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Crime category

Robbery in South Africa

CrimeMap SA grouping: robbery with aggravating circumstances plus common robbery. This is a CrimeMap SA grouping of more than one source column, not a figure SAPS publishes under this name.

165 345−9.1%(−16 631) decreased. 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
165 345
5-year average2021/22–2025/26
181 270
10-year average2016/17–2025/26
182 473
Historical high2023/24
199 373
Historical low2011/12
153 022

The latest figure sits between the historical low of 153 022 and the historical high of 199 373.

Crime history

Highest recorded year
2023/24 — 199 373 incidents
Lowest recorded year
2011/12 — 153 022 incidents
Largest year-on-year increase
2022/23 — +10.7%
Largest year-on-year decrease
2020/21 — −19.7%

Unusual movements

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

Latest movement · recorded crime

Notable

The −9.1% movement in 2025/26 is at least 1.5 times the median of earlier comparable year-on-year movements (+5.3% in absolute terms).

Province breakdown

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

ProvinceRecordedYear-on-year
10 866−18.4% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
6 462−4.0% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
55 949−7.7% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
27 993−8.6% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
8 788−11.8% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
7 826−16.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
9 169−10.7% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
2 539−0.9% was broadly unchanged. Compared with the previous financial year.
30 072−8.3% decreased. 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

None this year.

Recorded less often

  • Eastern Cape−18.4% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • Mpumalanga−16.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • Limpopo−11.8% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • North West−10.7% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
  • KwaZulu-Natal−8.6% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.

Map

The map colours local municipalities by robbery using aggr robbery, the first source column in this grouping, for 2025/26.

Open the national map · Methodology