Sophia Town Precinct
Johannesburg|3 suburbs
How much crime was reported in the Sophia Town precinct?
The Sophia Town SAPS precinct recorded 4,148 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
High volume for GautengVery High nationally
Largest categories
Whole-precinct figures, reported crime only, raw counts. Source: SAPS quarterly crime statistics (saps.gov.za), Apr 2025–Mar 2026.
What this data can't tell you
- Exactly where in the precinct crimes happened. SAPS reports crime per police precinct. These figures cover the whole Sophia Town precinct area, and all 3 suburbs in it share them.
- Crime that was never reported. SAPS counts crimes reported to the police. Not all crime is reported, so actual incidence is higher. Reporting rates also vary by area and crime type, so there is no reliable way to correct for it. How we handle this →
- How crime compares per resident. These are raw counts with no population adjustment. Precincts serving more people naturally record more crimes. The trend over time, which compares this precinct against its own history, is the more reliable signal.
See how Sophia Town compares to other Gauteng precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in Johannesburg → See how Johannesburg suburbs rank →
View 3 suburbs in this precinct
All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.
Crime volume
High
in Gauteng · Very High nationally
Reported crimes
4,148
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
↑ 6.8%
more crimes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↓ 23.2%
below 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Sophia Town rose 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Aggravated robbery dropped significantly (-35) while Common assault increased (+56).
Common assault+56
Kidnapping+46
Theft from vehicle+45
Commercial crime+39
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 1,204 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 418 |
| Aggravated robbery | 292 |
| Carjacking | 38 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 29 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 16 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. | |
| Commercial crime | 271 |
| Common assault | 264 |
| Residential burglary | 212 |
| Serious assault | 198 |
| Theft from vehicle | 173 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug-related crime | 1,204 | 1,176 | +28 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 418 | 421 | -3 |
| Aggravated robbery | 292 | 327 | -35 |
| Carjacking | 38 | 42 | -4 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 29 | 37 | -8 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 16 | 25 | -9 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bank robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. SAPS reports these both individually and within the aggravated-robbery figure. | |||
| Commercial crime | 271 | 232 | +39 |
| Common assault | 264 | 208 | +56 |
| Residential burglary | 212 | 208 | +4 |
| Serious assault | 198 | 211 | -13 |
| Theft from vehicle | 173 | 128 | +45 |
| Malicious damage | 169 | 151 | +18 |
| Attempted murder | 132 | 108 | +24 |
| Vehicle theft | 100 | 101 | -1 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 95 | 61 | +34 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 90 | 96 | -6 |
| Common robbery | 89 | 90 | -1 |
| Kidnapping | 88 | 42 | +46 |
| Business burglary | 84 | 67 | +17 |
| Murder | 79 | 88 | -9 |
| Shoplifting | 78 | 92 | -14 |
| Rape | 58 | 40 | +18 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 15 | 9 | +6 |
| Sexual assault | 15 | 10 | +5 |
| Culpable homicide | 9 | 10 | -1 |
| Crimen injuria | 8 | 5 | +3 |
| Arson | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Public violence | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Abduction | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Contact sexual offences | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stock-theft | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in Johannesburg
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Sophia Town on the national crime map
View this precinct's boundary in context, with a year-by-year timeline back to 2013/14 and every other Gauteng precinct around it.
Open Sophia Town on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Sophia Town
The Sophia Town SAPS precinct recorded 4,148 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Drug-related crime (1,204), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (418), Aggravated robbery (292). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Sophia Town SAPS precinct recorded 4,148 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — up 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 79 murders were reported. It sits in the "High" crime-volume tier for Gauteng precincts. SafeSuburb presents SAPS figures as published — we do not rate precincts safe or unsafe. SAPS reports crime at precinct level, not per suburb, so every suburb in this precinct shares the same data.
The Sophia Town SAPS precinct reported 4,148 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is up 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Sophia Town SAPS precinct has increased 6.8% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 4,148 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Sophia Town SAPS precinct is Drug-related crime.
The Sophia Town SAPS precinct covers: Martindale, Sophiatown, Westdene. All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level, not per suburb.
Check another area
Data Sources & Notes
- Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics
- SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Crime reporting rates vary by area. How much crime goes unreported? →
- This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
- Full methodology →