Is Muizenberg Safe? What the Data Shows (2026)

Muizenberg scores 28 out of 100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - higher reported crime. Its annualised crime count is 3,428 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 28/100 places Muizenberg in the higher reported crime band, meaning it records more harm per resident than roughly 72% of Cape Town suburbs. Full methodology is documented on the StreetSignal methodology page.

Why does Muizenberg score 28 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 rate sub-index scores 19/100 and the volume sub-index scores 41/100. Both components of the index are unfavourable: neither sub-dimension pulls the composite upward.

The trend is the more concerning signal. Total reported crime increased between Q4 2024/2025 (January–March 2025) and Q4 2025/2026 (January–March 2026). 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.

Q4 2025/2026 figures (with Q4 2024/2025 comparison):

Contact crime:

• Murder: 15 (down from 18)
• Attempted murder: 25 (down from 26)
• Aggravated robbery: 49 (down from 55)
• Common assault: 86 (down from 88)
• Assault GBH: 28 (down from 30)
• Common robbery: 22 (up from 19)
• Sexual offences: 10 (down from 21)

Property crime:

• Drug-related crime: 191 (up from 86)
• Residential burglary: 28 (down from 36)
• Vehicle theft: 23 (up from 22)
• Theft from vehicles: 48 (up from 45)

Drug-related crime more than doubled year-on-year (86 to 191), though this may partly reflect increased policing activity rather than increased drug use. Most contact crime categories declined or held stable in Q4.

How does Muizenberg compare to the False Bay corridor?

St James (30/100), Lakeside (32/100), and Kalk Bay (44/100) share the Muizenberg precinct but score differently because each suburb’s population share within the precinct affects the composite calculation. Kalk Bay’s small population produces a higher volume sub-index, while Muizenberg’s larger population drives its score down.

Fish Hoek is the nearest suburb with a different precinct. It scores 41/100 with a declining crime trend - a 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: 99+/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 28/100 with an upward crime trend, drug-related crime more than doubled (86 to 191) in Q4 2025/2026 (January–March 2026), and significant contact crime including aggravated robbery (49 incidents) - 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 better safety profile, Fish Hoek (41/100, trend Down) 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 28/100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - higher reported crime, with 3,428 annualised crimes across 52,856 residents. The trend is upward, and the precinct recorded 15 murders in Q4 2025/2026 (January–March 2026). Drug-related crime more than doubled year-on-year.

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

They share the Muizenberg police precinct, but each suburb’s population share within the precinct produces different composite scores. Kalk Bay scores 44/100 at R4.2M, St James scores 30/100 at R4.5M, and Muizenberg scores 28/100 at R1.8M. The underlying precinct crime data is the same.

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 41/100 with a declining crime trend. Muizenberg scores 28/100 with a rising trend. Fish Hoek has a different precinct with far fewer annualised crimes (1,252 vs 3,428) 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.