Photo: Pixabay

The roads can be a very dangerous place in South Africa. We’re continuing to receive some end-of-year data for 2019, and Tracker have expanded on their list of locations where hijackings are most likely to occur.

The Tracker vehicle crime statistics for the period July to December 2019 reveal an 18% decrease in the number of theft and hijackings reported nationally during December, as compared to the five previous months. Visit our website to find out more https://t.co/dBxusmmkvA.

— Tracker South Africa (@Tracker_SA) January 27, 2020 The worst offenders

It’s been revealed that 54% of all hijackings take place in Gauteng, with the bigger cities – Johannesburg and Pretoria – proving to be a hotbed of criminal activity. KwaZulu-Natal has been highlighted as the second-worst region for hijackings, and those in the Western Cape must also remain vigilant – they’re third on the list. The Northern Cape, meanwhile, only registered 1% of all hijackings across South Africa since July 2019.

However, Tracker have now found the three worst places across eight provinces (Free State only has one flagged town / city) to come up with a list of the 25 locations where you’re most likely to get hijacked.

South Africa’s hijacking hot-spots by province:

Gauteng

JohannesburgSowetoPretoria

KwaZulu-Natal

DurbanUmlaziInanda

Western Cape

KhayelitshaMitchell’s PlainCape Town

Mpumalanga

eMalahleniDelmasTweefontein

Eastern Cape

IbhayiMotherwellMthatha

North West

RustenbergBritsMahikeng

Limpopo

PolokwaneBurgersfortDennilton

Free State

Bloemfontein

Northern Cape

PostmasburgLime AcresDikhingHijackings on the decline?

Despite the glum data, the signs are actually looking better for hijacking incidents in South Africa. The month-on-month comparison shows that they are becoming less frequent in the second-half of the year.

“There has been an 18% decrease in the number of theft and hijackings reported nationally during December, as compared to the five previous months. This trend is consistent year-on-year, with an 18% decrease in December 2018 and a 21% decrease in December 2017. 

“We are also delighted to have reached the 100 000 milestone for vehicle recoveries – the company’s total since its inception in 1996. Tracker’s vehicle tracking technology along with its partnerships with the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies has played a crucial role in this achievement.”

Ron Knott-Craig, Executive Operational Services at Tracker South Africa

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