Johannesburg, November 29, 2025
In a country where smartphones are essential for banking, communication, navigation and even work, cellphone snatching has become one of the most common and feared crimes facing ordinary South Africans. According to official crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS), an average of 189 cellphones are stolen or robbed every single day in South Africa. Over a six-year period from April 2017 to March 2023, a total of 412,998 cellphones were reported stolen, yet only 29% of those devices were successfully blacklisted by network providers.
The problem is most severe in the country’s major urban provinces. Gauteng accounts for 29% of all reported cellphone thefts, followed by the Western Cape (26%), KwaZulu-Natal (20%) and the Eastern Cape (7%). In the third quarter of 2024 alone, police recorded 12,412 robberies and thefts at shopping malls and other commercial properties – an average of 138 incidents per day. Statistics South Africa’s Victims of Crime Survey shows that theft of personal property increased by 52% between 2018/19 and 2022/23, with cellphones making up nearly 70% of all items stolen.
Women are disproportionately affected. Insurance data shows that more than 80% of cellphone-related claims in the past year were submitted by women, who are targeted almost five times more often than men.
The impact goes far beyond the loss of an expensive device that can cost R20,000 or more to replace. Thieves are primarily after the personal and financial information stored on phones. Banking apps, email accounts, ID photos, proof of residence and two-factor authentication codes give criminals everything they need to commit identity theft, perform SIM swaps and drain bank accounts. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) has recorded a significant increase in mobile banking fraud directly linked to stolen phones.
Economically, victims face immediate replacement costs, potential fraudulent withdrawals and higher insurance premiums. On a broader level, the constant threat undermines public confidence in digital services at a time when South Africa is pushing for greater financial and social inclusion through mobile technology.
How South Africans Can Protect Themselves
Security companies, police and banks consistently recommend the following practical, proven steps to reduce the risk of cellphone snatching:
- Be extra vigilant in known high-risk areas such as shopping centres, restaurants, taxi ranks, train stations and e-hailing pick-up points. Avoid using your phone while walking in public – rather stop in a safe, busy place if you need to make a call or send a message.
- Keep your phone in a front pocket, inside jacket, or in a bag with a strong zip and anti-slash strap. Never leave it visible on a table, car seat or in an open handbag.
- When in a vehicle, always physically check that the doors are locked after using the remote (criminals use jamming devices to prevent locking). Keep windows closed or only slightly open and never leave your phone on the seat or dashboard.
- Use strong biometric locks (fingerprint or face recognition) combined with a complex PIN. Enable built-in theft-protection features that lock the phone when it detects unusual movement or when it goes offline.
- Immediately after a theft, report the incident to the nearest police station to get a case number, contact your bank to freeze accounts and monitor for fraud, phone your network provider to suspend the SIM card and blacklist the phone’s IMEI number, and contact the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service (0860 101 248) if personal documents were stored on the device.
- Take out comprehensive cellphone insurance that covers theft and consider regular cloud backups so that contacts, photos and documents are not permanently lost.
While police and private security companies continue to break up organised syndicates, individual awareness and quick action remain the most effective defences against this daily threat. Staying alert and following basic safety habits can significantly reduce the chances of becoming another statistic in South Africa’s cellphone-snatching epidemic.
