Pretoria Experiences Spike in Kidnapping Cases, 108 Incidents Reported in First Three Months of 2025
- Recent statistics reveal that the city of Pretoria is becoming the hotspot for kidnappings in South Africa
- The city of Pretoria has experienced a rise in kidnapping cases in the first three months of 2025
- Kidnapping remains a huge issue in the country, with a total of 17,061 incidents reported in 2023/2024
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – Pretoria is becoming the hotspot for kidnappings in the country, police statistics have revealed.
There was a sharp increase in cases reported in the first three months of the year, with child kidnappings becoming a common thread.
The issue is not new either, as the Gauteng province has constantly been a problem area when it comes to the crime trend.
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What do the stats show?
Between January and March 2025, 108 kidnapping cases were reported at police stations in Pretoria alone.
Pretoria Central, with 22, and Sunnyside (20) were the two stations that accounted for the most kidnappings in the city during the three months. Akasia (13) and Pretoria West (12) were the next highest problem areas.
Brooklyn (8), Erasmia (7), Hercules (6), Garsfontein (5), Silverton (5), Villieria (4), Wonderboompoort (3), and Boschkop (3) rounded up the other stations with reported cases.
The crime trend is not exclusive to Pretoria, as in Q4 of 2024/2025, Gauteng experienced 1,352 kidnappings.
Gauteng has been a hotspot for kidnappings
According to Statista.com, kidnapping cases in South Africa reached alarming levels in 2023/2024. A total of 17,061 incidents were reported, which represented an 11 per cent increase from the previous year. Gauteng recorded the highest number of kidnappings with 8,683 cases. The next highest was KwaZulu-Natal with 3,329 cases.
The rise in kidnapping cases appeared to be driven by financial gain, with ransom-related abductions being the most common motive.
Source: Getty Images
Private Investigator weighs in on ransom kidnappings
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Private Investigator Haroon Sader provided some insights into ransom kidnapping cases.
“Whoever is liaising with the suspects needs to realise that the suspects want money in exchange for the victims' release. Suspects know if the victim is dead, they won't receive a cent, but it has not stopped suspects from abusing their victims, psychologically and physically,” he said.
Sader added that the quicker the family could get the captive free, the better. He also noted that in a majority of kidnap for ransom cases, victims were released without harm after negotiations were completed, and payments were made.
Kidnapping stories that made headlines in 2025
- 12 people were arrested for kidnapping a Louis Trichardt businessman who was rescued after three months.
- The South African Police Service rescued an American pastor who was kidnapped in April 2025.
- Sameemah Jacobs denied that she kidnapped a one-week-old and insisted that the mother gave her the child.
- The five men arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Kamogelo Baukudi said they wanted to sue the State.
- The province of Gauteng witnessed a rise in kidnappings in the first three months of 2025.
Child kidnapping cases on the rise
In February 2025, it was reported that there had been an increase in kidnapping cases where children were the victims.
Bianca van Aswegen from Missing Children South Africa weighed in on the recent surge in cases and why it was so.
Briefly News reported that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu blamed the country's porous borders for the rise in cases.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
