Behind closed doors: Where most rape cases are reported in SA

South African Police Service (Saps) crime registrar Major-General Thulare Sekhukhune says the majority of the reported rape incidents between 1 October and 31 December 2025 took place at the home of the perpetrator. Sekhukhune was speaking during the release of the third-quarter crime statistics for 2024/25 in Pretoria, Gauteng, on Friday. He said of the 8 517 out of 11 430 cases reported in that period, 65% happened where the rapist lived, 21% in public spaces and 1% at liquor outlets.

“We also have rapes that have taken place at educational institutions,” Sekhukhune reported. “Seventy-four of the rapes have taken place at such places of learning, and we also had 21 of the rapes having taken place at spaza shops.” Of the 74, 52 happened in schools, seven in tertiary institutions and six at special schools. Sekhukhune noted that there was a decrease of 373 rape cases compared to the same period of the previous financial year.

However, while six provinces indicated a decline in cases, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Mpumalanga and the Western Cape recorded increases. Cases in KZN increased by 16 counts, 18 in Mpumalanga and 17 in the Western Cape. The Eastern Cape, Sekhukhune said, had the highest cases per capita, with 28 rapes per 100 000 people in the province.