How commercial crime quietly became SA’s most dangerous growth industry

Mar 22, 2026 · 2521 words · By Rebecca Davis

📰 Original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-03-22-how-commercial-crime-quietly-…

Fact-Check Results

“Murder is down. Robbery is down. Sexual offences are down. Car theft is down.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify crime rate trends in South Africa

“Commercial crime statistics have nearly doubled in just over a decade: from 76,744 cases in 2013/14 to 143,600 in 2024/25.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm commercial crime statistics figures

“Since 2020/21, the acceleration has been most striking: 82,890 cases; then 102,057; then 112,592; then 127,651; then 143,600.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify commercial crime case numbers

“In the most recent quarter for which data are available — Q3 of 2025/26 — commercial crime grew another 2% in three months, with Gauteng accounting for more than a third of all cases nationally.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm Q3 2025/26 commercial crime data

“The only major crime category with a comparable upward trajectory is kidnapping.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify kidnapping crime trends

“The South African Police Service (SAPS) does not maintain disaggregated data on commercial crime.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm SAPS data practices

“The Hawks’ 2024/25 annual report categorizes commercial crime into 18 categories, including 'Fraud with stolen petrol card' and 'internet-related fraud,' with 'other fraud' totaling R396-billion in actual value.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify Hawks annual report details

“The Hawks’ 'other fraud' category (R396-billion) exceeds the FBI’s total internet crime losses for the entire US in the same year by almost $4-billion.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to compare South African fraud data with FBI figures

“Digital banking fraud in South Africa increased by 86% in 2024, with losses from banking app fraud exceeding R1.2-billion.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify digital banking fraud statistics

“The three dominant fraud categories tracked by the South African Fraud Prevention Service (SAFPS) in 2025 are fraudulent documents, misuse of accounts through fraudulent conduct, and scams.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm SAFPS fraud category data

“Money mules are the largest single contributor to account misuse in South African fraud cases.”

❓ PENDING

“Phishing is the dominant method of scams in South Africa, involving scammers impersonating institution employees or authorities to obtain sensitive information.”

❓ PENDING