While South Africa recorded a significant decline in vehicle hijackings during the first quarter of 2026, Johannesburg’s historic township of Alexandra has emerged as the country’s leading hijacking hotspot.
Latest statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) show that 3,609 hijackings were reported nationwide between January and March 2026, representing a 20.4% decrease from the 4,533 cases recorded during the same period in 2025.
Despite the overall improvement, several policing areas experienced sharp increases in hijacking incidents, with Alexandra recording the highest number of reported cases in the country.
The township accounted for 63 hijackings during the three-month period, placing it ahead of Delft in Cape Town, which recorded 61 cases, and Kempton Park in Gauteng, which registered 56 incidents.
Historic township faces persistent crime challenges
Located only a few kilometres from Sandton, Africa’s leading financial district, Alexandra remains one of South Africa’s most densely populated urban communities.
Founded in 1912, the township occupies roughly eight square kilometres and is home to more than 400,000 residents.
Alexandra played an important role in South African history and was among the first urban settlements where Black South Africans could own property. It was also the first Johannesburg home of former President Nelson Mandela after he moved from the Eastern Cape in the 1940s.
Yet the township’s history has also been shaped by decades of underdevelopment.
For many years, Alexandra was known as the “Dark City” because basic infrastructure and street lighting lagged far behind neighbouring white suburbs during the apartheid era. Electricity only reached parts of the community decades after surrounding areas had already been connected.
Although infrastructure has improved since the end of apartheid, challenges related to overcrowding, unemployment and crime continue to affect residents.
Organised crime networks remain a concern
Findings from previous investigations by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) have highlighted how population density, service delivery constraints and limited policing resources contribute to ongoing crime concerns.
Alexandra is served by a single police station responsible not only for the township itself but also for nearby industrial and commercial areas such as Marlboro and Wynberg.
Law enforcement officials have previously acknowledged that staffing shortages and resource limitations affect proactive policing efforts.
Public inquiries and academic research have also pointed to the presence of organised criminal networks operating within the area.
E-hailing drivers and delivery riders have been identified as particularly vulnerable targets. Criminals frequently use ride-hailing requests to lure drivers into specific locations before carrying out robberies or vehicle hijackings.
Research published in the Technium Social Sciences Journal further suggests that some hijacking operations are linked to broader criminal ecosystems involving illegal firearms, unregistered vehicle repair workshops and illicit scrapyards capable of dismantling stolen vehicles within hours.
National SAPS data shows that hatchbacks and sedans remain the most frequently targeted vehicle category, accounting for 1,595 hijackings during the first quarter of 2026.
Bakkies ranked second with 1,168 reported incidents, while motorcycles accounted for 297 cases.
Although national hijacking figures are moving in a positive direction, Alexandra’s continued ranking as South Africa’s leading hotspot highlights the uneven nature of crime trends across the country and the ongoing challenges facing some urban communities.
Source: South African Police Service (SAPS), South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)