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Vehicle theft, hijacking and car break-ins statistics in South Africa are still an issue that seems to be rising each quarter.
The latest South African Police Services (Saps) quarterly crime statistics show that sedans, hatchbacks and coupes are the most hijacked vehicles. With brands that criminals have set their eyes on including the likes of Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen.
Marius Kemp, head of Personal Lines at Santam says car thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated and this has contributed to the increase in hijacking incidents in the country.
Kemp said criminals are taking advantage of the advancements in technology, as they commonly use high-tech approaches to replicate key fob signals and unlock motorists’ cars.
“According to Tracker Connect, criminals are using relay and canvas attacks to bypass sophisticated vehicle security systems.”
The insurance industry has seen a significant increase in crime-related vehicle claims for both theft and hijacking with the trend continuing to worsen over the last two years, particularly for high-value vehicles
He adds that there has also been an increase in claims for the theft of certain keyless cars through both hijacking and car jamming methods.
“With the rise in popularity of keyless vehicles, criminals have adapted their car jamming methods. Often, they work in pairs; where one criminal remains close to the vehicle and the other follows the driver to intercept the radio wave signal sent from the keyless remote to the vehicle receiver unit.”
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Crime statistics show that most car theft incidents happen in Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
According to the Tracker Vehicle Crime Index, in the Eastern Cape, a personal vehicle is four times more likely to be hijacked than stolen.
“Moreover, it is nine times likelier for a business-owned vehicle to be hijacked rather than stolen in the province. Plus, the highest propensity toward business vehicle crime occurs in the Eastern Cape, with 43% over-representation relative to Tracker’s business-owned vehicle subscriber base.”
When it comes to the Western Cape, a personal vehicle is almost twice as likely to be hijacked than stolen. A business-owned vehicle is four times more likely to be hijacked than stolen.
Business-owned vehicles include cargo trucks with trailers and courier vehicles delivering items ordered online.
The Road Freight Association (RFA) told Business Tech that hijacking incidents have dramatically increased in the industry, with well-organised syndicates driving the escalation.
The association’s operational incident index shows that hijackings have increased by 50% in 2023, compared to 2022. And the number has gotten worse in 2024. There were nearly 65 hijackings reported each day in June of this year.
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Areas seen as hotspots in Gauteng include Eldorado Park, Ivory Park, and Midrand. KwaZulu-Natal’s hotspots are Mariannhill and Umlazi. With Western Cape’s hotspots being Delft, Nyanga, and Harare.
The publication lists the below cars as the most hijacked this year:
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Kemp says it is important for motorists to be extra careful and take every precaution to ensure their personal safety, and the safety of their belongings and avoid becoming victims of crime.
He lists some advice motorists can take to stay safe:
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