Cape Town Crime Statistics by Suburb (2026 Data)

Of Cape Town’s 734 suburbs with safety data (of 744 total; 10 have no SAPS precinct), the median safety index is 43/100. That means half of all suburbs score below it. 254 suburbs fall in the lower reported crime band (67 or above), 190 are moderate (34-66), and 290 have higher reported crime (33 or below). Few public sources in South Africa provide suburb-level crime data at this granularity.

These scores are relative measures - a safety index of 77/100 means safer than approximately 77% of Cape Town suburbs, not safe in any absolute sense. For how this works, see how we calculate safety indices.

How we measured this

StreetSignal’s safety index uses the Crime Harm Index (CHI) methodology, which weights each offence by its legislated minimum sentence rather than treating all crimes equally. A murder (5,475 imprisonment days) counts far more than a shoplifting incident (2 days). The composite score is the geometric mean (a way of combining two different scales) of two sub-indices: a per-capita harm rate and an absolute harm volume. Data source: SAPS Q3 2025/2026 (October-December 2025), mapped from police precincts to 744 suburbs.

SAPS publishes crime at precinct level, not suburb level. Multiple suburbs share a precinct, meaning suburbs under the same station receive the same safety index. This is a known limitation.

Which suburbs have the lowest reported crime?

Suburb	Safety index	Rate	Volume	Annualised crimes	Trend
Rondebosch	98/100	98	98	1,376	Down
Gordons Bay	98/100	98	98	2,280	Stable
Fish Hoek	97/100	100	95	2,356	Stable
Sea Point	91/100	90	92	6,472	Stable
Edgemead	88/100	82	94	2,464	Down
Brackenfell Central	87/100	86	88	5,308	Up
Strand	78/100	80	76	10,844	Stable
Constantia	77/100	65	91	3,792	Down
Claremont	77/100	65	92	4,448	Stable
Somerset West	75/100	78	72	8,016	Stable

Rondebosch scores 98/100 on the safety index with both sub-indices at 98, making it one of the most consistently safe suburbs in the metro. Its 1,376 annualised crimes are spread across 23,267 residents, and the trend is declining.

Fish Hoek achieves a perfect 100 on the rate sub-index - the lowest per-capita harm in the city - with 2,356 annualised crimes across 44,574 residents. At a median property valuation in the R1.5-2M band, it offers strong safety metrics at a fraction of Atlantic Seaboard prices.

Brackenfell Central scores 87/100 but its trend is Up - a metric worth watching for families considering the Northern Suburbs.

For a deeper analysis of the safest end of the spectrum, see the safest suburbs in Cape Town 2026.

Which suburbs have higher reported crime?

Suburb	Safety index	Rate	Volume	Annualised crimes	Trend
Nyanga	0/100	0	0	30,668	Up
Delft South	4/100	8	2	39,268	Stable
Guguletu	6/100	4	10	21,064	Down
Milnerton	88/100	4	13	17,488	Up
Langa	9/100	4	20	10,452	Stable
Table View	26/100	20	35	12,704	Up
Khayelitsha	29/100	95	9	22,340	Down
Bishop Lavis	84/100	49	19	18,180	Stable

Crime concentration in these suburbs reflects structural factors - decades of under-investment in infrastructure, services, and economic opportunity - not inherent community characteristics. The scores, calculated via the CHI composite methodology, must be read alongside trend direction.

Guguletu records 21,064 annualised crimes across 110,563 residents, but the trend is declining. Its rate sub-index of 4 reflects the concentrated harm typical of historically under-invested precincts. The downward trajectory is one of the more positive signals in the metro.

Milnerton scores 88/100 with both sub-indices genuinely low (rate 4, volume 13). With 17,488 annualised crimes across 87,344 residents and an upward trend, this is one of the more surprising entries for buyers considering the West Coast corridor. Neither sub-index is divergence-driven - both rate and volume indicate elevated crime.

Khayelitsha records 22,340 annualised crimes with a declining trend. Its sub-index divergence is the most striking in the dataset and is discussed in the section below.

Table View scores 26/100 with an upward trend. At 12,704 annualised crimes across 72,767 residents, it sits in the higher reported crime band despite its reputation as a family-friendly growth area. See is Table View safe for context.

What does moderate reported crime look like?

