6Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 6 out of 10 Average crime
6/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 13,062 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 108,670, a WorldPop 2025 modelled estimate summed within the police precinct, not a census count.
Crime by type, as recorded by SAPS (12 months to June 2026)
| Type | Count | Per 100,000 a year | All places this source covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | |||
| Murder | 10 | 9.2 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 58 | 53.4 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 11 | 10.1 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 3 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 2 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 12 | 11 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 152 | 139.9 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 326 | 300 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 23 | 21.2 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 1 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 157 | 144.5 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 104 | 95.7 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 288 | 265 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 88 | 81 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 64 | 58.9 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 161 | 148.2 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 51 | 46.9 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 244 | 224.5 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 702 | 646 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 106 | 97.5 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 1 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 160 | 147.2 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 40 | 36.8 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 125 | 115 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 2 | 1.8 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 1 | 0.9 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 3 | 2.8 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 22 | 20.2 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 724 | 666.2 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 10 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 74 |
| Violence | 514 |
| Robbery | 261 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,598 |
| Drugs | 106 |
| Damage and public order | 161 |
| Other | 917 |
Questions about crime in Potchefstroom
- Is Potchefstroom safe?
- Potchefstroom: Safety 6 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Potchefstroom?
- Potchefstroom: Weighted crime: 13,062 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Potchefstroom?
- Recorded homicides in Potchefstroom (12 months to June 2026): 10.
