Rape in South Africa
SAPS recorded 40,598 rape cases across South Africa in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 3.3% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Latest quarter (Jan–Mar 2026): 9,782 rape cases, down 8.5% 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.
National trend
Rape by province
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 |
|---|---|---|
| KwaZulu-Natal | 8,186 | -2% |
| Gauteng | 7,852 | -6.9% |
| Eastern Cape | 6,452 | -1% |
| Western Cape | 4,585 | -1.5% |
| Limpopo | 3,933 | +0.6% |
| North West | 2,982 | -5.9% |
| Mpumalanga | 2,962 | -0.6% |
| Free State | 2,648 | -8.5% |
| Northern Cape | 998 | -7.8% |