Kensington Precinct

City of Cape Town|3 suburbs
3 of 4 quarters (Apr 2025 – Dec 2025) SAPS Data
Crime in Kensington increased 13.5% year-on-year with 994 reported serious crimes, and is 4.3% below its pre-COVID level. The most reported crime is Drug-related crime (460 cases). Drug-related crime saw the biggest increase (+192).
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

View 3 suburbs in this precinct

All these suburbs share the same crime statistics because SAPS reports data at precinct level.

Crime volume

Moderate

relative to other WC precincts

Reported crimes

994

2025-2026 · 9 of 12 months

Year-on-year

↑ 13.5%

more crimes vs 2024-2025

(based on 3 of 4 quarters)

vs pre-COVID baseline

↓ 4.3%

below 2018-2019

Crime in Kensington rose 13.5% year-on-year.

What's changing?

Biggest year-on-year movements in crime categories

Common assault dropped significantly (-42) while Drug-related crime increased (+192).

Drug-related crime+192
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition+49
Common assault-42
Business burglary-28

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 crime460
Common assault100
Malicious damage78
Theft from vehicle51
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition50
Aggravated robbery44
Crimen injuria39
Residential burglary27
View full crime breakdown table
Category2025-20262024-2025Change
Drug-related crime460268+192
Common assault100142-42
Malicious damage7885-7
Theft from vehicle5176-25
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition501+49
Aggravated robbery4457-13
Crimen injuria3936+3
Residential burglary2741-14
Attempted murder259+16
Vehicle theft2311+12
Serious assault2033-13
Common robbery1920-1
Business burglary1644-28
Rape117+4
Murder103+7
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs915-6
Carjacking30+3
Sexual assault38-5
Shoplifting34-1
Arson12-1
Culpable homicide12-1
Public violence12-1
Abduction000
Attempted sexual offences000
Bank robbery000
Contact sexual offences01-1
Kidnapping000
Neglect and ill-treatment of children01-1
Robbery at non-residential premises05-5
Robbery at residential premises01-1
Robbery of cash in transit000
Stock-theft000
Truck hijacking01-1

Compare with nearby areas

Other precincts in City of Cape Town

Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about crime in Kensington

Check another area

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
  • Per-capita rates use Census 2022 residential population — daytime populations not captured.
  • Full methodology →