Contact Crimes
Abduction in South Africa
Unlawful removal of a person from their location
Total Abduction (2025)
129
19.9%
Rate per 100k
0
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 1,000 | 2 | — |
| FY2019 | 386 | 1 | -61.4% |
| FY2020 | 342 | 1 | -11.4% |
| FY2021 | 331 | 1 | -3.2% |
| FY2022 | 296 | 0 | -10.6% |
| FY2023 | 260 | 0 | -12.2% |
| FY2024 | 215 | 0 | -17.3% |
| FY2025 | 172 | 0 | -20.0% |
Overall change since FY2019: -66.6%
Abduction by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Cape | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | Western Cape | 40 | 1 |
| 3 | Eastern Cape | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Free State | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | Gauteng | 13 | 0 |
| 6 | KwaZulu-Natal | 32 | 0 |
| 7 | Limpopo | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 4 | 0 |
| 9 | North West | 10 | 0 |
Top 20 Precincts — Abduction
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smithfield | free-state | 1 | 14 |
| 2 | Loxton | northern-cape | 1 | 12 |
| 3 | Strydenburg | northern-cape | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | Joza | eastern-cape | 1 | 8 |
| 5 | Nqweba | eastern-cape | 1 | 8 |
| 6 | Patensie | eastern-cape | 1 | 8 |
| 7 | Parys | free-state | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Rawsonville | western-cape | 3 | 8 |
| 9 | Villiersdorp | western-cape | 2 | 8 |
| 10 | Burgersdorp | eastern-cape | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Delareyville | north-west | 3 | 7 |
| 12 | Thabong | free-state | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | Groblershoop | northern-cape | 1 | 6 |
| 14 | Jan Kempdorp | northern-cape | 2 | 6 |
| 15 | Keimoes | northern-cape | 1 | 6 |
| 16 | KwaMaqoma | eastern-cape | 1 | 5 |
| 17 | Gowan Lea | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 5 |
| 18 | Osizweni | kwazulu-natal | 3 | 5 |
| 19 | George | western-cape | 2 | 5 |
| 20 | Robertson | western-cape | 2 | 5 |
About Abduction in South Africa
Unlawful removal of a person from their location. In 2025, there were 129 reported cases of abduction across South Africa, representing a rate of 0 per 100,000 population. This represents a 19.9% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Contact Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Abduction | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free State | 16 | 1 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 9 | 1 |
| 3 | Western Cape | 53 | 1 |
| 4 | Eastern Cape | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Gauteng | 17 | 0 |
| 6 | KwaZulu-Natal | 43 | 0 |
| 7 | Limpopo | 8 | 0 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | North West | 13 | 0 |