70 people murdered every day in South Africa – these are the deadliest areas
There have been 19,279 murders in South Africa in 2024 so far, averaging at 70 murders per day in the country as the South African Police Service (SAPS) flags its deadliest quarter.
The SAPS has published the latest quarterly crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
This covers three month period between July and September 2024.
Over this period, 6,545 murders were reported, up from the 6,198 murders in Q1 (April to June 2024) and higher than the 6,536 murders in Q4 of the previous year, which covers the first three months (January to March) of the 2024 calendar year.
Combined, 2024 has, so far, been slightly less deadly than the same period in 2023, where 19,462 murders were recorded between January and September 2023.
It has also been less deadly than 2022, which was the first collation of crime data that was not completely influenced by the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
Period | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
January-March | 4,589 | 4,976 | 6,083 | 6,289 | 6,536 |
April-June | 3,466 | 5,760 | 6,424 | 6,228 | 6,198 |
July-September | 5,099 | 6,163 | 7,004 | 6,945 | 6,545 |
January-September | 13,154 | 16,899 | 19,511 | 19,462 | 19,279 |
Average (273 days) | 48* | 62 | 71 | 71 | 70* |
While the crime stats show a positive trend year-on-year, the second quarter data still reflects the deadliest period of the year so far.
Historically, the October to December period has been far more violent. However, it remains to be seen if that trend will carry on in 2024.
According to the SAPS, the quarterly murder rate has also improved from previous years, dropping to 10.5 per 100,000 people, from 11.3 in 2023 and 11.5 in 2022.
Arguments, misunderstandings, road rage and other provocations remain the biggest underlying cause of murders in the country, with public spaces being the most common crime scenes.
Worst provinces
There has only been a small change when looking at the worst provinces for murder.
While the most populous provinces still account for the most murders in number—led by Gauteng, KZN and the Western Cape—this is to be expected, given the large number of people living in those areas.
Looking at murder rates, per 100,000 people, the Eastern Cape remains the country’s murder capital with a significantly high rate of 19.8. This is followed by the Western Cape at 14.2 and KZN at 12.1—all above the national average.
Most of the country’s provinces have maintained their position in the overall ranking of the worst, with only one change: the North-West Province has moved above bother Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape from the same time last year.
Looking more locally—at the murders reported at regional police stations—Inanda in eThekwini ranks as the biggest murder hotspot in the country, followed by Philippi East in Cape Town, and Kwazakele in Nelson Mandela Bay.