There was a spike in the number of murders reported by the SA Police Service in March, when 2,550 people were killed, or an average of 82 a day.

According to the latest data from the Saps, one in every five of the 12,734 murders reported in the first half of 2024 were in March. The average number a day for the six-month period is 70, so March is an outlier.

For the past two years, reported murders in the first half of the year averaged 69 a day.

It’s not clear from the provincial data if the March murders were localised because, as usual, almost half (46%) of the murders reported that month were in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. None of the other provinces showed a notable increase.

The first six months of the year are generally not peak periods for murder. Interpersonal violence typically spikes over the festive season when people spend more time together.