Hijackers have changed their ‘business hours’ in South Africa
New data shows that the times of the day when most hijackings occur have shifted, with criminals now operating more frequently during the week and earlier in the day.
Hijackings are a significant concern in South Africa, and the latest stats continue to show this type of crime continues to flourish.
The figures from the South African Police Service (SAPS) showed that 4,533 hijackings were reported in the latest three-month reporting period, which reflects a year-on-year decline of 15.1%.
However, this still translates to roughly 50 vehicles being hijacked per day. Meanwhile, the Victims of Crime survey, which captures unreported incidents, suggests that the true number is much higher.
According to the survey, hijackings fell from 114,000 to 81,000 year-on-year, a decline of nearly 29%.
Even so, the country recorded an average of 222 hijackings a day, underscoring the extent to which the crime remains entrenched.
While the offical statistics show that there has been a general delcine in hijackings year-on-year, there are signs incidents have picked up in the second half of 2025.
Co-founder of Naked Insurance, Ernest North, told BusinessTech that there has been a small, yet noticeable increase in carjacking-related claims during the second half of 2025.
Additionally, Tracker’s vehicle crime statistics for January to June 2025 highlighted that business-owned vehicles are now 48% more likely to be targeted than personally-owned vehicles.
Tracker’s data is collected from Tracker’s over 1.1 million subscriptions. Nationally, hijackings accounted for 66% of all vehicle crime incidents, while theft accounted for 34%.
Nationally, hijackings of business-owned vehicles occur at nearly double the rate of thefts. Regionally, this trend becomes even more pronounced.
In the Western Cape, business vehicle hijackings are five times more likely than theft; in the Eastern Cape, four times more likely; and in Mpumalanga, three times more likely.
While the Western Cape and Eastern Cape were identified as hijacking hotspots last year, Mpumalanga has now joined the list.
Operating hours
Commenting on the latest trends, Naked Insurance told BusinessTech that hijackers seemed to be operating earlier in the day compared to historical data.
According to Naked’S data, hijackings tend to peak around lunchtime (11h00 –13h00), particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.
“This suggested that hijacking risk is elevated during busy but non-peak periods, when there are still enough vehicles on the road to create opportunities, but fewer traffic delays that could complicate a quick getaway,” said North.
Tracker added that there has been notable shifts in both timing and location. Mpumalanga has emerged as a new hotspot, and incidents are increasingly occurring during the week rather than over weekends.
Tracker said a vehicle can be stolen any day. However, specific days have been trended across Tracker’s footprint.
Whereas most vehicle crime was previously reported over weekends, hijackings are now mainly reported on Thursdays between 16h00 and 21h00.
Theft continues to be most commonly reported on Saturdays between 11h00 and 16h00.
Regionally, the most prominent day and time for hijackings varies: Gauteng shows a tendency toward Tuesdays between 11h00 and 16h00.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Wednesdays from 16h00 and 21h00; and in the Western Cape, Wednesdays from 06h00 to 11h00.
“Crime trends change over time, and the shifting pattern of hijackings shows that they can happen anytime, anywhere, making it essential to remain alert to your surroundings,” Tracker COO Duma Ngcobo.
For personal vehicles, he said the national split between hijacking and theft is equal. However, in the Eastern Cape, hijackings are five times more likely than theft, and twice as likely in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
North added that South Africans can significantly lower their risk by avoiding high risk areas and roads, especially during high risk times.
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