Since the transition to democracy in South Africa, the murder rate has dropped by one third. Last year, the risk of being murdered was 45 murders per 100,000 people. Thirty years ago, it was 68 per 100,000.
Although the rate has fallen, the number of people being murdered is still high. Between April 2022 and March 2023, almost 27,500 people were killed, according to data from the SA Police Service. This is an average of 75 murders a day.
The lowest murder rate in the past three decades was recorded in 2011/2, when it was 30 per 100,000 people. The rate remained in the 30s until a lockdown-related dip in 2020, after which it has taken a steep turn up again.
There are complex factors for the high rate, say researchers, including tightened economic challenges, a drop in police numbers, increased access to firearms as well as a rise in organised crime.