5Rustenburg
Rustenburg, South Africa: crime rate and Safety score
Safety 5 out of 10 Average crime
5/10 in South Africa · 1/10 in the world
Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
Weighted crime: 16,005 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026)
Residents: about 174,944, 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 | 48 | 27.4 | 34.6 |
| Sexual offences | |||
| Rape | 82 | 46.9 | 61.8 |
| Sexual assault | 18 | 10.3 | 11.6 |
| Attempted sexual offences | 2 | 1.1 | 4 |
| Other contact sexual offences | 1 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Violence | |||
| Attempted murder | 48 | 27.4 | 44.5 |
| Assault with intent to cause serious harm | 267 | 152.6 | 265.1 |
| Common assault | 480 | 274.4 | 291.2 |
| Kidnapping | 59 | 33.7 | 28.7 |
| Abduction of a minor | 0 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Robbery | |||
| Armed or aggravated robbery | 394 | 225.2 | 178.3 |
| Includes carjacking, house and business robbery and cash-in-transit heists. | |||
| Common robbery | 174 | 99.5 | 67.4 |
| Theft and burglary | |||
| Home burglary | 473 | 270.4 | 193.2 |
| Burglary of other premises | 238 | 136 | 66.4 |
| Livestock theft | 20 | 11.4 | 33.5 |
| Shoplifting | 193 | 110.3 | 59.8 |
| Vehicle theft | 236 | 134.9 | 45.2 |
| Theft from vehicles | 483 | 276.1 | 112.4 |
| Other theft | 991 | 566.5 | 354.3 |
| Drugs | |||
| Drug offences | 280 | 160.1 | 357.5 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Damage and public order | |||
| Public violence | 5 | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Arson | 5 | 2.9 | 4.1 |
| Malicious damage to property | 247 | 141.2 | 160.3 |
| Other | |||
| Culpable homicide | 68 | 38.9 | 15.2 |
| Unlawful killing without intent, mostly on the roads. | |||
| Driving under the influence | 349 | 199.5 | 133.3 |
| Found through police action, so it rises with policing. | |||
| Illegal firearms and ammunition | 37 | 21.1 | 24.2 |
| Sexual offences found by police action | 316 | 180.6 | 20.3 |
| Mainly sex work offences, not attacks on a person. | |||
| Child neglect and ill-treatment | 9 | 5.1 | 3.6 |
| Crimen injuria (serious insult) | 22 | 12.6 | 40.7 |
| Fraud and commercial crime | 1,170 | 668.8 | 228.2 |
Source: SAPS, updated 29 October 2026.
Recorded crime by type (12 months to June 2026)
| Homicide | 48 |
|---|---|
| Sexual offences | 103 |
| Violence | 854 |
| Robbery | 568 |
| Theft and burglary | 2,634 |
| Drugs | 280 |
| Damage and public order | 257 |
| Other | 1,971 |
Questions about crime in Rustenburg
- Is Rustenburg safe?
- Rustenburg: Safety 5 out of 10 (Average crime). Compared with 1129 places in the same country (10 = lowest crime).
- What is the crime rate in Rustenburg?
- Rustenburg: Weighted crime: 16,005 per 100,000 people (12 months to June 2026).
- How many murders are there in Rustenburg?
- Recorded homicides in Rustenburg (12 months to June 2026): 48.
