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St James Crime Statistics

Muizenberg Precinct |City of Cape Town
3 of 4 quarters (Apr 2025 – Dec 2025) SAPS Data
Precinct-level data
St James falls within the Muizenberg police precinct. SAPS reports crime at precinct level — all suburbs in this precinct share the same statistics. Other suburbs: Costa da Gama, Kalk Bay, Lakeside, Marina da Gama, Muizenberg.
Crime in the Muizenberg precinct area (covering St James) increased 15.1% year-on-year with 1,978 reported serious crimes, and is 20.2% below its pre-COVID level. The most reported crime is Drug-related crime (631 cases). Drug-related crime saw the biggest increase (+344).
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

High

relative to other WC precincts

Reported crimes

1,978

2025-2026 · 9 of 12 months

Year-on-year

↑ 15.1%

more crimes vs 2024-2025

(based on 3 of 4 quarters)

vs its pre-COVID level

↓ 20.2%

below 2018-2019

Crime in the Muizenberg precinct area (covering St James) rose 15.1% year-on-year.
This area reports 114% 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

72

↑ 118.2% YoY

Violent crime

684

↑ 3% YoY

Property crime

302

↓ 31.4% YoY

Other crime

992

↑ 61.3% YoY

What's changing?

Biggest year-on-year movements in crime categories

Drug-related crime(287→631)
+344
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition(12→79)
+67
Residential burglary(155→100)
-55
Murder(33→72)
+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 crime631
Common assault238
Aggravated robbery161
Malicious damage128
Theft from vehicle126
Residential burglary100
Illegal possession of firearms and ammunition79
Common robbery77

Compare with nearby areas

Other precincts in City of Cape Town

Sorted by total reported crimes (lowest first)

Table Bay Harbour

182 crimes ↓ 6.9%

Simon's Town

204 crimes ↓ 17.8%

Camps Bay

206 crimes ↓ 10.4%

Melkbosstrand

210 crimes ↓ 5.7%

Philadelphia

220 crimes ↓ 10.4%

Rondebosch

412 crimes ↓ 30.3%

Compare St James

See how St James stacks up against other suburbs

Compare St James with other areas

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about crime in St James

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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 →