29 Sep Most Hijacked Cars in South Africa: 2025 vs 2026

Most hijacked cars in South Africa: What changed from 2025 to 2026?

South Africa recorded 3,811 carjackings between April and June 2026, compared with 4,657 during the same period in 2025. That is an 18.2% decrease, but it still represents approximately 42 reported hijackings every day.

The figures offer some encouragement. They also show why drivers and businesses need to understand the risks associated with their vehicles and the areas in which they travel. The comparison covers the same three months in each year; it is not a comparison of two complete calendar years.

Which vehicles are being targeted?

The Toyota Hilux, Volkswagen Polo Vivo and Ford Ranger remain prominent on lists of vehicles targeted by hijackers. A 2026 list published by insurer King Price also names the Toyota Fortuner, Hyundai Grand i10, Nissan NP200, Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Corolla, Kia Picanto and BMW 3 Series. Popular vehicles can attract criminals because there is demand for the vehicles themselves and for their parts.

These names are useful risk indicators, but they are not a verified national ranking of hijackings by model for 2025 versus 2026. Public SAPS carjacking statistics do not provide that model-by-model comparison. Lists of the “most stolen cars” also often combine theft of parked vehicles with hijackings, even though the two are recorded separately.

A driver should therefore not assume that a vehicle absent from a top-ten list is safe, or that owning a listed vehicle makes a hijacking inevitable. Location, travel patterns and the circumstances of an incident all matter.

Where do most hijackings happen?

Gauteng recorded 2,207 carjackings from April to June 2026, approximately 58% of the national total. The Western Cape followed with 548, and KwaZulu-Natal with 481. These are reported incident counts, not a measure of each motorist’s individual risk.

At police precinct level, Delft in the Western Cape recorded the most carjackings during the quarter, with 93. It was followed by Ivory Park in Gauteng with 68 and Alexandra with 62. Kempton Park and Lingelethu-West each recorded 54. The results show why a national or provincial figure cannot tell the whole story about a particular route, workplace or neighbourhood.

Tracking-company data can add detail about changing patterns. In its analysis of customer incidents from January to June 2025, Tracker found that hijackings were most commonly reported on Thursdays between 16:00 and 21:00, although the pattern varied by province. A hijacking can happen at any time, so these findings should guide awareness rather than create a false sense of safety at other hours.

Are hijacked vehicles being recovered?

Vehicle recovery is possible, particularly when an incident is reported promptly and a tracking and response team can act on the information. During the first six months of 2025, Tracker reported recovering 3,671 vehicles across its customer base. It also assisted in 146 arrests.

That recovery figure includes vehicle crime within Tracker’s customer base; it is not the number of hijacked vehicles recovered nationally. The available figure does not provide a like-for-like comparison with 2026 or establish what percentage of all hijacked vehicles in South Africa are recovered.

If you are confronted by hijackers, prioritise your safety over the vehicle. Once you are safe, contact the police, your tracking provider and your insurer as soon as possible. Give them the vehicle details, the location and time of the incident, and any other information you can recall without putting yourself at further risk.

Check the crime figures for your own area

National headlines are useful, but a business assessing staff travel or a family considering a daily route needs local information. The number of reported carjackings can differ sharply between neighbouring police precincts.

Buy a Crime Stats SA precinct report to examine the latest quarterly figures, annual totals and historical crime trends for a specific area. A precinct report can help you ask better questions about travel routes, operating hours and security arrangements. It provides a clearer local picture than relying on a national list of “high-risk cars” alone.

South Africa’s year-on-year reduction in carjackings is welcome. With thousands of cases still reported each quarter, informed planning, awareness and a clear response procedure remain essential for drivers and organisations.

Prepare your people for the risk

Crime statistics can show where hijackings are reported. Training helps people recognise warning signs, make safer decisions while travelling and respond more effectively if a situation escalates.

SSC Legacy offers three training options:

• In-person H.E.A.T. training gives corporate groups and travelling teams instructor-led training on situational awareness, vehicle and movement security, hijacking risk and decision-making under pressure.
• Online H.E.A.T. training is a self-paced option for individuals and teams who need to prepare before travel or fieldwork. It covers threat recognition, travel security and emergency response.
• Kidnap & Ransom Awareness training helps executives, business owners and teams understand kidnapping risks, reduce predictable behaviour and plan how to respond to a high-pressure incident.

If your employees drive between sites, visit clients or work in unfamiliar areas, contact SSC Legacy to discuss the training that fits their exposure and responsibilities.