Johannesburg, 27 November 2025
Petty street robberies targeting pedestrians remain one of South Africa’s most common violent crimes, and they frequently turn deadly.
South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics for January–March 2025 recorded 31,749 aggravated robberies nationwide, averaging 353 per day. Over half of these are street robberies involving pedestrians. Knives are used in nearly 48% of cases and firearms in 35%.
The 2023/2024 Victims of Crime Survey by Statistics South Africa found 497,000 street robberies affected 443,000 individuals aged 16 and older. Only 44% of victims reported the crime to police. Almost one in four victims (23.9%) was injured, and two-thirds of those required medical treatment.
Many robberies escalate to murder when victims resist or perpetrators decide to eliminate witnesses. SAPS recorded 5,727 murders in the same January–March 2025 quarter (64 per day), with robbery listed among the top motives. South Africa’s murder rate stands at approximately 45 per 100,000 people, the second-highest globally.
Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape account for the majority of cases. The highest-risk precincts include Johannesburg Central, Hillbrow, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, and Durban Central.
Pedestrians are most vulnerable at night, near transport nodes, shopping areas, and poorly lit streets. Resistance significantly increases the chance of serious injury or death, especially when weapons are involved.
Conviction rates for robbery remain below 5%, and under-reporting is widespread due to lack of trust in the police response.
