Cape Town still ranks high for murders despite a slight drop in numbers

Even with a decline in murders in the Western Cape, parts of Cape Town are high-risk murder zones and remain among South Africa's most dangerous, according to the latest quarterly crime statistics. By Ethan van Diemen

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The City of Cape Town retains its unenviable position as being among South Africa's leading contact crime hotspots, with four of the five top police stations where these crimes are reported being in the city.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) explains that “contact crimes” refer to crimes in which “the victims are the targets of violence or instances where the victims are in the vicinity of property that criminals target and are subjected to the use of or threats of violence by perpetrators”. These crimes run the gamut from murder and rape to assault and carjacking.

The latest police statistics, released by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on 23 May, covering the period from January to March 2025, show that murder rates in the Western Cape decreased slightly, with a total of 1,068 reported cases, down from 1,112 during the same period in 2024.

Despite this reduction, several areas in Cape Town remain high-risk murder zones, consistently ranking among the nation's most dangerous.

Delft topped the list in the province, recording 66 murders, a slight increase from the previous year's 65 murders. Mfuleni followed closely with 65 murders, marking a rise from 60 in the prior period.