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Crime category

Commercial crime in South Africa

Cases the source records as commercial crime.

147 230+3.6%(+5 070) increased. Compared with the previous financial year.

South Africa, 2025/26

National trend

Every financial year in the dataset up to the year you select. Missing years appear as gaps, not as zero.

Area snapshot

2025/26 nationally, compared with this category's own history up to this year.

2025/26Latest financial year
147 230
5-year average2021/22–2025/26
125 551
10-year average2016/17–2025/26
102 076
Historical high2025/26
147 230
Historical low2005/06
51 911

The latest figure is the highest in the available dataset.

Crime history

Highest recorded year
2025/26 — 147 230 incidents
Lowest recorded year
2005/06 — 51 911 incidents
Largest year-on-year increase
2021/22 — +23.1%
Largest year-on-year decrease
2013/14 — −13.9%

Unusual movements

The selected year's year-on-year change compared with earlier comparable movements in this series.

Latest movement · recorded crime

Within the historical range

The +3.6% movement in 2025/26 sits within the range of earlier comparable year-on-year changes for this series.

Province breakdown

Recorded commercial crime by province in 2025/26, listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking.

ProvinceRecordedYear-on-year
9 902−5.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
4 159−16.2% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
51 311+8.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
25 113+8.0% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
7 966+1.6% was broadly unchanged. Compared with the previous financial year.
7 713+1.9% was broadly unchanged. Compared with the previous financial year.
6 883+6.9% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
2 722+12.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
27 968−1.1% was broadly unchanged. Compared with the previous financial year.

Largest recent movements

Provinces whose year-on-year change clears CrimeMap SA's documented thresholds. Listed because the movement is large, not because the province is safer or more dangerous.

Recorded more often

  • Northern Cape+12.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • Gauteng+8.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • KwaZulu-Natal+8.0% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • North West+6.9% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.

Recorded less often

  • Free State−16.2% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • Eastern Cape−5.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.

Map

Local municipalities coloured by recorded volume for this category in 2025/26. Zoom in for police stations.

Open the national map · Methodology