Crime category
Vehicle theft in South Africa
The source theft of motor vehicle and motorcycle column.
29 671−7.9%(−2 550) 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
- 29 671
- 5-year average2021/22–2025/26
- 34 421
- 10-year average2016/17–2025/26
- 40 422
- Historical high2006/07
- 85 979
- Historical low2025/26
- 29 671
The latest figure is the lowest in the available dataset.
Crime history
- Highest recorded year
- 2006/07 — 85 979 incidents
- Lowest recorded year
- 2025/26 — 29 671 incidents
- Largest year-on-year increase
- 2021/22 — +6.8%
- Largest year-on-year decrease
- 2020/21 — −25.6%
Unusual movements
The selected year's year-on-year change compared with earlier comparable movements in this series.
Latest movement · recorded crime
Notable
The −7.9% movement in 2025/26 is at least 1.5 times the median of earlier comparable year-on-year movements (+4.9% in absolute terms).
Province breakdown
Recorded vehicle theft by province in 2025/26, listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking.
| Province | Recorded | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| 955 | −24.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 622 | −10.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 15 181 | −7.4% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 5 283 | −5.1% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 531 | −11.1% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 1 091 | −14.6% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 1 314 | −1.0% was broadly unchanged. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 124 | +18.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year. | |
| 3 822 | −8.5% 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
- Northern Cape+18.1% increased. Compared with the previous financial year.
Recorded less often
- Eastern Cape−24.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
- Mpumalanga−14.6% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
- Limpopo−11.1% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
- Free State−10.9% decreased. Compared with the previous financial year.
- Western Cape−8.5% 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.