Suburb	Safety index	Rate	Volume	Annualised crimes	Trend
Durbanville	61/100	64	59	9,036	Stable
Wynberg	77/100	37	89	8,152	Up
Camps Bay	99/100*	21	99	1,220	Down
Bellville CBD	43/100	43	44	11,888	Down
Mitchells Plain CBD	36/100	81	16	35,300	Stable

Durbanville scores 61/100 on the safety index with balanced sub-indices (rate 64, volume 59) - a genuinely moderate profile with no divergence. At 9,036 annualised crimes across 66,873 residents and a stable trend, it sits near the boundary between moderate and lower reported crime.

Camps Bay scores 99/100 (tourist precinct, volume-based score; composite 46) with just 1,220 annualised crimes - fewer than most precincts. The composite of 46 is driven by a low rate sub-index (21) caused by a tiny permanent population of 4,296 absorbing visitor-driven crime. The volume sub-index of 99 confirms that absolute harm is among the lowest in the city - hence the headline uses the volume sub-index. See is Camps Bay safe for the full tourist precinct explanation.

Mitchells Plain CBD scores 36/100 but its rate sub-index is 81 - the per-capita harm rate is low because its 226,109 residents form the second-largest precinct in Cape Town. The volume sub-index of 16 reflects 35,300 annualised crimes. For families in Mitchells Plain, absolute crime volume matters more than the per-capita rate.

What the sub-indices reveal

The safety index is a composite of two sub-indices that sometimes tell very different stories.

Rate sub-index measures harm per 100,000 residents. It favours large-population suburbs where crime is spread across more people. Volume sub-index measures absolute harm. It favours small suburbs with fewer total incidents.

Khayelitsha (rate 95, volume 9, composite 29) and Camps Bay (rate 21, volume 99, headline 99, composite 46) sit at opposite ends of this divergence. Khayelitsha’s per-capita rate appears low because 518,910 residents absorb the harm count - but 22,340 annualised crimes is substantial in absolute terms. Camps Bay’s per-capita rate appears high because just 4,296 residents bear the statistical weight of visitor-driven crime - but 1,220 annualised crimes is genuinely low. Because Camps Bay is a tourist precinct, the headline score is 99 (volume sub-index) rather than the composite of 46.

Tokai (score 24, rate 6, volume 93) and Bergvliet (score 24, rate 6, volume 93) share the Kirstenhof precinct with a station population of just 10,914. Their 2,796 annualised crimes produce a high per-capita rate despite low absolute volume. These suburbs score lower than their crime volumes alone would suggest.

Woodstock (score 7, rate 1, volume 49) follows a similar pattern. Its 8,688 annualised crimes across 24,789 residents produce a very high per-capita harm rate (rate sub-index 1), but the absolute volume is moderate (volume sub-index 49). A buyer looking at Woodstock’s raw safety index of 7 might assume crime levels comparable to Nyanga (0/100, 30,668 crimes) - in reality, Woodstock records 72% fewer crimes.

StreetSignal surfaces both sub-indices alongside the composite on every suburb page. For a full explanation of the methodology, see the methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

Which suburbs have the highest reported crime rates?

Nyanga (0/100), Delft South (4/100), and Guguletu (6/100) record the highest crime harm on StreetSignal’s safety index. Nyanga has 30,668 annualised crimes across 102,082 residents. These scores reflect concentrated under-investment in these areas, not inherent community characteristics.

What are the safest suburbs in Cape Town 2026?

Rondebosch and Gordons Bay both score 98/100. Fish Hoek scores 97/100 with the lowest per-capita harm rate in the city. For the full ranking, see safest suburbs in Cape Town 2026.

How is Cape Town crime measured by StreetSignal?

StreetSignal uses the Crime Harm Index, weighting each offence by its legislated minimum sentence. The composite safety index combines per-capita harm rate and absolute volume via geometric mean. Source: SAPS Q3 2025/2026. Full details on the methodology page.

Is Cape Town crime getting worse in 2026?

It depends on the suburb. Rondebosch, Edgemead, and Guguletu show declining trends. Milnerton, Table View, and Brackenfell Central are trending upward. The picture is mixed across 734 suburbs.

Search all 744 suburbs on StreetSignal’s suburb index or read about safe and affordable options.