Property-Related Crimes
Theft out of or from motor vehicle in South Africa
Stealing items from inside motor vehicles
Total Theft out of or from motor vehicle (2025)
54,838
9.2%
Rate per 100k
91
Provinces Affected
9
Year-over-Year Changes
| Year | Total Cases | Rate / 100k | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 246,080 | 407 | — |
| FY2019 | 118,321 | 196 | -51.9% |
| FY2020 | 83,187 | 138 | -29.7% |
| FY2021 | 82,244 | 136 | -1.1% |
| FY2022 | 88,014 | 146 | +7.0% |
| FY2023 | 89,256 | 148 | +1.4% |
| FY2024 | 80,567 | 133 | -9.7% |
| FY2025 | 73,117 | 121 | -9.2% |
Overall change since FY2019: -53.7%
Theft out of or from motor vehicle by Province
| # | Province | Total Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 14,375 | 202 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 1,381 | 106 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 15,500 | 96 |
| 4 | Free State | 2,659 | 91 |
| 5 | Eastern Cape | 5,072 | 75 |
| 6 | North West | 2,842 | 69 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 7,781 | 68 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 2,663 | 56 |
| 9 | Limpopo | 2,565 | 43 |
Top 20 Precincts — Theft out of or from motor vehicle
| # | Precinct | Province | Cases | Rate / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maydon Wharf | kwazulu-natal | 73 | 7,300,000 |
| 2 | OR Tambo International Airport | gauteng | 37 | 3,700,000 |
| 3 | King Shaka International Airport | kwazulu-natal | 13 | 1,300,000 |
| 4 | Stellenbosch | western-cape | 705 | 1,880 |
| 5 | Cape Town Central | western-cape | 1,368 | 1,806 |
| 6 | Park Road | free-state | 592 | 1,532 |
| 7 | Polokwane | limpopo | 683 | 991 |
| 8 | Kimberley | northern-cape | 302 | 973 |
| 9 | Sea Point | western-cape | 728 | 961 |
| 10 | East London | eastern-cape | 380 | 935 |
| 11 | Graaff-Reinet | eastern-cape | 114 | 877 |
| 12 | Worcester | western-cape | 307 | 818 |
| 13 | Klerksdorp | north-west | 377 | 770 |
| 14 | Durban Central | kwazulu-natal | 756 | 749 |
| 15 | Cambridge | eastern-cape | 297 | 731 |
| 16 | Bellville | western-cape | 545 | 719 |
| 17 | Humewood | eastern-cape | 444 | 709 |
| 18 | Makhanda | eastern-cape | 87 | 669 |
| 19 | Mount Road | eastern-cape | 412 | 658 |
| 20 | Paarl | western-cape | 245 | 653 |
About Theft out of or from motor vehicle in South Africa
Stealing items from inside motor vehicles. In 2025, there were 54,838 reported cases of theft out of or from motor vehicle across South Africa, representing a rate of 91 per 100,000 population. This represents a 9.2% decrease compared to 2024. This crime falls under the "Property-Related Crimes" classification in SAPS reporting.
Crime Type by Province
| Rank | Province | Total Theft out of or from motor vehicle | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Cape | 19,167 | 269 |
| 2 | Northern Cape | 1,841 | 141 |
| 3 | Gauteng | 20,667 | 128 |
| 4 | Free State | 3,545 | 121 |
| 5 | Eastern Cape | 6,763 | 100 |
| 6 | North West | 3,789 | 92 |
| 7 | KwaZulu-Natal | 10,375 | 90 |
| 8 | Mpumalanga | 3,551 | 75 |
| 9 | Limpopo | 3,420 | 58 |