5Despatch

Despatch, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score

Safety 5 out of 10 Average crime

5/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world

Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).

Weighted crime: 15,227 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)

Residents: about 45,569, a WorldPop 2025 modelled estimate summed within the police precinct, not a census count.

Crime by type, as recorded by SAPS (12 months to June 2026)

Type	Count	Per 100,000 a year	All places this source covers
Homicide
Murder	32	70.2	34.6
Sexual offences
Rape	27	59.3	61.8
Sexual assault	2	4.4	11.6
Attempted sexual offences	1	2.2	4
Other contact sexual offences	0	0	1.2
Violence
Attempted murder	16	35.1	44.5
Assault with intent to cause serious harm	46	100.9	265.1
Common assault	66	144.8	291.2
Kidnapping	6	13.2	28.7
Abduction of a minor	0	0	0.2
Robbery
Armed or aggravated robbery	65	142.6	178.3
Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists.
Common robbery	6	13.2	67.4
Theft and burglary
Home burglary	135	296.3	193.2
Burglary of other premises	21	46.1	66.4
Livestock theft	2	4.4	33.5
Shoplifting	11	24.1	59.8
Vehicle theft	11	24.1	45.2
Theft from vehicles	30	65.8	112.4
Other theft	165	362.1	354.3
Drugs
Drug offences	130	285.3	357.5
Found through police action, so it rises with policing.
Damage and public order
Public violence	2	4.4	1.6
Arson	0	0	4.1
Malicious damage to property	72	158	160.3
Other
Culpable homicide	11	24.1	15.2
Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads.
Driving under the influence	45	98.8	133.3
Found through police action, so it rises with policing.
Illegal firearms and ammunition	10	21.9	24.2
Sexual offences found by police action	0	0	20.3
Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person.
Child neglect and ill-treatment	0	0	3.6
Crimen injuria (serious insult)	1	2.2	40.7
Fraud and commercial crime	80	175.6	228.2

Source: SAPS, updated 26 October 2026.