Vehicle hijackings remain one of the most persistent and violent crimes confronting South Africans, with incidents occurring regularly across the country and often involving firearms and threats to life.
According to South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the third quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year (October to December 2024), police recorded 4,807 carjacking cases nationwide. This figure reflects a 19.5% decrease from the 5,973 incidents reported during the same period the previous year. Despite this reduction, the number equates to roughly 53 hijackings per day over those three months.
Gauteng continues to bear the heaviest burden, recording 2,567 carjackings — or 53.4% of the national total — during the quarter. The province saw a 14.7% drop from the previous year, but still accounted for more than half of all reported cases. KwaZulu-Natal reported 599 incidents (down 28.2%), while the Western Cape had 694 (down 18.9%). Declines were also noted in other provinces, including Mpumalanga (down 24.6%) and the Eastern Cape (down 18.8%).
More recent reports from late 2025 and early 2026 indicate hijackings averaging around 50 cases per day in certain quarters, with figures such as 4,533 incidents recorded in one three-month period — representing ongoing frequency despite some year-on-year declines.
The Statistics South Africa Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey estimates that around 340,000 individuals aged 16 and older experienced vehicle hijacking in a recent twelve-month period, equivalent to a significant portion of the population in that age group. Firearms were the most common weapon, used in the vast majority of incidents where a weapon was present.
Certain vehicle types are disproportionately targeted. Sedans, hatchbacks, and coupes often account for a large share of hijackings, while bakkies, panel vans, and heavier vehicles like trucks over 3,500kg have also seen increases in some periods, driven by the value of cargo and their use in other crimes.
Geographic hotspots remain concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas. In Gauteng, high-risk locations include Ivory Park, Mamelodi East, Akasia, Jabulani, Moroka, Pretoria West, Sandringham, Vosloorus, and Tembisa. KwaZulu-Natal hotspots feature Durban Central, Umlazi, Bhekithemba, and Inanda. In the Western Cape, areas such as Nyanga, Delft, Lingelethu West, Mfuleni, Harare, and Philippi East are frequently affected. Emerging increases have been noted in parts of the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, including eMalahleni (Witbank).
Hijackers frequently operate during periods when drivers are less vigilant, such as around lunchtime or in traffic. Common methods include boxing in vehicles, staging breakdowns or emergencies to prompt drivers to stop, blocking access at drive-throughs, toll gates, or driveways, and using minor “tap-tap” collisions to force victims out of their cars.
These statistics illustrate that, while some quarterly reductions have occurred, vehicle hijackings continue to pose a daily threat on South African roads, particularly in densely populated provinces and urban centres. The combination of high volume, violent execution, and evolving tactics keeps this crime a major public safety concern.
Cable Theft Suspects Arrested in Roosevelt Park After Rapid Response by Private Security
Roosevelt Park, Johannesburg – Early this morning, private security officers from SCP Security arrested several suspects involved in the theft of copper cables in the Roosevelt Park area.
At approximately 06:20, a resident contacted the SCP Security Control Room to report suspicious activity at the corner of Anton Van Wouw Street and Mendelsohn Road. The caller stated that individuals were actively cutting and removing copper cables from the location.
Security officers were dispatched immediately and arrived at the scene within minutes. On arrival, they observed multiple suspects who then attempted to flee. Some escaped in a Mazda vehicle, while two others ran on foot, abandoning a truck that was loaded with stolen copper cables.
Officers pursued the suspects through the surrounding streets. The group was successfully apprehended at the intersection of 4th Avenue and 5th Street in Linden. The operation involved coordinated teamwork among the responding officers.
Linden South African Police Service (SAPS) was notified without delay and arrived at the scene to take over the matter.
Security personnel recovered multiple lengths of copper cable from the abandoned truck, along with the vehicle itself.
The incident underscores the role of community reporting in crime prevention, as well as the effectiveness of swift security response and coordination with law enforcement in apprehending suspects involved in cable theft. SCP Security stated that it remains focused on protecting communities in the area around the clock.
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Attempted Shooting Targets Police Officer Named in Madlanga Commission Testimony
BOKSBURG – A police officer implicated during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality in the South African Police Service survived a targeted shooting attack in Van Dyk Park, Boksburg, on Thursday morning.
The incident took place shortly before 10:00 on Klapper Street, when three gunmen opened fire on the officer’s bakkie. Multiple shots struck the vehicle, but the officer, Viandre Pretorius, managed to escape the attack unharmed and fled the scene.
In a voice note shared shortly after the shooting, Pretorius can be heard urgently requesting help: “Klapper Street, Van Dyk Park. Come and assist me here. They shot my bakkie up. I don’t know if it’s a hit or something. I managed to get out.”
Pretorius was named by Witness D, Marius van der Merwe, during his testimony at the Madlanga Commission. Van der Merwe, who was later shot and killed outside his home in Brakpan, linked Pretorius and several other officers to the 2022 death of Emmanuel Mbhense.
According to van der Merwe’s evidence, Mbhense was abducted during an unauthorised operation in Brakpan. He was allegedly tortured, including being suffocated with a plastic bag placed over his head and secured around his neck. The officers allegedly present during the incident included Constable Zander Frits, Viandre Pretorius, Kershali Stolls, Aiden McKenzie, Jaco Hanekom, and Etienne van der Waal.
Van der Merwe testified that after Mbhense died, the group dumped his body in a lake near Germiston on the instructions of controversial Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department official Julius Mkhwanazi, in an effort to conceal evidence.
The attempted shooting of Pretorius comes after the murder of Marius van der Merwe, who was gunned down outside his Brakpan home following his appearance at the commission. The vehicle allegedly used in van der Merwe’s killing was later recovered in Alexandra.
The Madlanga Commission is investigating allegations of corruption, criminal syndicates, and misconduct involving members of the police service and related agencies. No arrests have been reported in connection with Thursday’s shooting, and police investigations remain ongoing. The incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of witnesses and individuals linked to the commission’s proceedings.
Businessman Escapes Unharmed After Shooting on Trenance Park Road
TRENANCE PARK, KwaZulu-Natal – A local businessman avoided injury in what appears to have been a targeted shooting incident in Trenance Park on Wednesday evening.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) officers were dispatched to Link Road, between the Old and New Phases of Trenance Park, following reports of gunfire. They arrived on scene at approximately 21:35.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had been driving alone in a black Chevrolet bakkie when a black Toyota Etios sedan pulled alongside his vehicle. Occupants of the sedan then opened fire, discharging six rounds at the businessman’s bakkie.
The driver managed to veer off the roadway into nearby bushes to evade further attack. He then exited the vehicle through the passenger-side door and fled the immediate area on foot. He did not sustain any injuries during the incident.
The suspects in the Toyota Etios fled the scene immediately after the shooting. No registration number for the suspect vehicle was obtained.
Authorities have not yet established a motive for the attack, and the investigation remains ongoing. No arrests have been reported at this time.
