4Polokwane
Polokwane, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 4 out of 10 Above average crime
4/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 17,974 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 117,513, 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 | 13 | 11.1 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 52 | 44.3 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 24 | 20.4 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 1 | 0.9 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 1 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 20 | 17 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 136 | 115.7 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 374 | 318.3 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 25 | 21.3 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 382 | 325.1 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 224 | 190.6 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 237 | 201.7 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 242 | 205.9 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 9 | 7.7 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 337 | 286.8 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 47 | 40 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 870 | 740.3 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 1,037 | 882.5 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 252 | 214.4 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 1 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 1 | 0.9 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 197 | 167.6 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 27 | 23 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 199 | 169.3 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 7 | 6 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 141 | 120 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 2 | 1.7 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 50 | 42.5 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 1,177 | 1,001.6 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 13 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 78 |
| Violence | 555 |
| Robbery | 606 |
| Theft and burglary | 2,779 |
| Drugs | 252 |
| Damage and public order | 199 |
| Other | 1,603 |
Questions about crime in Polokwane
- Is Polokwane safe?
- Polokwane: Safety 4 out of 10 (Above average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Polokwane?
- Polokwane: Weighted crime: 17,974 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Polokwane?
- Recorded homicides in Polokwane (12 months to June 2026): 13.
