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SA Victims of Crime Survey 2017: How many victims report vehicle crimes?

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Johannesburg - We take a look at the distribution of ownership by gender and population group, who reports vehicle crimes and the percentages of vehicle ownership in households based on the latest annual victims of crime survey (VOCS) published by Statistics South Africa.

The survey of around 30 000 households provides details of personal experiences of crime. It also covers how thieves break into cars and what time they strike their victims.

The reporting period is from April 2016 to March 2017. The report also lists its Repeat Victimisation Index (RVI).


Quick vehicle crime facts - Number of household crime incidents
Theft of motor vehicles - 42 703
Theft out of motor vehicle (i.e stolen items from vehicles) -  129 880
Motor vehicle vandalism/deliberate damage of vehicles - 31 396
Households that report vehicle crime - 94%

Vehicle related crime accounts for about 14.7% of all household crime.



Have you ever been a victim of vehicle crime and not reported it? What was your reason? Email us 


According to Stats SA: "The 2016/17 VOCS data combined with the data from previous years show a general decline of crime both in terms of the proportion of households that were victimised. However, the rate of decline is very low."

"An estimated total of 1 468 278 crime incidents were experienced by 1 153 984 households in 2016/17. The victimised households represent 7.2% of all households in South Africa.

"Analysis of trends of individual crime types also showed a decline in the proportion of households (or individuals) that were victimised with the exception of theft out of motor vehicle, hijacking, sexual offence and consumer fraud."

Vehicle theft trends in SA

Stats SA said: "It is useful to examine the trend of motor vehicle theft over a number of years. Successful interventions against motor vehicle theft requires that both trends decline over time."

The graph shows a decline in the percentage of households that experience theft of motor vehicle while the RVI for theft of a motor vehicle per household went up during 2016/17.


Stats SA said: "Theft out of a motor vehicle occurs when a person gains access to the interior of a motor vehicle, by force or otherwise, when the owner is not present and takes valuable items. It is estimated that a total of 121 764 households experienced theft out of motor vehicle in 2016/17. A total of 139 432 incidents of theft out of a motor vehicle were experienced by households in 2016/17."


Stats SA said: "Hijacking of motor vehicles is a type of crime committed against an individual while driving their own vehicles or vehicles belonging to another person or institution. The question of ownership was not relevant when respondents were asked whether they had experienced incidents of hijacking during the past twelve months."







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