Being hijacked in Johannesburg no longer necessarily ends when criminals drive away with a vehicle. Increasingly, victims are being held captive, driven around the city, forced to empty their bank accounts and surrender access to their digital lives before being released.
The growing trend of so-called "express kidnappings" comes as new South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics reveal that an average of 11 kidnappings were reported every day in Johannesburg during the first three months of 2026.
Between January and March, police recorded 971 kidnappings in Johannesburg, the highest number of any district in South Africa. The figure accounts for 40% of all kidnappings reported in Gauteng and is almost double the 634 cases recorded in neighbouring Ekurhuleni during the same period.
The statistics suggest that kidnapping is no longer a crime targeting only wealthy businesspeople for ransom payments. Instead, experts say ordinary residents have become targets in a growing criminal economy built around immediate access to cash, bank accounts, and digital financial services.
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According to SAPS, kidnapping includes not only holding someone for ransom but also unlawfully depriving a person of their freedom for purposes such as extortion, human trafficking, and forced financial transactions.
This means incidents where victims are abducted and forced to withdraw money from ATMs, transfer funds through banking apps, or hand over banking credentials are also classified as kidnappings.
Speaking to Our City News, Private investigator Kyle Condon said criminals were becoming increasingly methodical in how they identify victims.
"What we have learned is that the victims are selected beforehand," said Condon.
Rather than acting randomly, syndicates spend time observing potential targets and building profiles on them.
The most common hunting grounds include shopping centres, restaurants, casinos, fuel stations, airports, ATMs and bank branches.
"They look at what the person is purchasing, what type of shop they are visiting, and gauge from that whether this is a target worth pursuing," he explained.
Condon said suspects often watch individuals entering and leaving banks or making cash withdrawals, looking for signs that they may have access to significant funds.
Luxury vehicles, expensive jewellery, smartphones, and high-end watches can also attract unwanted attention.
"We have heard for years about Rolex gangs and similar groups that identify people according to the watch they wear, the vehicle they drive, and the way they dress," he said.
Airports have also become attractive locations for criminals.
"They like to follow people from airports because they believe there is foreign currency, or money that has been exchanged back into rands," Condon added.
More worrying, he said, is evidence suggesting that some syndicates may receive information from insiders.
"Very often, they will work with people on the inside of the bank. Not always, but very often a banker or teller will be involved with the syndicates."
Once criminals gain control of a victim, the crime often escalates far beyond the theft of a vehicle.
Condon said modern syndicates increasingly view victims' cellphones as valuable as their bank cards.
"Once they have your cellphone and you are in the vehicle with them, they can access your banking apps, read your SMS one-time PINs, access your email accounts, and even password managers," he said.
Criminals then begin extracting as much money as possible before accounts can be frozen.
Victims are frequently driven between multiple ATMs in what investigators call "ATM withdrawal runs".
"They are trying to withdraw the maximum daily cash limit, testing different accounts and using multiple cards from different banks while buying themselves time before the cards can be blocked," said Condon.
However, he warned that many syndicates have become even more sophisticated.
"What we are finding these days is that the more sophisticated groups prefer instant EFT transfers, e-wallet transfers, and transfers into mule accounts because the money becomes much harder to trace."
Security expert Yaseen Theba, Director of Vision Tactical, believes the rise in these crimes signals a major evolution in organised criminal activity.
Keeping victims captive offers criminals several advantages.
Firstly, it gives them time to locate and remove vehicle tracking devices before the theft is reported.
Secondly, if a tracking company receives a tamper alert and contacts the vehicle owner, the victim may be forced to provide false information while under the control of the suspects.
"The vehicle itself is no longer the only target," Theba said.
"Criminals are now looking to profit from the victim, the vehicle, bank accounts, electronic devices and any other assets they can access during the ordeal."
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The statistics suggest that these crimes are concentrated in specific parts of Johannesburg.
Ten police precincts account for 44% of all kidnappings reported in the city between January and March. Five of those stations, Protea, Eldorado Park, Moroka, Ennerdale, and Lenasia, are located south of Johannesburg.
Theba believes banks should introduce faster panic-lock systems, lower emergency transfer limits, and dedicated fraud-response teams capable of freezing suspicious transactions immediately.
Cellphone providers, meanwhile, should improve emergency SIM freezes and create direct escalation channels with banks and police during kidnapping investigations.
Tracking companies also need stronger tamper alerts and closer coordination with law enforcement.
"The focus must be clear: save the victim first, freeze the money trail immediately, track the vehicle fast, and dismantle the syndicate behind the incident," he said.
For residents, both experts stress that awareness remains the first line of defence.
