South Africa: Pretoria and Johannesburg Among World's Most Dangerous Cities

Chris7cn (talk)/Wikipedia
Johannesburg skyline (file photo)
12 March 2026
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Everson Luhanga
  • Global data site Numbeo ranks Pretoria second and Johannesburg fifth most dangerous in the world in its 2026 Crime Index.
  • The DA says Gauteng's global crime rankings match what communities experience daily, and that police stations face serious staff shortages.

Numbeo's Crime Index 2026 ranks Pretoria and Johannesburg among the most dangerous cities in the world.

Pretoria ranks second on the index, with a crime score of 81.8 and a safety score of 18.2. Johannesburg ranks fifth, with a crime score of 80.8 and a safety score of 19.2.

Five South African cities appear in the top 10 on the index, more than any other country. They are Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth.

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Numbeo is a global data site. Its crime index reflects how people perceive crime in their city. It covers concerns about mugging, robbery, car theft and violent crime.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says the rankings match what communities experience daily.

DA provincial spokesperson for community safety Michael Sun said recent police statistics show serious crime pressure in parts of the province.

In Johannesburg, Jeppe Police Station ranks first among the top 30 stations for reported murders. Johannesburg Central ranks second and Orange Farm ranks third.

In Tshwane, Temba Police Station ranks second among stations for reported rape cases. Those cases increased by 3.3% from the previous financial year.

Mamelodi has the highest number of reported carjackings in the province. Cases there increased by 39% compared with the previous financial year.

Sun said police stations face resource shortages, poor working conditions and limited training.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) reported serious staff shortages at station level during a recent discussion on gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.

Sun said the shortages make it harder for officers to respond quickly, investigate cases and support victims.

He said a DA-led provincial government would push the national police ministry to expand policing powers to Gauteng and increase resources at stations.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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