Waterval Crime Statistics
Vhembe|1 suburb
How much crime was reported in Waterval?
The Waterval SAPS precinct recorded 1,590 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Very High volume for LimpopoHigh 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 Waterval precinct area.
- 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 Waterval compares to other Limpopo precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in Vhembe →
Crime volume
Very High
in Limpopo · High nationally
Reported crimes
1,590
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
↑ 2.4%
more crimes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↑ 9.7%
above 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Waterval rose 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Commercial crime dropped significantly (-35) while Drug-related crime increased (+39).
Drug-related crime+39
Commercial crime-35
Shoplifting-24
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs+21
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Serious assault | 201 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 169 |
| Common assault | 144 |
| Drug-related crime | 142 |
| Residential burglary | 130 |
| Malicious damage | 119 |
| Commercial crime | 93 |
| Business burglary | 87 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious assault | 201 | 209 | -8 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 169 | 161 | +8 |
| Common assault | 144 | 148 | -4 |
| Drug-related crime | 142 | 103 | +39 |
| Residential burglary | 130 | 130 | 0 |
| Malicious damage | 119 | 105 | +14 |
| Commercial crime | 93 | 128 | -35 |
| Business burglary | 87 | 76 | +11 |
| Aggravated robbery | 87 | 103 | -16 |
| Carjacking | 8 | 6 | +2 |
| Truck hijacking | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 8 | 37 | -29 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 32 | 21 | +11 |
| 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. | |||
| Sexual offences detected as a result of police action | 81 | 61 | +20 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 70 | 49 | +21 |
| Rape | 56 | 55 | +1 |
| Common robbery | 43 | 31 | +12 |
| Theft from vehicle | 30 | 38 | -8 |
| Shoplifting | 29 | 53 | -24 |
| Attempted murder | 27 | 23 | +4 |
| Kidnapping | 15 | 8 | +7 |
| Crimen injuria | 11 | 5 | +6 |
| Stock-theft | 11 | 12 | -1 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 8 | 13 | -5 |
| Murder | 8 | 4 | +4 |
| Culpable homicide | 7 | 11 | -4 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 7 | 3 | +4 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 5 | 7 | -2 |
| Sexual assault | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Arson | 4 | 7 | -3 |
| Vehicle theft | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| Abduction | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Contact sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Public violence | 0 | 1 | -1 |
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Compare with nearby areas
Other precincts in Vhembe
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Waterval 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 Limpopo precinct around it.
Open Waterval on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Waterval
The Waterval SAPS precinct recorded 1,590 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, up 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Serious assault (201), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (169), Common assault (144). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Waterval SAPS precinct recorded 1,590 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — up 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 8 murders were reported. It sits in the "Very High" crime-volume tier for Limpopo 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 Waterval SAPS precinct reported 1,590 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is up 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Waterval SAPS precinct has increased 2.4% vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 1,590 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Waterval SAPS precinct is Assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.
The Waterval SAPS precinct covers: Waterval. 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 →