What Do Gender-Based Violence Figures Tell South Africans Right Now?

Meta Description: What South Africa’s latest GBV figures show: SAPS April to June 2026 data, the HSRC prevalence study and the new National Council on GBVF.

Last updated: 8 October 2026

Short Answer

The figures show a country where gender-based violence remains very common, even though some headline crime categories are moving down. Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga cited 50,511 gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) cases recorded by the South African Police Service (SAPS), with 30,736 leading to arrests or referral to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) estimated in November 2024 that about 7.3 million women have experienced physical violence in their lifetime. Reported crime statistics capture only part of the problem, and sources differ on which period the 50,511 figure covers.

Key Takeaways

SAPS reported 5,427 murders in April to June 2026, down 343 (5.9%) on the same period in 2025, according to Business Day on 28 August 2026.
Rape fell slightly (9,233 to 9,201, down 0.3%), while attempted murder (up 8.7%) and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm (up 2.5%) rose, according to the same report.
The HSRC’s first national prevalence study estimated about 2.15 million women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.
The new National Council on GBVF held its inaugural meeting on 31 August 2026, according to SAnews.

What the Latest SAPS Quarterly Figures Show

SAPS released its first-quarter 2026/27 crime statistics, covering April to June 2026, on 28 August 2026. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said in his speech that murder has declined for another consecutive quarter. He also said some crime categories had increased during the reporting period, “particularly those affecting women, children”, although the published text of the speech does not name the categories or give numbers.

Business Day, reporting the same release on 28 August 2026, gave the following comparison of April to June 2026 with April to June 2025:

Murder: 5,427 cases, down 343 (5.9%). Of these, 723 victims were women or children.
Sexual offences: 11,630 to 11,532, down 98 (0.8%).
Rape: 9,233 to 9,201, down 32 (0.3%). Of the 9,201 rape cases, 8,814 involved women or child victims.
Assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm: 37,659 to 38,589, up 930 (2.5%).
Attempted murder: 6,401 to 6,958, up 557 (8.7%). Of these, 1,377 involved women or child victims.

These are police-recorded cases, so they reflect what is reported and recorded, not everything that happens.

The 50,511 Figure and Where It Comes From

At the inaugural meeting of the National Council on GBVF in Pretoria on 31 August 2026, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said SAPS recorded 50,511 GBVF cases, of which 30,736 resulted in arrests or referrals to the NPA. SAnews and The Post reported this as the figure for the first quarter of 2026/27 (April to June 2026).

Sunday Tribune, on 25 August 2026, reported the same two numbers as coming from a parliamentary reply by Mr Cachalia to MK Party MP Gugulethu Mchunu, citing SAPS data for the 2025/26 financial year. The two reports therefore describe the same numbers with different periods. This article cannot resolve the difference, so treat the period as unconfirmed until SAPS or Parliament clarifies it. An arrest or referral is not a prosecution or a verdict.

What the HSRC Prevalence Study Found

The HSRC released the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Prevalence Study on 18 November 2024, presented by research director Dr Nompumelelo Zungu, according to SAnews. Its estimates for women aged 18 and older included:

About 7.31 million women with lifetime experience of physical violence.
About 2.15 million women with lifetime experience of sexual violence.
About 3.22 million ever-partnered women with lifetime experience of physical intimate partner violence.

A survey asks people about their experiences, including those never reported to police, while police statistics count cases opened. Advocates say this gap means the SAPS numbers understate the scale. Mbuyiselo Botha of the South African Men’s Forum and Cookie Edwards of the KZN Network on Violence Against Women were quoted by Sunday Tribune making that point.

Official Responses: Crisis, Disaster and the New Council

Declarations

Daily Maverick reported on 21 November 2025 that GBVF was classified as a national disaster under Section 23 of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, a decision made by the National Disaster Management Centre. It also reported that, according to the ministry, the classification does not invoke emergency powers. President Cyril Ramaphosa had called GBVF a “national crisis” on 20 November 2025.

The National Council

IOL reported on 1 August 2026 that the President had appointed members to the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, with a term from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029. It named Dr Ramalepe Lebogang Mathibe as chairperson and Welheminah “Shoki” Tshabalala as deputy chairperson. SAnews reported that the council was established under the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Act, 2024 (Act 9 of 2024), and that its first priorities include a Shareholder Compact, a costing framework and good governance. Its job is to coordinate and monitor the national response under the National Strategic Plan on GBVF 2020 to 2030.

How to Read These Numbers

A fall in one category does not mean the problem is shrinking everywhere. Sexual offences are widely understood to be under-reported, so a small drop in recorded cases could reflect fewer incidents, fewer reports or a change in recording, and the sources reviewed do not say which. For a fair picture, compare the same quarter across years and look at both police and survey data.

What We Still Do Not Know

Whether 50,511 refers to April to June 2026 or to the 2025/26 financial year. Sources conflict.
How many GBVF cases lead to convictions, because arrests and referrals are not outcomes.
The number of femicides in the latest quarter, which the sources reviewed did not give separately.
Which crime categories Mr Cachalia meant when he said some had increased “particularly those affecting women, children”.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many GBVF cases did SAPS record?

Ms Chikunga cited 50,511 cases, with 30,736 leading to arrests or referral to the NPA. Reports differ on whether this is April to June 2026 or the 2025/26 year.

Are murders in South Africa falling?

SAPS recorded 5,427 murders in April to June 2026, 343 fewer (5.9%) than a year earlier, according to Business Day.

Did rape cases increase?

Reported rape cases edged down from 9,233 to 9,201 (0.3%), according to Business Day. Under-reporting remains a concern raised by advocates.

What did the HSRC study estimate?

About 7.31 million women with lifetime physical violence and about 2.15 million with lifetime sexual violence, according to SAnews in November 2024.

What is the National Council on GBVF?

A statutory body under Act 9 of 2024 to coordinate and monitor the national response, which held its inaugural meeting on 31 August 2026.

Official SAPS Website → Read the Source Report →

Sources

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