Contact-Related Crimes
Malicious damage to property in South Africa
Intentional damage to another's property
Total Malicious damage to property (2025)
78,488
4.7%
Rate per 100k
130
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 236,172 | 391 | — |
| FY2019 | 108,913 | 180 | -53.9% |
| FY2020 | 99,445 | 164 | -8.7% |
| FY2021 | 114,681 | 190 | +15.3% |
| FY2022 | 116,517 | 193 | +1.6% |
| FY2023 | 115,561 | 191 | -0.8% |
| FY2024 | 109,784 | 182 | -5.0% |
| FY2025 | 104,651 | 173 | -4.7% |
Overall change since FY2019: -27.9%
Malicious damage to property by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 18,735 | 263 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 2,699 | 207 |
| 3 | Free State | 4,846 | 165 |
| 4 | Eastern Cape | 8,895 | 132 |
| 5 | North West | 5,028 | 122 |
| 6 | Gauteng | 18,083 | 112 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 10,898 | 95 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 5,519 | 93 |
| 9 | Mpumalanga | 3,785 | 80 |
Top 20 Precincts — Malicious damage to property
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 29 | 2,900,000 |
| 2 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 200,000 |
| 3 | Maydon Wharf | kwazulu-natal | 2 | 200,000 |
| 4 | Worcester | western-cape | 460 | 1,226 |
| 5 | Graaff-Reinet | eastern-cape | 159 | 1,223 |
| 6 | Sterkspruit | eastern-cape | 168 | 1,111 |
| 7 | Paarl East | western-cape | 395 | 1,053 |
| 8 | Galeshewe | northern-cape | 314 | 1,012 |
| 9 | Malmesbury | western-cape | 195 | 980 |
| 10 | Mfuleni | western-cape | 706 | 932 |
| 11 | Delft | western-cape | 676 | 892 |
| 12 | Beaufort West | western-cape | 182 | 891 |
| 13 | Sunrise | northern-cape | 68 | 848 |
| 14 | Mitchells Plain | western-cape | 634 | 837 |
| 15 | Thabong | free-state | 268 | 828 |
| 16 | Douglas | northern-cape | 66 | 823 |
| 17 | Plessislaer | kwazulu-natal | 393 | 795 |
| 18 | Kimberley | northern-cape | 241 | 777 |
| 19 | Vredenburg | western-cape | 153 | 769 |
| 20 | Rosedale | northern-cape | 127 | 716 |
About Malicious damage to property in South Africa
Intentional damage to another's property. In 2025, there were 78,488 reported cases of malicious damage to property across South Africa, representing a rate of 130 per 100,000 population. This represents a 4.7% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Contact-Related Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Malicious damage to property | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 24,980 | 351 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 3,599 | 276 |
| 3 | Free State | 6,461 | 221 |
| 4 | Eastern Cape | 11,860 | 176 |
| 5 | North West | 6,704 | 163 |
| 6 | Gauteng | 24,111 | 150 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 14,531 | 126 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 7,359 | 124 |
| 9 | Mpumalanga | 5,047 | 106 |