Other Serious Crimes
Shoplifting in South Africa
Theft of merchandise from retail stores
Total Shoplifting (2025)
29,619
8.5%
Rate per 100k
49
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 120,520 | 199 | — |
| FY2019 | 59,884 | 99 | -50.3% |
| FY2020 | 47,345 | 78 | -20.9% |
| FY2021 | 43,102 | 71 | -9.0% |
| FY2022 | 50,229 | 83 | +16.5% |
| FY2023 | 55,132 | 91 | +9.8% |
| FY2024 | 43,143 | 71 | -21.7% |
| FY2025 | 39,492 | 65 | -8.5% |
Overall change since FY2019: -50.5%
Shoplifting by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 5,438 | 76 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 941 | 72 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 10,231 | 64 |
| 4 | Free State | 1,561 | 53 |
| 5 | KwaZulu-Natal | 4,566 | 40 |
| 6 | Eastern Cape | 2,357 | 35 |
| 7 | Mpumalanga | 1,602 | 34 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 1,759 | 30 |
| 9 | North West | 1,164 | 28 |
Top 20 Precincts — Shoplifting
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 2 | 200,000 |
| 2 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 1 | 100,000 |
| 3 | Upington | northern-cape | 227 | 1,281 |
| 4 | Park Road | free-state | 380 | 983 |
| 5 | Springbok | northern-cape | 56 | 865 |
| 6 | Kimberley | northern-cape | 173 | 558 |
| 7 | Kuruman | northern-cape | 102 | 524 |
| 8 | George | western-cape | 202 | 506 |
| 9 | Vredenburg | western-cape | 94 | 472 |
| 10 | Hermanus | western-cape | 110 | 459 |
| 11 | Pietermaritzburg | kwazulu-natal | 223 | 451 |
| 12 | Beaufort West | western-cape | 91 | 445 |
| 13 | Graaff-Reinet | eastern-cape | 54 | 415 |
| 14 | Sterkspruit | eastern-cape | 61 | 404 |
| 15 | Welkom | free-state | 128 | 395 |
| 16 | Oudtshoorn | western-cape | 155 | 388 |
| 17 | Heidedal | free-state | 147 | 380 |
| 18 | Paarl | western-cape | 130 | 347 |
| 19 | East London | eastern-cape | 138 | 340 |
| 20 | Mount Road | eastern-cape | 207 | 330 |
About Shoplifting in South Africa
Theft of merchandise from retail stores. In 2025, there were 29,619 reported cases of shoplifting across South Africa, representing a rate of 49 per 100,000 population. This represents a 8.5% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Other Serious Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Shoplifting | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 7,251 | 102 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 1,255 | 96 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 13,641 | 85 |
| 4 | Free State | 2,081 | 71 |
| 5 | KwaZulu-Natal | 6,088 | 53 |
| 6 | Eastern Cape | 3,143 | 47 |
| 7 | Mpumalanga | 2,136 | 45 |
| 8 | Limpopo | 2,345 | 40 |
| 9 | North West | 1,552 | 38 |