Contact Crimes
Contact Sexual Offences in South Africa
Sexual offences involving physical contact
Total Contact Sexual Offences (2025)
600
0.0%
Rate per 100k
1
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 2,672 | 4 | — |
| FY2019 | 1,191 | 2 | -55.4% |
| FY2020 | 1,076 | 2 | -9.7% |
| FY2021 | 1,095 | 2 | +1.8% |
| FY2022 | 883 | 1 | -19.4% |
| FY2023 | 761 | 1 | -13.8% |
| FY2024 | 800 | 1 | +5.1% |
| FY2025 | 800 | 1 | 0.0% |
Overall change since FY2019: -49.6%
Contact Sexual Offences by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free State | 77 | 3 |
| 2 | Western Cape | 142 | 2 |
| 3 | Eastern Cape | 45 | 1 |
| 4 | Gauteng | 115 | 1 |
| 5 | KwaZulu-Natal | 86 | 1 |
| 6 | Limpopo | 36 | 1 |
| 7 | Mpumalanga | 33 | 1 |
| 8 | North West | 47 | 1 |
| 9 | Northern Cape | 19 | 1 |
Top 20 Precincts — Contact Sexual Offences
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 3 | 300,000 |
| 2 | Thabong | free-state | 8 | 25 |
| 3 | Park Road | free-state | 9 | 23 |
| 4 | Jeffreys Bay | eastern-cape | 2 | 15 |
| 5 | Pearston | eastern-cape | 2 | 15 |
| 6 | Kamieskroon | northern-cape | 1 | 15 |
| 7 | Koffiefontein | free-state | 1 | 14 |
| 8 | Smithfield | free-state | 1 | 14 |
| 9 | Springfontein | free-state | 1 | 14 |
| 10 | Knysna | western-cape | 5 | 13 |
| 11 | Parys | free-state | 3 | 12 |
| 12 | Makapanstad | north-west | 7 | 12 |
| 13 | Loxton | northern-cape | 1 | 12 |
| 14 | Prieska | northern-cape | 1 | 12 |
| 15 | Strydenburg | northern-cape | 1 | 12 |
| 16 | Warden | free-state | 3 | 11 |
| 17 | Keimoes | northern-cape | 2 | 11 |
| 18 | Kagisanong | free-state | 4 | 10 |
| 19 | Navalsig | free-state | 4 | 10 |
| 20 | Darling | western-cape | 2 | 10 |
About Contact Sexual Offences in South Africa
Sexual offences involving physical contact. In 2025, there were 600 reported cases of contact sexual offences across South Africa, representing a rate of 1 per 100,000 population. The numbers remained stable compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Contact Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Contact Sexual Offences | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free State | 103 | 4 |
| 2 | Western Cape | 189 | 3 |
| 3 | North West | 63 | 2 |
| 4 | Northern Cape | 25 | 2 |
| 5 | Eastern Cape | 60 | 1 |
| 6 | Gauteng | 153 | 1 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 115 | 1 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 48 | 1 |
| 9 | Mpumalanga | 44 | 1 |