{"id":854564,"date":"2026-04-06T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=854564"},"modified":"2026-04-20T10:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:22:10","slug":"the-high-end-suburb-emerging-as-a-hijacking-hotspot-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/854564\/the-high-end-suburb-emerging-as-a-hijacking-hotspot-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"High-end suburb emerging as a hijacking hotspot in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New data shows that Rosebank, one of Johannesburg\u2019s high-end residential areas, is emerging as a hijacking hotspot in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics for the third quarter of 2025, covering October to December, 4,778 carjackings were reported across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That works out to roughly 50 hijackings every day, underscoring the scale of a crime trend that remains deeply entrenched in South Africa\u2019s major metros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SAPS data showed that Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape recorded the highest number of hijackings, while the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga are beginning to close the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statistics also showed that sedans, hatchbacks and coupes remain the most frequently targeted vehicles, with bakkies and panel vans not far behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fidelity Services Group CEO Wahl Bartmann told BusinessTech the company expects hijackings to continue following the same cyclical trend seen through 2025, where short-term dips are followed by some spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRecorded hijackings are expected to continue following the cyclical pattern observed in 2025, characterised by short-term declines followed by renewed increases,\u201d Bartmann told BusinessTech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there was some relief at the start of the year, he warned that the downturn is unlikely to last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA reduction in hijackings was recorded in January 2026, and remained subdued through February, but a gradual escalation is anticipated from March into April 2026,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fidelity\u2019s data aligns with that from the SAPS, showing that hijackings remain heavily concentrated in major urban and peri-urban areas, especially in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bartmann said vehicles such as the VW Polo, Hyundai Grand i10 and Nissan Almera continue to be disproportionately targeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also flagged several well-known hijacking hotspots around the country, including Soweto, Johannesburg Central, Pinetown, Inanda, Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high-end suburb becoming a hotspot for these criminals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, among the newer and more concerning hotspots in Gauteng is Rosebank\u2014a suburb more commonly associated with luxury apartments, art galleries and corporate headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotspots flagged by Fidelity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gauteng<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Lotus Gardens<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Soweto<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ennerdale<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Rosebank<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Johannesburg Central<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Tembisa<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Springs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Brakpan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    KwaZulu-Natal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Bellair\u2013Clairwood corridor (Durban)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Pinetown<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Inanda<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Umlazi<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Western Cape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Parow<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Mitchells Plain<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Khayelitsha<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Community groups in Rosebank have refuted Fidelity’s trend data, saying that SAPS has only recorded one reported case of car theft in the area over the past 14 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The warning comes as Rosebank enjoys a property boom driven by younger buyers, professionals, investors and semigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        According to Lightstone, 74% of buyers in the suburb are under 50, with those aged 36-49 the most active purchasing group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Located just north of Johannesburg\u2019s city centre, Rosebank has become a hotspot for buyers from Sandton, Parktown North and Dunkeld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Buyers are typically professionals in banking, legal and consulting who want lock-and-go living close to work, restaurants and retail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Pam Golding Properties Gauteng Metro regional head Mari\u00ebl Burger said the area is also attracting Capetonians relocating to Johannesburg for hybrid work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        International buyers are drawn to its Gautrain airport link and lively mix of dining, culture and entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Rosebank\u2019s sectional title market remains especially attractive. The median price currently sits at R1.9 million, with strong liquidity in the R1.5 million to R3 million range for modern one- and two-bedroom apartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Entry-level studio and one-bedroom units priced from R800,000 to R1.5 million remain in demand, while two-bedroom apartments from around R2.5 million to R4 million appeal to both owner-occupiers and investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Luxury penthouses, meanwhile, range from R5 million to more than R12 million. \u201cDevelopers are responding with energy-efficient, amenity-rich projects, yet demand continues to outstrip supply,\u201d Burger said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cIt\u2019s not surprising, as Rosebank offers 30 to 40% better value than Sandton while matching its lifestyle quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cFor instance, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment priced around R2.5 million in Rosebank compares favourably with R3.5 million to R4 million for a similar home in Sandton.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cThis makes Rosebank one of Johannesburg\u2019s strongest value-for-money precincts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Update: This article has been updated to include the full list of hotspots provided by Fidelity, and comment refuting the characterisation.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        New data shows that one of Johannesburg\u2019s high-end residential areas is becoming a hijacking hotspot in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":855165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[12867,10150,24992,853],"class_list":["post-854564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-fidelity-adt","tag-hijacking","tag-rosebank","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=854564"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":857674,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854564\/revisions\/857674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/855165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=854564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=854564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=854564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}