Empangeni Precinct
King Cetshwayo|19 suburbs
How much crime was reported in the Empangeni precinct?
The Empangeni SAPS precinct recorded 6,585 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly unchanged vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Very High volume for KwaZulu-Natal
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 Empangeni precinct area, and all 19 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 Empangeni compares to other KwaZulu-Natal precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in King Cetshwayo →
View 19 suburbs in this precinct
All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.
Crime volume
Very High
in KwaZulu-Natal
Reported crimes
6,585
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
→ 0.7%
no change vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↑ 3.6%
above 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Empangeni has been relatively stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 (within ±2%).
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Aggravated robbery dropped significantly (-74) while Drug-related crime increased (+127).
Drug-related crime+127
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs+118
Residential burglary+117
Aggravated robbery-74
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Common assault | 844 |
| Drug-related crime | 681 |
| Commercial crime | 675 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 635 |
| Residential burglary | 634 |
| Serious assault | 540 |
| Aggravated robbery | 506 |
| Carjacking | 49 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 110 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 45 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 2 |
| Bank robbery | 0 |
| Components of aggravated robbery above, already counted in that total. Not additional crimes. | |
| Theft from vehicle | 333 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common assault | 844 | 852 | -8 |
| Drug-related crime | 681 | 554 | +127 |
| Commercial crime | 675 | 735 | -60 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 635 | 682 | -47 |
| Residential burglary | 634 | 517 | +117 |
| Serious assault | 540 | 597 | -57 |
| Aggravated robbery | 506 | 580 | -74 |
| Carjacking | 49 | 56 | -7 |
| Truck hijacking | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 110 | 117 | -7 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 45 | 44 | +1 |
| Robbery of cash in transit | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| 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. | |||
| Theft from vehicle | 333 | 268 | +65 |
| Malicious damage | 254 | 304 | -50 |
| Common robbery | 246 | 199 | +47 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 188 | 70 | +118 |
| Shoplifting | 174 | 188 | -14 |
| Rape | 159 | 190 | -31 |
| Business burglary | 150 | 163 | -13 |
| Attempted murder | 133 | 136 | -3 |
| Crimen injuria | 88 | 69 | +19 |
| Murder | 74 | 79 | -5 |
| Kidnapping | 62 | 77 | -15 |
| Stock-theft | 46 | 54 | -8 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 41 | 74 | -33 |
| Vehicle theft | 38 | 52 | -14 |
| Culpable homicide | 30 | 34 | -4 |
| Sexual assault | 19 | 32 | -13 |
| Arson | 17 | 21 | -4 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 9 | 8 | +1 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| Contact sexual offences | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Abduction | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Public violence | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in King Cetshwayo
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Empangeni 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 KwaZulu-Natal precinct around it.
Open Empangeni on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Empangeni
The Empangeni SAPS precinct recorded 6,585 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Common assault (844), Drug-related crime (681), Commercial crime (675). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Empangeni SAPS precinct recorded 6,585 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 74 murders were reported. It sits in the "Very High" crime-volume tier for KwaZulu-Natal 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 Empangeni SAPS precinct reported 6,585 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Empangeni SAPS precinct has remained broadly stable (within ±2%) vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 6,585 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Empangeni SAPS precinct is Common assault.
The Empangeni SAPS precinct covers: Bhejane, Empangeni, Empangeni Central, Empangeni Rail, Eniwe, Fairview, Grantham Park, Hillview, Mabhuyeni, Makhwela, Movamhlone, Ngwelezana, Noordsig, Nseleni, Nthunzi, Nyala Park, Panorama, Umhlathuze, Zidedele. 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 →