Is Muizenberg Safe? What the Data Shows (2026)

Muizenberg scores 26 out of 100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - higher reported crime. Its annualised crime count is 9,320 across a station population of 52,856 residents. The crime trend is Up.

Muizenberg is one of Cape Town’s most searched-for suburbs for safety information. The gap between its reputation as a surf town and its crime data is something buyers and renters need to understand before committing.

A note on methodology: StreetSignal’s safety index is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town’s 744 suburbs; it is not an absolute safety guarantee. The index is a composite of two sub-dimensions: harm-per-resident (rate) and absolute harm volume. A score of 26/100 places Muizenberg in the higher reported crime band, meaning it records more harm per resident than 73% of Cape Town suburbs. Full methodology is documented on the StreetSignal methodology page.

Why does Muizenberg score 26 out of 100?

The Muizenberg precinct covers a large area with a diverse population of 52,856 residents. It includes not only the beachfront suburb but also surrounding communities with very different socioeconomic profiles, including Vrygrond and parts of the broader False Bay coastal strip.

The per-capita crime rate is 17,633 per 100,000 residents. Both the rate and volume components of the index are unfavourable: neither sub-dimension pulls the composite upward.

The trend is the more concerning signal. Weighted harm-days increased from 1,874 in Q3 2024 to 2,330 in Q3 2025 - a 24.3% increase. When both the score and the trend are moving in the wrong direction, the signal is unambiguous.

What types of crime occur in Muizenberg?

This is where the data matters most. Muizenberg’s crime profile includes significant contact crime, not just property offences.

Q3 2025 figures (with Q3 2024 comparison):

Contact crime:

Murder: 22 (up from 10)
Attempted murder: 14 (up from 4)
Aggravated robbery: 57 (up from 49)
Common assault: 103 (stable)
Assault GBH: 20 (stable)
Common robbery: 31 (stable)
Residential robbery: 7 (stable)

Property crime:

Drug-related crime: 169 (up from 105)
Residential burglary: 32 (down from previous quarters)
Vehicle theft: 27 (stable)
Carjacking: 4 (stable)

The murder count more than doubled quarter-on-quarter (10 to 22). Attempted murder went from 4 to 14. These are not statistical noise - they represent a deterioration in the most serious crime categories.

Drug-related crime increased from 105 to 169, though this may partly reflect increased policing activity rather than increased drug use.

How does Muizenberg compare to the False Bay corridor?

Suburb	Safety index	Annualised crimes	Trend	Median valuation
Muizenberg	26/100	9,320	Up	R1.8M
St James	26/100	9,320	Up	R4.5M
Lakeside	26/100	9,320	Up	R2.6M
Kalk Bay	26/100	9,320	Up	R4.2M
Fish Hoek	97/100	2,356	Stable	R2.2M

St James, Lakeside, and Kalk Bay share the Muizenberg precinct and therefore the same 26/100 safety index. Buyers paying R4.5M in St James or R4.2M in Kalk Bay get the same precinct-level crime profile as Muizenberg at R1.8M.

Fish Hoek is the nearest suburb with a different precinct. It scores 97/100 with a stable crime trend - a vastly better safety profile at a comparable price point to Muizenberg.

What does property cost in Muizenberg?

Muizenberg’s median municipal valuation is R1,750,000, placing it in the 49th percentile - roughly the middle of Cape Town’s property market. The suburb has 3,430 residential properties with a CAGR of 4.0% between the 2018 and 2022 valuations.

The land is compact: median lot size is 272 sqm (25th percentile) with high site coverage at 51.8% (88th percentile). This reflects Muizenberg’s dense, cottage-style housing stock.

64.7% of properties are valued above R1M. The dominant tenure is private rental (43.1%), with 39% owned outright and 11.3% mortgaged. The high rental proportion reflects Muizenberg’s character as a lifestyle suburb where many residents rent rather than buy.

Are there schools in Muizenberg?

Muizenberg has two schools:

Muizenberg High School (public, Quintile 5, 781 learners, matric pass rate 90%)
Muizenberg Junior School (public, Quintile 5, 547 learners)

Both are Quintile 5 with reasonable learner-educator ratios (21.7 and 24.9 respectively). Muizenberg High’s matric pass rate of 90% is at the city median.

Two schools is limited choice for a suburb of nearly 27,000 people. For more options, families look to Fish Hoek and the broader False Bay corridor.

For a full analysis, see Cape Town schools and education 2026.

What about healthcare and services?

Muizenberg Clinic is 1.6 km from the suburb centre. Melomed Tokai (private) is the nearest hospital at 3.5 km. There are 6 healthcare facilities within 5 km.

Service delivery scores well: 100/100 on the service delivery index (86th percentile). Median resolution time for C3 complaints is 1 day, matching the city median. Top issues are power-related (no power, street lights).

Household conditions are strong for a mid-market suburb: 100% formal housing, 87.6% fibre internet, grid electricity throughout. The Engel coefficient of 26.1 indicates comfortable discretionary income. Food insecurity among adults is 3.4%, well below the city median of 18.3%.

Is Muizenberg safe for families?

The data requires an honest answer. A safety index of 26/100 with an upward crime trend, murders more than doubled in the latest quarter, and significant contact crime including aggravated robbery (57 in Q3 2025) - this is a suburb where the crime profile demands attention.

The precinct data does not distinguish between the beachfront area and the wider precinct catchment. Some of the contact crime originates in communities with different risk profiles to the Muizenberg Village area. But the precinct boundary is the boundary, and the trend is moving in the wrong direction.

Muizenberg’s strengths are real: strong schools, good service delivery, high household quality, a vibrant community, and a R1.8M price point that makes it accessible. But families need to weigh those strengths against a crime profile that is deteriorating, not improving.

For a suburb in the same coastal corridor with a vastly better safety profile, Fish Hoek (97/100, trend Stable) is the most direct comparison.

For the complete picture, see Muizenberg’s full neighbourhood profile on StreetSignal. The methodology behind every score is documented on the methodology page.

For how Muizenberg fits into the broader safety picture, see the safest suburbs in Cape Town 2026. For property value context, see Cape Town property values 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Muizenberg dangerous to live in?

Muizenberg scores 26/100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - higher reported crime, with 9,320 annualised crimes across 52,856 residents. The trend is upward, and the precinct recorded 22 murders in Q3 2025. Crime includes significant contact offences, not just property crime.

Why does Muizenberg score the same as Kalk Bay and St James?

They share the Muizenberg police precinct. SAPS publishes crime data at precinct level, not suburb level. All suburbs served by the same precinct receive the same safety index on StreetSignal. Kalk Bay at R4.2M and St James at R4.5M have the same crime profile as Muizenberg at R1.8M.

What is the average property price in Muizenberg?

Muizenberg’s median municipal valuation is R1,750,000 (49th percentile). CAGR of 4.0% between 2018 and 2022 valuations. Dominant tenure is rental (43.1%). These are municipal valuations, not market prices.

Is Fish Hoek safer than Muizenberg?

Yes, by the data. Fish Hoek scores 97/100 with a stable crime trend. Muizenberg scores 26/100 with a rising trend. Fish Hoek has a different precinct with far fewer annualised crimes (2,356 vs 9,320) and a median valuation of R2.2M.

Are the schools in Muizenberg good?

Muizenberg has two Quintile 5 schools: Muizenberg High (matric pass rate 90%, 781 learners) and Muizenberg Junior (547 learners). Both have reasonable learner-educator ratios. Choice is limited to two schools for a suburb of nearly 27,000 people.