Upington Crime Statistics
ZF Mgcawu|1 suburb
How much crime was reported in Upington?
The Upington SAPS precinct recorded 2,925 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly unchanged vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Very High volume for Northern Cape
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 Upington 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 Upington compares to other Northern Cape precincts vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 → Crime by precinct in ZF Mgcawu →
Crime volume
Very High
in Northern Cape
Reported crimes
2,925
Apr 2025–Mar 2026 · Full year
vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
→ 1.9%
no change vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
vs pre-COVID baseline
↑ 20.9%
above 2018-2019
Updated · SAPS Q4 2025-26 release
Crime in Upington has been relatively stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025 (within ±2%).
What's changing?
Biggest changes vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025
Common assault dropped significantly (-52) while Commercial crime increased (+109).
Commercial crime+109
Drug-related crime+54
Common assault-52
Serious assault-51
Crime trend by year
Crime breakdown
Top reported offences in 2025-2026
| Crime category | Reported count |
|---|---|
| Serious assault | 409 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 349 |
| Drug-related crime | 319 |
| Commercial crime | 309 |
| Shoplifting | 290 |
| Residential burglary | 246 |
| Common assault | 173 |
| Malicious damage | 166 |
View full crime breakdown table
| Category | 2025-2026 | 2024-2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious assault | 409 | 460 | -51 |
| All theft not mentioned elsewhere | 349 | 396 | -47 |
| Drug-related crime | 319 | 265 | +54 |
| Commercial crime | 309 | 200 | +109 |
| Shoplifting | 290 | 276 | +14 |
| Residential burglary | 246 | 247 | -1 |
| Common assault | 173 | 225 | -52 |
| Malicious damage | 166 | 164 | +2 |
| Business burglary | 134 | 103 | +31 |
| Attempted murder | 126 | 85 | +41 |
| Theft from vehicle | 122 | 148 | -26 |
| Crimen injuria | 62 | 50 | +12 |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs | 44 | 29 | +15 |
| Aggravated robbery | 35 | 57 | -22 |
| Carjacking | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Truck hijacking | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery at residential premises | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| Robbery at non-residential premises | 7 | 8 | -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. | |||
| Rape | 32 | 27 | +5 |
| Common robbery | 27 | 45 | -18 |
| Stock-theft | 22 | 15 | +7 |
| Culpable homicide | 13 | 19 | -6 |
| Arson | 8 | 14 | -6 |
| Murder | 8 | 17 | -9 |
| Vehicle theft | 7 | 5 | +2 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| Kidnapping | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Contact sexual offences | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Sexual assault | 3 | 17 | -14 |
| Abduction | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Neglect and ill-treatment of children | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 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 ZF Mgcawu
Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)
See Upington 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 Northern Cape precinct around it.
Open Upington on the crime map →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crime in Upington
The Upington SAPS precinct recorded 2,925 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The largest categories were Serious assault (409), All theft not mentioned elsewhere (349), Drug-related crime (319). These are whole-precinct raw counts of reported crime, not adjusted for population.
The Upington SAPS precinct recorded 2,925 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026 — roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. 8 murders were reported. It sits in the "Very High" crime-volume tier for Northern Cape 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 Upington SAPS precinct reported 2,925 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Crime is roughly stable vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025.
Crime in the Upington SAPS precinct has remained broadly stable (within ±2%) vs Apr 2024–Mar 2025. The precinct reported 2,925 crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The most frequently reported crime category in the Upington SAPS precinct is Assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.
The Upington SAPS precinct covers: Upington. 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 →