Serious Assault (GBH) in South Africa
SAPS definition: “Assault with the intent [to] inflict Grievous Bodily Harm is the unlawful and intentional direct or indirect application of force to the body of another person with the intention of causing grievous bodily harm to that person. Note: The victim does not need to sustain serious injuries. The decisive element is the intention to cause serious injuries.” — SAPS Crime Definitions (2012), as published by the Institute for Security Studies.
SAPS recorded 38,572 serious assault (gbh) cases across South Africa in Apr–Jun 2026, up 2.4% vs Apr–Jun 2025.
Latest quarter (Apr–Jun 2026): 38,572 serious assault (gbh) cases, up 2.4% vs Apr–Jun 2025.
Ranked by province below.
Note: Raw reported counts — not adjusted for population. Provinces with more residents will naturally report more cases.
Is serious assault (gbh) rising or falling in South Africa?
Dashed: Apr–Jun 2026 only (1 of 4 quarters published) — a partial year, not comparable with the full years before it.
Which provinces report the most serious assault (gbh)?
Bars coloured by direction vs the previous year: green = improved, red = worsened, grey = within ±2%. Sorted by Apr–Jun 2026 count.
| Province | Apr–Jun 2026 | vs Apr–Jun 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 7,855 | +4.1% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 7,550 | +8.3% |
| Eastern Cape | 5,491 | -0.3% |
| Western Cape | 4,931 | -4.2% |
| North West | 3,397 | +2.7% |
| Free State | 2,646 | +3.4% |
| Limpopo | 2,567 | -0.5% |
| Mpumalanga | 2,559 | -0.9% |
| Northern Cape | 1,576 | +8.1% |