Kidnapping cases increased to 4,638 during the first quarter of the 2026/27 year, with Gauteng recording the highest number of incidents in the country.
South Africa recorded 4,638 kidnappings between April and June 2026, an increase of 172 cases compared with the same period last year, highlighting growing concerns that organised crime syndicates are increasingly using abductions and extortion as lucrative criminal enterprises.
The latest SAPS quarterly crime statistics show that while the country's murder rate declined by 5.9% during the quarter, kidnappings rose by 3.9%, suggesting criminal groups may be shifting towards crimes that generate significant financial returns while carrying lower risks.
Gauteng recorded the highest number of kidnappings in the country with 2,367 cases, accounting for more than half of all reported incidents nationally.
KwaZulu-Natal followed with 887 cases, while the Western Cape recorded 269 kidnappings.
