1Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 1 out of 10 High crime
1/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 82,328 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 30,347, 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 | 35 | 115.3 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 79 | 260.3 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 22 | 72.5 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 3 | 9.9 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 59 | 194.4 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 263 | 866.6 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 434 | 1,430.1 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 32 | 105.4 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 1 | 3.3 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 318 | 1,047.9 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 268 | 883.1 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 73 | 240.6 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 183 | 603 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 0 | 0 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 282 | 929.3 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 43 | 141.7 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 230 | 757.9 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 903 | 2,975.6 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 1,166 | 3,842.2 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 4 | 13.2 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 1 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 103 | 339.4 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 11 | 36.2 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 344 | 1,133.6 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 26 | 85.7 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 219 | 721.7 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 3 | 9.9 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 39 | 128.5 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 316 | 1,041.3 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 35 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 104 |
| Violence | 789 |
| Robbery | 586 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,714 |
| Drugs | 1,166 |
| Damage and public order | 108 |
| Other | 958 |
Questions about crime in Pietermaritzburg
- Is Pietermaritzburg safe?
- Pietermaritzburg: Safety 1 out of 10 (High crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Pietermaritzburg?
- Pietermaritzburg: Weighted crime: 82,328 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Pietermaritzburg?
- Recorded homicides in Pietermaritzburg (12 months to June 2026): 35.
