Besters Precinct
Uthukela|2 suburbs
How much crime was reported in the Besters precinct?
The Besters SAPS precinct recorded 486 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Low 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 Besters precinct area, and all 2 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 Besters compares to other KwaZulu-Natal precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in Uthukela →
View 2 suburbs in this precinct
All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.
Crime volume
Low
in KwaZulu-Natal
Reported crimes
486
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
↓ 4.5%
fewer crimes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↓ 16.4%
below 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Besters dropped 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
All theft not mentioned elsewhere dropped significantly (-59) while Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased (+25).
All theft not mentioned elsewhere-59
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs+25
Crimen injuria+19
Residential burglary-15
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Common assault | 106 |
| Serious assault | 68 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 48 |
| Malicious damage | 39 |
| Crimen injuria | 36 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 32 |
| Residential burglary | 23 |
| Stock-theft | 23 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common assault | 106 | 92 | +14 |
| Serious assault | 68 | 66 | +2 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 48 | 107 | -59 |
| Malicious damage | 39 | 33 | +6 |
| Crimen injuria | 36 | 17 | +19 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 32 | 7 | +25 |
| Residential burglary | 23 | 38 | -15 |
| Stock-theft | 23 | 29 | -6 |
| Rape | 22 | 12 | +10 |
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 19 | 0 | +19 |
| Theft from vehicle | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Aggravated robbery | 11 | 14 | -3 |
| Carjacking | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| Truck hijacking | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 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 | 10 | 16 | -6 |
| Common robbery | 10 | 14 | -4 |
| Business burglary | 9 | 20 | -11 |
| Murder | 4 | 11 | -7 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Kidnapping | 3 | 7 | -4 |
| Attempted murder | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Sexual assault | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Culpable homicide | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Vehicle theft | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Abduction | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arson | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Contact sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drug-related crime | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Public violence | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shoplifting | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in Uthukela
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Besters 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 Besters on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Besters
The Besters SAPS precinct recorded 486 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, down 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Common assault (106), Serious assault (68), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (48). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Besters SAPS precinct recorded 486 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — down 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 4 murders were reported. It sits in the "Low" 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 Besters SAPS precinct reported 486 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is down 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Besters SAPS precinct has decreased 4.5% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 486 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Besters SAPS precinct is Common assault.
The Besters SAPS precinct covers: Besters, Watersmeet. 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 →