Contact Crimes
Attempted murder in South Africa
Attempted unlawful and intentional killing
Total Attempted murder (2025)
21,514
0.4%
Rate per 100k
36
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 38,828 | 64 | — |
| FY2019 | 18,661 | 31 | -51.9% |
| FY2020 | 18,462 | 31 | -1.1% |
| FY2021 | 21,861 | 36 | +18.4% |
| FY2022 | 25,147 | 42 | +15.0% |
| FY2023 | 28,016 | 46 | +11.4% |
| FY2024 | 28,792 | 48 | +2.8% |
| FY2025 | 28,685 | 47 | -0.4% |
Overall change since FY2019: +15.3%
Attempted murder by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Cape | 1,724 | 132 |
| 2 | Free State | 1,572 | 54 |
| 3 | Western Cape | 3,424 | 48 |
| 4 | KwaZulu-Natal | 5,035 | 44 |
| 5 | Gauteng | 5,535 | 34 |
| 6 | Eastern Cape | 1,730 | 26 |
| 7 | North West | 865 | 21 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 894 | 19 |
| 9 | Limpopo | 735 | 12 |
Top 20 Precincts — Attempted murder
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 200,000 |
| 2 | Maydon Wharf | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 200,000 |
| 3 | Sunrise | northern-cape | 52 | 648 |
| 4 | Galeshewe | northern-cape | 197 | 635 |
| 5 | Rosedale | northern-cape | 111 | 626 |
| 6 | Upington | northern-cape | 93 | 525 |
| 7 | Mothibistad | northern-cape | 101 | 519 |
| 8 | Zamdela | free-state | 122 | 502 |
| 9 | Kakamas | northern-cape | 87 | 491 |
| 10 | Nababeep | northern-cape | 30 | 463 |
| 11 | Worcester | western-cape | 173 | 461 |
| 12 | Kimberley | northern-cape | 129 | 416 |
| 13 | Thabong | free-state | 129 | 399 |
| 14 | Kagisho | northern-cape | 122 | 393 |
| 15 | Roodepan | northern-cape | 120 | 387 |
| 16 | Postmasburg | northern-cape | 58 | 327 |
| 17 | Bothaville | free-state | 105 | 324 |
| 18 | Park Road | free-state | 123 | 318 |
| 19 | Springbok | northern-cape | 18 | 278 |
| 20 | Umlazi | kwazulu-natal | 279 | 276 |
About Attempted murder in South Africa
Attempted unlawful and intentional killing. In 2025, there were 21,514 reported cases of attempted murder across South Africa, representing a rate of 36 per 100,000 population. This represents a 0.4% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Contact Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Attempted murder | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Cape | 2,299 | 176 |
| 2 | Free State | 2,096 | 72 |
| 3 | Western Cape | 4,565 | 64 |
| 4 | KwaZulu-Natal | 6,713 | 58 |
| 5 | Gauteng | 7,380 | 46 |
| 6 | Eastern Cape | 2,307 | 34 |
| 7 | North West | 1,153 | 28 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 1,192 | 25 |
| 9 | Limpopo | 980 | 17 |