5Richards Bay
Richards Bay, 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: 16,745 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 111,821, 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 | 18 | 16.1 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 65 | 58.1 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 20 | 17.9 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 5 | 4.5 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 0 | 0 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 72 | 64.4 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 235 | 210.2 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 326 | 291.5 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 44 | 39.3 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 193 | 172.6 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 127 | 113.6 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 394 | 352.3 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 160 | 143.1 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 4 | 3.6 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 218 | 195 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 21 | 18.8 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 332 | 296.9 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 667 | 596.5 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 341 | 305 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 0 | 0 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 2 | 1.8 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 140 | 125.2 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 14 | 12.5 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 492 | 440 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 18 | 16.1 | 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 | 4 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 130 | 116.3 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 720 | 643.9 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 18 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 90 |
| Violence | 677 |
| Robbery | 320 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,796 |
| Drugs | 341 |
| Damage and public order | 142 |
| Other | 1,378 |
Questions about crime in Richards Bay
- Is Richards Bay safe?
- Richards Bay: Safety 5 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Richards Bay?
- Richards Bay: Weighted crime: 16,745 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Richards Bay?
- Recorded homicides in Richards Bay (12 months to June 2026): 18.
