Vehicle Theft in South Africa
SAPS recorded 29,649 vehicle theft cases across South Africa in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 9.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Latest quarter (Jan–Mar 2026): 6,936 vehicle theft cases, down 10.2% 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 vehicle theft rising or falling in South Africa?
Which provinces report the most vehicle theft?
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 | 15,610 | -8.8% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 5,305 | -6.4% |
| Western Cape | 3,907 | -8.7% |
| North West | 1,324 | -2.1% |
| Mpumalanga | 1,163 | -17.5% |
| Eastern Cape | 1,046 | -27.6% |
| Free State | 632 | -11.1% |
| Limpopo | 537 | -14.2% |
| Northern Cape | 125 | +19% |