3Empangeni
Empangeni, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 3 out of 10 Above average crime
3/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 23,392 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 171,544, 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 | 85 | 49.5 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 149 | 86.9 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 20 | 11.7 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 10 | 5.8 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 2 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 127 | 74 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 543 | 316.5 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 853 | 497.2 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 63 | 36.7 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 1 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 448 | 261.2 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 239 | 139.3 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 638 | 371.9 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 139 | 81 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 41 | 23.9 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 181 | 105.5 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 37 | 21.6 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 331 | 193 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 637 | 371.3 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 648 | 377.7 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 1 | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 13 | 7.6 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 272 | 158.6 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 31 | 18.1 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 206 | 120.1 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 46 | 26.8 | 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 | 5 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 93 | 54.2 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 670 | 390.6 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 85 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 181 |
| Violence | 1,587 |
| Robbery | 687 |
| Theft and burglary | 2,004 |
| Drugs | 648 |
| Damage and public order | 286 |
| Other | 1,051 |
Questions about crime in Empangeni
- Is Empangeni safe?
- Empangeni: Safety 3 out of 10 (Above average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Empangeni?
- Empangeni: Weighted crime: 23,392 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Empangeni?
- Recorded homicides in Empangeni (12 months to June 2026): 85.
