6Nelspruit
Nelspruit, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 6 out of 10 Average crime
6/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 11,594 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 155,790, 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 | 17 | 10.9 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 52 | 33.4 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 14 | 9 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 3 | 1.9 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 1 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 20 | 12.8 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 239 | 153.4 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 332 | 213.1 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 30 | 19.3 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 264 | 169.5 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 101 | 64.8 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 419 | 269 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 160 | 102.7 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 0 | 0 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 160 | 102.7 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 84 | 53.9 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 432 | 277.3 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 741 | 475.6 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 80 | 51.4 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 2 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 1 | 0.6 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 131 | 84.1 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 47 | 30.2 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 399 | 256.1 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 20 | 12.8 | 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 | 2 | 1.3 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 20 | 12.8 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 1,058 | 679.1 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 17 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 70 |
| Violence | 621 |
| Robbery | 365 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,996 |
| Drugs | 80 |
| Damage and public order | 134 |
| Other | 1,546 |
Questions about crime in Nelspruit
- Is Nelspruit safe?
- Nelspruit: Safety 6 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Nelspruit?
- Nelspruit: Weighted crime: 11,594 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Nelspruit?
- Recorded homicides in Nelspruit (12 months to June 2026): 17.
