South Africa’s long-running battle with vehicle crime has taken a sharp new turn. A fresh report from Tracker reveals that business-owned vehicles are increasingly becoming the preferred targets for organised criminal groups, shifting the landscape of hijackings and theft across the country.

Between January and June 2025, Tracker analysed data from more than 1.1 million subscriptions. What emerged was a worrying pattern that has left many fleet owners on edge.

Business Vehicles Under Growing Pressure

According to Tracker, business-owned vehicles are 48 percent more likely to be targeted by criminals than privately owned cars. The company says these vehicles also face 32 percent more crime than their proportion within the Tracker base would normally suggest.

Gauteng remains the centre of the storm. As the heartbeat of the country’s logistics, retail and delivery operations, it sees the highest concentration of vehicle crime nationally. But the emerging hotspots tell an even more concerning story.

Hijackings Surge in the Cape Provinces and Mpumalanga

Hijackings have overtaken theft as the most common crime affecting business vehicles. Nationally, these incidents occur at nearly double the rate of thefts. In certain provinces, the imbalance is staggering.

In the Western Cape, a business vehicle is five times more likely to be hijacked than stolen. In the Eastern Cape, the rate is four times higher. Mpumalanga has now joined the list of high-risk provinces, where hijackings are three times more common.

For private vehicle owners, the national hijacking-theft split is equal. But even here, regional spikes exist. In the Eastern Cape, hijackings are five times more likely than theft, and twice as likely in Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Residents across these provinces have taken to social media to voice concerns about brazen daylight hijackings, with many sharing dashcam footage, community alerts and neighbourhood watch warnings. The general sentiment is one of heightened caution and frustration.

Recoveries Remain Strong but Crime Is Evolving

In the first half of 2025, Tracker recovered 3,671 vehicles, assisted in 146 arrests and helped recover 10 firearms linked to crime. Yet the company warns that hijacking tactics continue to evolve.

Tracker’s Chief Commercial Officer, Duma Ngcobo, says the shifting crime patterns show that incidents can strike anywhere, at any time. He encourages businesses to strengthen their fleet security with technology such as AI-powered dashcams, 360-degree cameras and emergency assist buttons for drivers.

These tools, he says, help fleet managers respond quickly and can make the difference between a recovered vehicle and a total loss.

Why Built-in Tracking Is Not Enough

Many South Africans assume that modern connected vehicles offer sufficient tracking capabilities. But Cartrack warns that factory-installed systems are easy targets for criminals.

Technicians and criminals alike can access these telematics units, and syndicates often remove them entirely during a theft. Because they rely on cellular networks and lack anti-jamming capabilities, these systems can quickly become useless once a vehicle leaves a coverage zone.

Cartrack argues that dedicated tracking devices remain the strongest defence. Their devices are fitted deep within the vehicle, are harder to detect, and can operate on proprietary radio-frequency networks that continue working across borders from Cape Town to Kenya.

Different vehicle types also carry different recovery risk profiles, which is why Cartrack recommends anti-jamming technology for high-risk models.

A Growing Safety Priority for South Africans

Vehicle security has become a central part of daily life in South Africa. From fleet owners to everyday motorists, the need for reliable, tamper-proof tracking solutions has intensified as criminal groups become more organised and technologically savvy.

As business vehicles continue to rise on the criminal hit list, companies are being urged to rethink their safety strategies. The combination of smart technology, rapid response services and strategic planning is increasingly seen as the new frontline in South Africa’s fight against vehicle crime.

{Source:MyBroadband}

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