WATCH: Shocking CCTV footage shows thieves steal elderly man’s car keys via pickpocket

In South Africa, theft of personal property impacts approximately 1.3 million individuals annually. According to the Victims of Crime Survey conducted by Statistics South Africa in 2016/17, an estimated 640,179 people aged 16 and older experienced theft of personal property, representing 1.68% of that population segment. This equates to 708,357 incidents in that year alone. Earlier data from 2011 shows 858,000 individuals affected by similar thefts, or 2.5% of adults.

Street robbery, often overlapping with pickpocketing tactics, affected 269,610 individuals in 2016/17, or 0.71% of adults aged 16 and older, with 294,874 incidents recorded. In 2011, 249,000 people experienced street robbery, representing 0.7% of the adult population. Cellphones are the most commonly stolen item, accounting for 75.9% of thefts in 2016/17, followed by money, purses, or wallets at 45.0%. An average of 189 cellphones are stolen daily across the country.

Thieves frequently employ distraction techniques to target unsuspecting victims. Common methods include bumping into people while pretending to be intoxicated, initiating conversations to maintain physical contact, or using staged distractions like feigned injuries. In urban areas, criminals operate in groups, brushing against potential targets to locate valuables before executing the theft. Informants inside banks alert accomplices when large cash withdrawals occur, leading to victims being followed and robbed. In supermarkets and parking lots, organized gangs pickpocket car keys from shoppers and then steal vehicles.

Crimes predominantly occur in crowded public spaces. Street robberies and personal thefts happen most often in residential area streets at 71% and 44.4% respectively, followed by areas outside offices or shops at 8.7% and 12.2%. High-risk locations include central business districts like Cape Town CBD, Johannesburg CBD, and areas near taxi ranks or shopping centers. Provinces with elevated rates include the Western Cape at 2.87% for personal theft and 1.79% for street robbery in 2016/17.

Victim profiles indicate that individuals in their twenties are most affected, with similar rates between males at 1.67% and females at 1.69% for personal theft. Rates vary by population group, with Indians/Asians at 2.12% and Coloureds at 1.92% experiencing higher incidences. Both locals and tourists are targeted, particularly in busy urban environments.

Reporting rates remain low, with only 34% of personal thefts and 33% of street robberies reported to police in 2016/17. In 2011, reporting stood at 34.4% for personal theft and 33.1% for robbery. Currently, 69% of victims do not report due to lack of faith in the South African Police Service. The primary reason for non-reporting is the belief that police cannot or will not act, cited by 62% for personal theft.

Trends from 2013/14 to 2016/17 show a decline in victimization rates for personal theft from 2.47% to 1.68% and for street robbery from 0.85% to 0.71%. Pickpocketing or bag-snatching is perceived as common by 19.8% of households and feared by 19.3%.