Serious Assault (GBH) in South Africa
SAPS recorded 173,458 serious assault (gbh) cases across South Africa in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 3.9% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Latest quarter (Jan–Mar 2026): 43,575 serious assault (gbh) cases, roughly unchanged vs Jan–Mar 2025.
Ranked by province below.
Note: Raw reported counts — not adjusted for population. Provinces with more residents will naturally report more cases.
Is serious assault (gbh) rising or falling in South Africa?
Which provinces report the most serious assault (gbh)?
Bars coloured by direction vs the previous year: green = improved, red = worsened, grey = within ±2%. Sorted by Apr 2025–Mar 2026 count.
| Province | Apr 2025–Mar 2026 | vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 34,703 | -7% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 31,418 | -2.2% |
| Eastern Cape | 25,303 | +0.4% |
| Western Cape | 23,361 | -2.2% |
| North West | 15,822 | -2.5% |
| Free State | 12,718 | -3.8% |
| Limpopo | 11,513 | -9% |
| Mpumalanga | 11,266 | -7.5% |
| Northern Cape | 7,354 | -5.2% |