17 Mar Most Dangerous Areas for Hijackings in South Africa: Detailed Hotspots
South Africa’s latest crime statistics, released by SAPS in February 2026 and covering the period October to December 2025, confirm that hijackings remain a serious and highly concentrated threat. While national figures provide a broad overview, the real risk is far more localised. It is concentrated in specific provinces, metro areas and even individual police station precincts.
According to the official SAPS release, 4,402 hijackings were recorded nationally during the quarter, with Gauteng alone accounting for 2,057 of those cases. This means nearly half of all hijackings in South Africa occur in a single province.
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Gauteng: The Epicentre of Hijackings
Gauteng continues to dominate hijacking statistics by a significant margin. The province’s high population density, extensive road networks and economic activity make it an ideal operating environment for organised vehicle crime syndicates.
Recent reporting on the latest crime statistics highlights that Gauteng recorded more hijackings than all other provinces combined, reinforcing its position as the highest-risk region in the country. Additional analysis is available here: https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/852002/one-province-in-south-africa-with-more-hijackings-than-all-others-combined/
What makes Gauteng particularly concerning is not just the volume of incidents, but the concentration of hijackings in specific hotspot areas.
Key Gauteng insights:
- Accounts for approximately 45–50 percent of all hijackings nationally
- Strong correlation with major highways and commuter routes
- High concentration in metro areas such as Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni
High-risk areas in Gauteng include:
Johannesburg:
- Alexandra
- Soweto
- Jeppe
- Cleveland
Tshwane (Pretoria):
- Mamelodi East (ranked highest nationally in the latest quarter)
- Pretoria West
- Sunnyside
- Temba
- Rietgat
Ekurhuleni:
- Kempton Park
- Tembisa
- Ivory Park
- Springs
SAPS station-level data shows that Mamelodi East recorded the highest number of hijackings in the country during the quarter, followed by Alexandra. This reinforces the importance of looking beyond provincial totals and focusing on localised risk areas within daily travel routes.
KwaZulu-Natal: Urban Corridor Risk
KwaZulu-Natal ranks as the second most affected province. While its overall numbers are significantly lower than Gauteng, the province still recorded over 1,100 hijackings during the reporting period.
The risk in KwaZulu-Natal is closely tied to urban movement corridors, particularly within the eThekwini metro. Crime patterns suggest that hijackings are often linked to areas with high levels of vehicle movement and transport activity.
Key KZN insights:
- Second highest hijacking province
- Strong link to urban density and transport routes
- Increasing targeting of delivery and e-hailing vehicles
High-risk areas include:
- Durban Metro
- Umlazi
- Pinetown
- Inanda
- Ntuzuma
- Mariannhill
Western Cape: Lower Volume, High Concentration
The Western Cape reports fewer hijackings overall, but still shows clear hotspot clustering in specific areas. These incidents are often concentrated in densely populated communities and zones where vehicles frequently stop or slow down.
SAPS data places Harare and Lingelethu-West among the stations appearing in the national top 30 for hijackings. Additional known high-risk areas include Nyanga, Delft and Gugulethu.
Key Western Cape insights:
- Lower overall numbers compared to Gauteng and KZN
- High concentration in specific localised zones
- Overlap with robbery and high-interaction areas
The Western Cape pattern highlights an important point: even provinces with lower totals can contain highly dangerous micro-locations.
Why These Hotspots Exist
Hijacking hotspots are not random. They form in areas where criminals have both opportunity and advantage.
Common characteristics of hotspot areas:
- Easy access to highways and escape routes
- High traffic volumes and target density
- Dense residential and commercial overlap
- Predictable commuter behaviour
These areas allow criminals to observe routines, identify suitable targets and execute hijackings with a higher likelihood of escape.
The Reality: Risk is Localised
One of the most important insights from the latest SAPS data is that risk is highly localised. National and provincial statistics provide context, but they do not reflect individual exposure.
A driver may live in a relatively low-risk suburb but regularly travel through a high-risk police station area. In practice, this means that daily routes often determine risk more than residential location.
This is why security experts emphasise route awareness and behavioural patterns over broad geographic assumptions.
How Hotspots Link to the Risk Formula
The hotspot data aligns closely with a consistent risk pattern observed across hijacking incidents:
Location + Routine + Vehicle = Risk
In high-risk areas, this combination becomes particularly important. Risk increases when:
- You regularly travel through known hotspot areas
- Your routine is predictable and consistent
- You drive a vehicle that is in high demand
A typical high-risk scenario would involve a driver in Gauteng, travelling the same route daily, arriving home in the early evening and driving a popular vehicle such as a Hilux, Polo or Ranger.
Further insights into vehicle targeting trends can be found here: https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/850167/8-cars-hijackers-are-targeting-in-south-africa-with-one-new-addition/
Key Takeaways
Most dangerous province:
- Gauteng, by a significant margin
Most critical hotspot types:
- Urban commuter zones
- High-density residential areas
- Areas near major transport routes
What matters most:
- Specific police station areas rather than cities
- Daily travel routes rather than home location
Final Thought
Hijackings in South Africa are not random events. They are pattern-driven crimes that occur in identifiable hotspots and follow predictable behavioural trends.
Understanding where these hotspots are, and how they intersect with daily routines, is one of the most practical steps individuals and businesses can take to reduce risk.