Delft has emerged as South Africa's leading carjacking hotspot, recording 249 incidents between April 2025 and March 2026, even as the national number of hijackings saw an overall decline during the same period. This densely populated residential area, located on the Cape Flats approximately 26 kilometres from Cape Town’s central business district, now registers the highest volume of vehicle thefts in the country. The data positions Delft distinctly within the broader national trend, where other major provinces like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal also grapple with vehicle-related crime. The concentration of these incidents in Delft points to specific localized challenges within the Western Cape. Despite a national decrease in carjacking incidents, Delft's figures highlight an alarming localized increase, making it the worst-performing precinct in the country for vehicle hijackings over the four quarters combined.
National Carjacking Trends
Carjacking incidents across South Africa registered a quarterly decline throughout the 2025/26 financial year when compared with corresponding periods from the previous year. Official statistics indicate a consistent reduction in reported cases, reinforcing the claim that the number of hijackings has seen a decline over the past year. During the first quarter, carjacking incidents decreased by 14.4%. This trend continued into the second quarter, which saw a 12.3% drop in cases. The third quarter recorded an 8.1% reduction in carjackings. The most significant decline was observed in the final quarter of the financial year, with cases falling by 20.4%. This consistent quarterly decline in carjacking incidents compared to the same periods a year earlier is a key indicator of the national trend.
Overall, the total number of carjackings nationally decreased substantially. Data shows that 4,533 cases were reported between January and March 2025. For the same three-month period in 2026, the number of reported carjackings fell to 3,609. This reflects a broader national trend of reduction in vehicle hijackings, contrasting with localized spikes in specific areas like Delft. The consistent quarterly declines contribute to the overall decrease in national carjacking figures for the financial year, marking a positive development in the fight against vehicle-related crime on a national scale.
Delft's Grim Statistics
Delft, a precinct within Cape Town, registered the highest number of hijackings in South Africa during the 2025/26 financial year. The area emerged as the worst-performing precinct nationwide for carjackings when considering all four quarters combined, a stark contrast to the national downward trend. This high incidence of vehicle theft occurs within the City of Cape Town, which stands as South Africa’s richest metropolitan municipality. Delft itself is characterized as a large, densely populated residential area situated on the Cape Flats, approximately 26 kilometres from Cape Town’s central business district. Its geographical position and demographic characteristics may contribute to the specific challenges it faces in terms of vehicle crime.
Specific quarterly data for Delft reveals a consistent pattern of incidents throughout the financial year, showing its designation as a hotspot. The precinct recorded 68 carjacking cases in the first quarter (April to June 2025), followed by 60 cases in the second quarter (July to September 2025). The third quarter (October to December 2025) saw another 60 reported incidents, and the fourth quarter (January to March 2026) concluded with 61 cases. These figures contribute to Delft's distinction as the national epicenter for vehicle hijackings, accumulating a total of 249 carjackings between April 2025 and March 2026.
Cape Town, the broader metropolitan area encompassing Delft, is a significant economic hub. According to data from Henley & Partners, the city is home to a substantial number of affluent residents, with between 7,200 and 8,500 resident US dollar millionaires. This concentration of wealth within the City of Cape Town, where Delft is located, adds another layer of complexity to the issue of vehicle hijackings. The ranking of hijacking hotspots by total combined cases from April 2025 to March 2026 clearly illustrates Delft's top position within this national overview, noting the urgent need for targeted interventions in this specific area.
Other National Hotspots
Gauteng province accounted for more than half of all reported carjacking cases across South Africa during the 2025/26 financial year, maintaining its status as a major contributor to national crime statistics. The province's share of national carjacking incidents fluctuated between 55% and 57.6% over the reporting period, consistently representing the largest proportion of cases. The Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, in conjunction with Gauteng, collectively represented over 80% of all carjackings recorded nationwide, indicating that these three provinces are the primary battlegrounds against vehicle hijacking in South Africa.
Within the Western Cape, three specific Cape Town precincts—Delft, Lingelethu-West, and Nyanga—registered a combined total of 700 carjackings during the 2025/26 financial year. This aggregation of incidents within a relatively confined geographical area emphasizes the localized nature of the problem in the region. Lingelethu-West precinct independently recorded 234 carjackings for the same period, positioning it as another significant hotspot within the Western Cape. Nyanga precinct followed with 217 carjacking incidents, further cementing the Cape Flats area as a high-risk zone for vehicle theft.
Beyond the Western Cape, Alexandra in Johannesburg emerged as another significant hotspot, documenting 196 carjacking cases throughout the year, reflecting the persistent challenges faced by densely populated urban areas in Gauteng. Alberton, also in Gauteng, reported 170 carjacking incidents, adding to the province's high overall figures. In KwaZulu-Natal, Umlazi recorded 169 carjacking cases, noting its position among the country's most affected areas and showing the widespread nature of vehicle hijacking across South Africa's major economic hubs. The table showing hijacking hotspots ranked by total combined cases across Q1 (April 2025) to Q4 (March 2026) provides a clear national picture, with Delft at the forefront.
