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.
Is rape rising or falling in South Africa?
Which provinces report the most rape?
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% |