Most Dangerous Areas in Eastern Cape
These are the highest-crime police precincts in Eastern Cape, ranked by crime rate per 100,000 people based on the latest SAPS data.
Province Crime Rate
2,727 / 100k
National Average
3,067 / 100k
Violent Crime Rate
1,035 / 100k
Precincts Ranked
221
Crime Hotspots in Eastern Cape — Ranked by Crime Rate
| Rank | Precinct | City / District | Crime Rate | Violent Rate | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graaff-Reinet | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 20,245 | 6,059 | F |
| 2 | Makhanda | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 15,900 | 4,959 | F |
| 3 | Sterkspruit | Joe Gqabi | 13,865 | 6,112 | F |
| 4 | East London | East London | 13,331 | 4,033 | F |
| 5 | Humansdorp | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 12,294 | 2,952 | F |
| 6 | Joza | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 11,771 | 6,113 | F |
| 7 | Joubertina | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 11,648 | 2,407 | F |
| 8 | Butterworth | Amathole | 10,812 | 4,406 | F |
| 9 | Cambridge | East London | 10,510 | 2,143 | F |
| 10 | Nxuba | Chris Hani (Queenstown) | 10,325 | 3,478 | F |
| 11 | Komani | Chris Hani (Queenstown) | 10,321 | 2,438 | F |
| 12 | Jeffreys Bay | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 9,988 | 1,438 | F |
| 13 | Dutywa | Amathole | 9,913 | 3,713 | F |
| 14 | Nqweba | Sarah Baartman (Graaff-Reinet) | 8,804 | 4,152 | F |
| 15 | Qonce | East London | 8,790 | 2,449 | F |
| 16 | Mdantsane | East London | 8,670 | 3,000 | F |
| 17 | Alice | Amathole | 8,669 | 3,341 | F |
| 18 | Aliwal North | Joe Gqabi | 8,653 | 2,322 | F |
| 19 | Stutterheim | Amathole | 8,004 | 2,740 | F |
| 20 | KwaMaqoma | Amathole | 7,710 | 3,006 | F |
Understanding Crime in Eastern Cape
A high overall crime rate does not necessarily mean an area is violent or unsafe to visit. Crime statistics include a wide range of offences — from shoplifting, drug-related crimes, and fraud to serious violent crimes like murder and robbery. Some precincts have high total crime rates driven largely by property crime or commercial crime, while their violent crime rates remain comparatively low.
In Eastern Cape, the overall crime rate is 2,727 per 100,000 people — 11.1% below the national average of 3,067 per 100,000. The violent crime rate, however, is 1,035 per 100,000 — 6.2% below the national violent crime average of 1,103 per 100,000.
When assessing safety, it is important to look at both overall crime rates and violent crime rates specifically. The table above includes both figures for each precinct, along with a safety grade that accounts for the full crime profile. For a detailed breakdown of crime types, visit the individual Eastern Cape province page.