Crime tactic in South Africa so bad that other countries are warning their citizens about it
Several foreign governments have warned their citizens about the growing risk of kidnappings in South Africa, especially for ransom.
The crime has remained at historically high levels, with criminals increasingly targeting both locals and foreign nationals in schemes involving ransom demands, forced cash withdrawals, and access to victims’ bank accounts.
According to official crime statistics, South Africa recorded 18,491 kidnapping cases during the 2025/2026 financial year, an increase of 1.9% from the 18,151 cases recorded the previous year.
The figures remained consistently high throughout the year. There were 4,466 kidnappings between April and June 2025, followed by 4,772 in the second quarter and 4,775 in the third quarter. A further 4,478 cases were recorded between January and March 2026.
The first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year added another 4,251 cases, bringing the total across the five quarters to 22,742, which works out to 50 incidents per day.
During the first quarter of 2025/2026, police recorded 209 kidnappings for ransom, a 54.8% increase from the 135 recorded during the same period a year earlier.
There were 224 cases in the second quarter, 208 in the third and 216 in the fourth. The first quarter of 2026/2027 saw ransom-related kidnappings increase further to 231, up 10.5% year-on-year.
Gauteng is by far the country’s kidnapping capital, accounting for more than half of all reported cases.
The province recorded over 10,000 kidnappings during 2025/2026, with quarterly figures ranging between 2,452 and 2,551.
Gauteng accounted for 163 of the country’s 216 ransom cases in the fourth quarter of 2025/2026, representing 75.5% of the national total.
KwaZulu-Natal is the second-largest contributor, recording between 737 and 903 kidnappings per quarter during the same financial year.
Mpumalanga has also experienced concerning increases, with cases rising 25.2% year-on-year in the final quarter.
The scale of the problem has attracted international attention, with governments including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand explicitly warning travellers about kidnapping risks in South Africa.
The issued warnings from several countries
The United States lists kidnapping and hostage-taking among the security risks facing its citizens in the country.
Its travel advisory states: “Kidnapping is a threat in South Africa. Kidnappers target US citizens and other foreign travellers to steal money.”
It warned that victims are sometimes forced to withdraw cash or hand over online banking passwords before being released.
The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a similar warning, highlighting the vulnerability of foreign visitors.
“The risk of kidnapping is increasing throughout South Africa. Criminals generally kidnap people for financial gain,” it stated.
The advisory added that foreign nationals, including British citizens, may be particularly vulnerable because criminals perceive them as wealthier than local residents.
It also highlighted the threat of express kidnappings, which involve victims being held for relatively short periods while criminals extract money from their bank accounts or use stolen credit cards.
“Express kidnappings are short-term, opportunistic abductions aimed at extracting cash from the victim,” the advisory states.
Australia has also warned its citizens that kidnapping remains a threat, advising travellers to pay close attention to their personal security.
“Crime and violence are serious issues across South Africa, including murder, rape, assault, food and drink spiking, robbery and carjacking,” its Smartraveller advisory stated.
New Zealand advised visitors to remain alert when using ATMs and to avoid withdrawing money outside business hours.
Germany has highlighted another concerning tactic involving criminals using dating applications to lure victims into ambushes.
“Extreme caution is advised when using dating apps. Criminals specifically use online platforms to lure victims into ambushes, which in the past has led to serious acts of violence and kidnappings,” its Foreign Office warned.
France has also issued warnings about criminals impersonating police officers or private security personnel to force motorists to stop.
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