Buffalo City Crime Insights
What the data reveals for 22 precincts in Buffalo City
District Overview
The big picture for Buffalo City
Buffalo City has 22 police precincts reporting a combined 21,063 crimes in the latest period. Of these, 10 precincts are improving, 8 are worsening, and 4 are stable.
21.1k
Total crimes
10
Improving
8
Worsening
4
Stable
District avg. trend
+2.2%
vs Apr–Dec 2024
Provincial avg. trend
+4.4%
Eastern Cape average
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, Apr–Dec 2025 vs Apr–Dec 2024. 22 precincts in Buffalo City.
Top Improvers & Worseners
Which precincts in Buffalo City are moving the most?
Of 22 precincts, 10 saw crime decrease and 8 saw crime increase vs Apr–Dec 2024. Here are the most significant movers.
Biggest decreases
Five-year trajectories
| Precinct | 5-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Chalumna | -28.7% | improved |
| East London | -22.1% | improved |
| Cambridge | -19.4% | improved |
| Vulindlela | -18.1% | improved |
| Beacon Bay | -9.6% | improved |
| Tamara | -4.7% | improved |
| Duncan Village | -4.0% | improved |
| Scenery Park | -2.5% | improved |
| Buffalo Flats | -1.1% | stable |
| Gonubie | -1.0% | stable |
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics. Change vs prior year for 2025-2026 vs 2024-2025. Five-year change compares earliest and latest complete annual periods.
Precinct Rankings
All 22 precincts ranked by total crime
From the quietest to the busiest — every precinct in Buffalo City ranked by total reported crime for the latest period.
| # | Precinct | Total | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chalumna | 161 | ↓16.0% |
| 2 | Macleantown | 164 | ↓19.8% |
| 3 | Ntabozuko | 201 | ↓6.0% |
| 4 | Kidds Beach | 267 | ↑26.7% |
| 5 | Tamara | 268 | ↑4.1% |
| 6 | Punzana | 275 | ↑56.2% |
| 7 | Zele | 544 | ↓6.1% |
| 8 | Ndevana | 545 | ↓3.8% |
| 9 | Bhisho | 613 | ↑11.8% |
| 10 | Beacon Bay | 691 | ↓22.9% |
| 11 | Gonubie | 706 | →1.7% |
| 12 | Scenery Park | 800 | ↑2.6% |
| 13 | Buffalo Flats | 929 | ↑10.1% |
| 14 | Inyibiba | 948 | ↑21.9% |
| 15 | Vulindlela | 993 | ↑7.8% |
| 16 | Dimbaza | 1,004 | ↓3.0% |
| 17 | Zwelitsha | 1,095 | ↓7.7% |
| 18 | Duncan Village | 1,232 | →0.1% |
| 19 | Qonce | 1,998 | ↓2.5% |
| 20 | Cambridge | 2,106 | →0.6% |
| 21 | Mdantsane | 2,294 | →0.7% |
| 22 | East London | 3,229 | ↓4.9% |
Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, Apr–Dec 2025 vs Apr–Dec 2024. Ranked by total reported serious crimes.
Province-wide insights
Eastern Cape — all 200 precincts
Buffalo City overview
All precincts and suburbs
Explore Buffalo City precincts
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Data Sources & Methodology
- Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics, publicly available at saps.gov.za
- Analysis covers 22 precincts in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape
- Change vs prior year uses the period: 2025-2026 vs 2024-2025
- COVID recovery compares 2018-2019 (pre-COVID) to 2022-2023 (post-COVID) financial years
- SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Under-reporting varies by area and crime type.
- This analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
- Full methodology →