Revealed: The 27 ‘hijacking hot-spots’ in South Africa

Car crime specialists Tracker have released the latest data on the hijacking hot-spots of South Africa, and their figures paint a pretty glum picture. Despite a national lockdown, illegal vehicular activities have risen from this point last year – and each province is home to some notorious danger zones.

Hot-spots surface as car crimes increase

Although personal movement has been strictly limited, it hasn’t exactly stopped criminals in their tracks:

• The number of vehicle crime activities rose nationally by 11% year-on-year.
• In the past 12 months, hijacking crimes registered an increase of 21%.
• After much inactivity in April, May experienced a three-fold increase to 62% of the average vehicle crime activities – while June was close to usual levels at 93%.

Lockdown fails to stop hijackers

According to Tracker, the monthly data shows that lockdown has done little to deter our hijackers. In fact, these crimes are now more prevalent than the act of stationary car theft – which is an unprecedented statistic:

“Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for the year July 2019 to June 2020 indicate that hijacking is on the rise and remained prevalent during the lockdown – even with a significant drop in vehicle crime. Despite entering Level 3 lockdown during June 2020, monthly hijacking numbers reached the same level recorded for June 2019.”

“Hijacking attributed a higher percentage of the Tracker vehicle crime activities during lockdown when compared to theft, averaging a 56/44 split. This is an increase on the 50/50 split between hijacking and theft for the months before lockdown.”

Tracker statement

Map: Where are the hijacking hot-spots for South Africa in 2020?

Gauteng remains the most dangerous place for carjackings, and Johannesburg is SA’s official top hijacking hot-spot. Durban takes the regional crown in KZN, whereas Mitchells Plain is the Western Cape’s worst-hit area. In total, there are 27 hijacking hot-spots in South Africa for 2020 – with three in each province:

Gauteng:

• Johannesburg
• Soweto
• Pretoria

KwaZulu-Natal:

• Durban
• Umlazi
• Pietermaritzburg

Western Cape:

• Mitchells Plain
• Khayelitsha
• Cape Town

Mpumalanga:

• eMalahleni
• Kwa-Guqa
• Delmas

Eastern Cape:

• Ibhayi
• Motherwell
• Port Elizabeth

North West:

• Rustenburg
• Brits
• Hebron

Limpopo:

• Burgersfort
• Polokwane
• Dennilton

Free State:

• Bloemfontein
• Sasolburg
• Senekal

Northern Cape:

• Dikhing
• Lime Acres
• Moeswaal

Photo: Tracker