Murder in South Africa
SAPS recorded 23,096 murder cases across South Africa in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 9.1% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Latest quarter (Jan–Mar 2026): 5,181 murder cases, down 9.5% 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 murder rising or falling in South Africa?
Which provinces report the most murder?
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 | 5,631 | -8.3% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 4,743 | -14.8% |
| Western Cape | 4,448 | -0.4% |
| Eastern Cape | 4,347 | -9.5% |
| Mpumalanga | 1,053 | -15.9% |
| North West | 976 | -11.2% |
| Free State | 794 | -11.3% |
| Limpopo | 769 | -6.6% |
| Northern Cape | 335 | -10.7% |