6Welkom
Welkom, 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: 13,378 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 146,669, 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 | 21 | 14.3 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 85 | 58 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 20 | 13.6 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 2 | 1.4 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 2 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 100 | 68.2 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 213 | 145.2 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 451 | 307.5 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 60 | 40.9 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 1 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 188 | 128.2 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 109 | 74.3 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 435 | 296.6 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 191 | 130.2 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 9 | 6.1 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 186 | 126.8 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 45 | 30.7 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 223 | 152 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 784 | 534.5 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 101 | 68.9 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 3 | 2 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 3 | 2 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 186 | 126.8 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 19 | 13 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 134 | 91.4 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 21 | 14.3 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 3 | 2 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 5 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 69 | 47 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 325 | 221.6 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 21 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 109 |
| Violence | 825 |
| Robbery | 297 |
| Theft and burglary | 1,873 |
| Drugs | 101 |
| Damage and public order | 192 |
| Other | 576 |
Questions about crime in Welkom
- Is Welkom safe?
- Welkom: Safety 6 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Welkom?
- Welkom: Weighted crime: 13,378 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Welkom?
- Recorded homicides in Welkom (12 months to June 2026): 21.
