South Africans React to 5 of SA Cities Ranked As Most Dangerous Globally
- Five of South Africa's cities were ranked among the most dangerous in the world, according to a report
- World Atlas ranked two cities from KwaZulu-Natal, two from Gauteng, and one from the Eastern Cape
- South Africans made jokes about the rankings, and some were worried that parts of South Africa are dangerous to live in
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With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG — Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria are listed as the most dangerous cities in the world according to WorldAtlas. South Africans made jokes about the rankings, which included three other South African cities.
According to WorldAtlas's The Most Dangerous Cities in the World, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, and Port Elizabeth are ranked in the top ten most dangerous cities in the world. Pietermaritzburg is ranked the most dangerous city in the world with a Numbeo's 2025 Crime Index of 82.0. Residents of the cities reported experiencing routine armed robberies, home invasions, carjackings, and daylight muggings.
How are the cities ranked?
Pretoria was ranked a close second with a Cr9me Index of 81.6. Residents, especially in Pretoria Central, Pretoria West, and Mamelodi East, experienced rampant carjackings. The South African Police Service's crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024/2025 revealed that there was a 66.7% increase in murders in Pretoria Central.
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Johannesburg was ranked fifth with a Crime Index os 80.8. Armed robberies, violent crime, house invasions, and hijackings were listed as some of the more persistent crimes. Cable-theft syndicates that target the rail network and the electricity infrastructure exacerbate the crime in Johannesburg.
Durban, ranked sixth, has a Crime Index of 80.6. Taxi wars, political killings, and gang violence ranked as the most prominent crimes in the city with a murder rate of 65 per 100,000 residents in 2023/24. The city experiences carjackings, beach muggings, and armed robberies.
Gqeberha is ranked the eighth most dangerous city in the world and is considered South Africa's murder capital with 70.8 killings per 100,000 residents in the 2024/25 period. Exortion rackets at construction sites and housing projects, gang wars, taxi violence, and cable theft are the worst crimes in the city.
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Crime in South Africa
South Africa was ranked the second-highest homicide murder rate in Africa in 2024, according to data released by Data Pandas in November 2204. South Africa ranked behind Lesotho, which has the highest homicide rate.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi recently caused controversy when he said that absent fathers are one of the causes of crime in the province. He spoke during a stakeholder engagement event held by the province on August 19, 2025.
What did South Africans say?
Netizens commenting on X shared jokes.
RealFemake said:
"We are the best in everything!"
Photovolta said:
"Government itself is criminal."
Unfiltered Fella said:;
"Another proud moment in the ANC legacy."
TheOnlySentle said:
"This is not entirely true. Most dangerous cities in the world based on homicide and violent crime stats are in Mexico."
MoKings said:
"What a deceitful joke. Evil agenda spewing all over from this post."
Panyaza Lesufi weighs in on gender-based violence
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that gender-based violence has not decreased in Gauteng in 2025. He spoke during a cross-boundary law enforcement agreement engagement on 15 April.
He said that the province was able to combat all forms of crime except gender-based violence. South Africans disagreed.
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Source: Briefly News
