Sanbell Crime Statistics

Bellville Precinct |City of Cape Town
3 of 4 quarters (Apr 2025 – Dec 2025) SAPS Data
Precinct-level data
Sanbell falls within the Bellville police precinct. SAPS reports crime at precinct level — all suburbs in this precinct share the same statistics. Other suburbs: Bellville, Boston, De La Haye, Loevenstein, Oakdale and 2 more.
Crime in the Bellville precinct area (covering Sanbell) decreased 5.9% year-on-year with 2,831 reported serious crimes, and is 38.5% below its pre-COVID level. The most reported crime is Drug-related crime (812 cases). Drug-related crime saw the biggest increase (+112).
About this data

These are raw crime counts from SAPS — not adjusted for population. Areas with more residents will naturally report more crimes. The most reliable indicator is the trend over time, which compares this area against its own history. Learn more

Crime volume

Very High

relative to other WC precincts

Reported crimes

2,831

2025-2026 · 9 of 12 months

Year-on-year

↓ 5.9%

fewer crimes vs 2024-2025

(based on 3 of 4 quarters)

vs its pre-COVID level

↓ 38.5%

below 2018-2019

Crime in the Bellville precinct area (covering Sanbell) decreased 5.9% year-on-year, though crime levels remain very high relative to other precincts.
This area reports 206% more crimes than the provincial median (925.5 crimes).

Crime by type

Year-on-year change by crime category. Murder is shown separately but is included in the violent crime total.

Murder

9

↓ 25% YoY

Violent crime

705

↓ 16% YoY

Property crime

918

↓ 7.6% YoY

Other crime

1,208

↑ 2.6% YoY

What's changing?

Biggest year-on-year movements in crime categories

Drug-related crime(700→812)
+112
Common assault(210→159)
-51
Residential burglary(272→230)
-42
Aggravated robbery(300→261)
-39

Crime trend by year

Hollow points with dashed lines indicate years with fewer than 4 quarters of data. These totals may be lower because not all quarters have been released by SAPS.

Crime breakdown

Top reported offences in 2025-2026

Drug-related crime812
Theft from vehicle545
Aggravated robbery261
Residential burglary230
Common robbery171
Common assault159
Malicious damage128
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs111

Compare with nearby areas

Other precincts in City of Cape Town

Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)

Compare Sanbell

See how Sanbell stacks up against other suburbs

Compare Sanbell with other areas

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about crime in Sanbell

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Data Sources & Notes

  • Crime data: SAPS quarterly crime statistics
  • Population: City of Cape Town Census 2022 Police Precinct Profiles
  • SAPS data reflects reported crime only. Crime reporting rates vary by area.
  • This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for safety or property decisions. Full disclaimer
  • Full methodology →