Gauteng is SA’s kidnapping capital and Joburg is the worst by far

1 Jun 2025

More than half of reported kidnapping cases in South Africa take place in the province, and in some police precincts in Johannesburg the number of cases has tripled. Often, they’re a quick way of getting cash.

The latest crime statistics, covering the fourth quarter from 1 January to 31 March 2025, expose a troubling trend: kidnappings in Johannesburg have soared and sharp increases have been recorded all over the city.

Half of Johannesburg’s police stations are in the top 30 nationwide for reported kidnappings and five – Johannesburg Central, Moroka, Roodepoort, Jabulani and Midrand – rank among the top eight.

What’s worse for Gauteng as a whole is that 26 of the top 30 police stations for kidnapping cases are in the province.

All the police stations in Johannesburg on the list of 30 recorded increases in kidnappings with the exception of four: Germiston and Kempton Park had a decline of 11 and 10 cases respectively, Randburg had six fewer kidnappings and Evaton five.

According to the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), kidnappings have increased by 264% in the past decade.

“Gauteng records 52.8% of all reported kidnappings in the country,” said crime manager Lizette Lancaster. “ISS analysis of the Gauteng kidnapping statistics shows that about 80% are driven by so-called express kidnappings perpetrated during robberies such as carjackings, truckjackings and business or residential robberies.

“This involves holding the victim captive until funds can be extracted from bank cards or via mobile apps and even demanding ransoms from relatives. Some are also linked to extortion attempts against business owners.”

Low-risk, high reward

Compared with the number of cases in the same period last year, the Jabulani police station in Soweto and Johannesburg Central recorded the highest increases in kidnappings, with 32 and 24 more cases respectively. Close behind is the Dobsonville police station with an increase of 20.

In some instances, the number of kidnappings reported at a specific police station more than doubled, but in policing precincts such as Jabulani it more than tripled.

“Research shows that robberies, and by implication, kidnappings, are committed by relatively few perpetrators, and these crime types are highly responsive to focused, intelligence-led policing supported by dedicated investigation units and forensics,” Lancaster said.

“The reduction in robberies in the province but the large increase in kidnapping likely indicate the increased adoption of kidnapping as a low-risk, high-reward modus operandi by criminals.”

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Crime expert Herman Bosman says crimes such as kidnappings balloon because of the ineptitude of law enforcement.

“The largely dysfunctional intelligence structures in South Africa add to this alarming situation.

“We had eight kidnappings reported per day in 2009/10 for the crime stats year and 50 per day in 2024/25,” Bosman said. “The growing inability of government structures to prevent, manage and investigate kidnapping incidents over the past 20 years has increasingly caused the current dilemma.”

Crime trends in Gauteng

The latest statistics reveal a notable dip in some crime categories in Gauteng, including murder – 1,439 cases were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024/25 compared with 1,614 in the same period the previous year – a 10.8% reduction.

With 1,439 cases, Gauteng accounted for 25.1% of all murders nationwide. A total of 765 of these killings occurred in public places and involved firearms. Gauteng also had 19.1% of all reported rapes nationwide, the second-highest in the country.

“South Africa desperately needs a police service that is professional, well-trained and free from political meddling,” Bosman said. “The problem is much bigger than just the police and needs a holistic approach.”

Interventions

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has leaned heavily on technology in the province’s battle against crime, rolling out surveillance cameras in several townships in Johannesburg South. Beyond digital eyes, Lesufi has also placed faith in the crime prevention wardens, although, for many residents, their true impact remains to be seen.

Speaking to the media during the release of the statistics on 23 May, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu attributed the rise in kidnappings to organised crime, emphasising that the complexity of such operations makes it unlikely for a single perpetrator to act alone. He stressed that kidnappings and extortion are intertwined, one fuelling the other.

“The syndicates who are involved in kidnappings are also involved in extortion,” Mchunu said. “In almost every incident of kidnapping, there would be an attempt to extort money.”

According to the ISS, the Gauteng aggravated robbery strategy that was implemented between 2009 and 2011 needs to be reintroduced. “This strategy, at the time, managed to reduce hijackings by 32%, home robberies by 20% and business robberies by 19% in that period.

“Getting on top of robberies will substantially decrease kidnappings and possibly extortion as well,” Lancaster said.

Bosman added: “Law enforcement… within the current legal framework has a lot of limitations.

“While kidnapping syndicates and ‘copycats’ continue to evolve in the 21st century, legislation and, in certain instances, the lack thereof increasingly shackles kidnapping management, investigation and prosecution.

“We need new statutory legislation addressing the causes, threats, risks and impact of kidnapping in South Africa.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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South Africa

Low-risk, high reward

Crime trends in Gauteng

Interventions