The Truth about Carjackings in South Africa

Crime is a major concern in South Africa. Your family’s safety is the most important thing, so know that moving to, visiting or living in South Africa can be quite risky.

No, living in SA doesn’t mean you’re going to be mugged everyday or have your home broken into constantly. Being in SA just means you have to know how to stay safe.

Carjackings are a popular crime in Soouth Africa, either stolen from your property or during a hijacking. Over the last years or so, carjackings have increased; luckily for us Cape Town isn’t nearly as bad as Gauteng.

Did you know that almost every 9 minutes a car is stolen in South Africa?

What are the most popular cars that are carjacked in South Africa?

Studies from a few years back show that the most targeted cars in SA include: Opel Corse bakkies, VW Polo and Golf, Toyota RunX, Hilux, Venture and Corolla, Isuzu bakkies and Nissan 1400.

Where are the most dangerous car hijacking hotspots in South Africa?

If we look at police crime statistics, we’ll see that the hijacking hot spots in South Africa are Pinetown, Bayview, Chatsworth and the Durban CBD in KwaZulu Natal. Booysens, Bramley, Sandrinham, Sandton, Benoni, Germiston and Johannesburg Central in Gauteng.

Where are the carjacking hotspots in Cape Town

Carjackings don’t happen nearly as much in Cape Town as they do in other provinces. But there are some risky areas, like: Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Gugulethu.

Where and when to take extra caution regarding carjackings?

Here are some helpful tips to remember when you are out and about in South Africa:

- Be careful when arriving home on Friday or Saturday night. Carjackers will often sneak up on you when you arrive home and may even rob your home.

- Take extra care at petrol stations and garages as well as supermarkets and convenience stores as these are often used by hijackers and thieves to spot targets.

- On Weekends, especially Friday and Saturday evenings most hijackings and most of the South Africa crime happens.

- Lock your door when driving around and keep your windows up when you stop at a stop street or at the robots. 

- Avoid driving alone at night.

- Always park your car in a well lit area.

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