	IdaEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	143	20	A
32	KommissiepoortFree State	Free State	145	22	A
33	WolwefonteinEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	146	38	A
34	Thina FallsEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	147	88	A
35	DwaalboomLimpopo	Limpopo	147	52	A
36	Vaal MarinaGauteng	Gauteng	152	38	A
37	LaersdriftMpumalanga	Mpumalanga	155	46	A
38	TyldenEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	159	20	A
39	RietvleiKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	162	45	A
40	Low's CreekMpumalanga	Mpumalanga	172	43	A
41	SwartbergKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	174	47	A
42	EzibayeniKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	180	91	A
43	Van ReenenKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	180	63	A
44	MpisiEastern Cape	Eastern Cape	185	117	A
45	TierpoortFree State	Free State	186	52	A
46	HeuningspruitFree State	Free State	189	21	A
47	TuinplaasLimpopo	Limpopo	190	20	A
48	MpungamhlopheKwaZulu-Natal	KwaZulu-Natal	191	107	A
49	GravelotteLimpopo	Limpopo	196	54	A
50	OhrigstadLimpopo	Limpopo	196	46	A

Crime rate = reported crimes per 100,000 people. Source: SAPS FY2022.

Safest Areas by Province

South Africa has nine provinces, each with a different crime profile. Of the top 50 safest precincts nationally, some provinces are better represented than others.

Eastern Cape18 in top 50

Chatty2 / 100k
Elands Height13 / 100k
Henderson48 / 100k
Mbizeni66 / 100k
Doringkloof92 / 100k
+13 more

Free State6 in top 50

Steunmekaar72 / 100k
Verkykerskop119 / 100k
Roadside134 / 100k
Kommissiepoort145 / 100k
Tierpoort186 / 100k
+1 more

Gauteng1 in top 50

Vaal Marina152 / 100k

KwaZulu-Natal6 in top 50

Groenvlei102 / 100k
Rietvlei162 / 100k
Swartberg174 / 100k
Ezibayeni180 / 100k
Van Reenen180 / 100k
+1 more

Limpopo10 in top 50

Saamboubrug36 / 100k
Cumberland75 / 100k
Hoopdal88 / 100k
Tolwe115 / 100k
Bulgerivier134 / 100k
+5 more

Mpumalanga4 in top 50

Pilgrim's Rest70 / 100k
Skukuza100 / 100k
Laersdrift155 / 100k
Low's Creek172 / 100k

North West2 in top 50

Mokopong37 / 100k
Vorstershoop93 / 100k

Northern Cape3 in top 50

Boetsap13 / 100k
Van Zylsrus41 / 100k
Noenieput73 / 100k

Western Cape0 in top 50

No precincts in the top 50

How These Rankings Work

These rankings are based on the total reported crime rate per 100,000 estimated population for each police precinct in South Africa. The data comes from the South African Police Service (SAPS) quarterly crime statistics for fiscal year 2022/23.

A low total crime rate means fewer reported crimes relative to the estimated population of that precinct area. These areas tend to have lower rates across all crime categories, including contact crimes (assault, robbery), property crimes (burglary, theft), and crimes detected through police action.

Population for each precinct is estimated by dividing the province population (from Stats SA) evenly across all police stations in that province. This is an approximation — see our methodology page for details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the safest area in South Africa?

Based on the latest SAPS data (FY2022), Chatty in Eastern Cape is the safest area in South Africa with a crime rate of 2 per 100,000 people and a safety grade of A (Very Safe).

How are safety scores calculated?

Safety scores are based on a percentile ranking of all 1,196 police precincts by their total crime rate per 100,000 people. Each precinct receives a score from 0 to 100 and a letter grade (A through F). Grade A (80+) means the precinct is in the safest 20% nationally.

Which province has the most safe areas?

Of the top 50 safest precincts in South Africa, Eastern Cape has the most with 18 precincts in the list, followed by Limpopo with 10.

Where is the data from?

All crime data comes from the South African Police Service (SAPS) quarterly crime statistics reports. Safety scores use the FY2022 complete fiscal year to ensure accurate comparisons. Population estimates are based on Stats SA 2023 mid-year figures.