Safest Suburbs in Cape Town? What SAPS Data Actually Shows (2025/26)
In Cape Town, SAPS data does not rank suburbs as safe or unsafe.
It can show which precincts record the least reported crime, which have improved fastest over five years, and which are heading the other way. That's what this page shows: official SAPS figures, no scores, no verdicts.
How to read this data: figures are raw reported crime counts from SAPS, not adjusted for population. A precinct serving more residents will naturally report more crimes in absolute terms. Volume tier (Very Low to Very High) is a quintile within Western Cape, not a safety verdict. Methodology →
Most Improved, 5-Year Trend
Cape Town precincts with the largest decrease in total reported crime over five years, based on SAPS data through Apr 2025–Mar 2026. A 5-year trend is a steadier signal than one year's swing.
| # | Precinct | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rondebosch | -46.5% |
| 2 | Lansdowne | -46.1% |
| 3 | Ocean View | -42.5% |
| 4 | Simon's Town | -41.1% |
| 5 | Claremont | -36.9% |
| 6 | Mowbray | -35.3% |
| 7 | Belhar | -33.8% |
| 8 | Bellville South | -30.3% |
| 9 | Harare | -30.3% |
| 10 | Fish Hoek | -29.1% |
| 11 | Athlone | -28.4% |
| 12 | Gordons Bay | -28.0% |
| 13 | Kirstenhof | -27.0% |
| 14 | Bellville | -26.8% |
| 15 | Dieprivier | -26.4% |
Fastest Rising, 5-Year Trend
Cape Town precincts with the largest increase in total reported crime over five years, based on SAPS data through Apr 2025–Mar 2026.
| # | Precinct | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samora Machel | +172.2% |
| 2 | Mfuleni | +24.1% |
| 3 | Melkbosstrand | +14.1% |
| 4 | Delft | +11.0% |
| 5 | Sea Point | +6.9% |
| 6 | Bothasig | +4.0% |
| 7 | Durbanville | +3.6% |
| 8 | Cape Town Central | +2.8% |
Lowest Recorded Crime Volume
Cape Town precincts with the fewest total reported crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. Raw counts: smaller or less densely populated precincts will naturally report fewer crimes, so a low count is not a safety verdict.
| # | Precinct | Total crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 445 |
| 2 | Melkbosstrand | 485 |
| 3 | Simon's Town | 533 |
| 4 | Camps Bay | 606 |
| 5 | Table Bay Harbour | 748 |
| 6 | Mowbray | 833 |
| 7 | Strandfontein | 956 |
| 8 | Rondebosch | 998 |
| 9 | Ocean View | 1,128 |
| 10 | Gordons Bay | 1,152 |
| 11 | Pinelands | 1,264 |
| 12 | Fish Hoek | 1,267 |
| 13 | Bothasig | 1,285 |
| 14 | Bellville South | 1,487 |
| 15 | Kirstenhof | 1,490 |
Highest Recorded Crime Volume
Cape Town precincts with the most total reported crimes in Apr 2025–Mar 2026. These are typically the precincts serving the largest populations. See the trend rankings above for how each is changing over time.
| # | Precinct | Total crimes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town Central | 16,722 |
| 2 | Mitchells Plain | 14,658 |
| 3 | Delft | 11,404 |
| 4 | Mfuleni | 9,629 |
| 5 | Kraaifontein | 8,956 |
| 6 | Nyanga | 7,300 |
| 7 | Kleinvlei | 7,280 |
| 8 | Atlantis | 6,718 |
| 9 | Bishop Lavis | 6,520 |
| 10 | Lentegeur | 6,397 |
| 11 | Khayelitsha | 6,362 |
| 12 | Bellville | 6,028 |
| 13 | Grassy Park | 5,982 |
| 14 | Milnerton | 5,970 |
| 15 | Gugulethu | 5,640 |
Data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics (Apr 2025–Mar 2026, compared to Apr 2024–Mar 2025 and to five years earlier). Figures are raw reported crime counts, not adjusted for population. Volume tier is a quintile within Western Cape, not a safety rating. Methodology →