Man Lists Most Dangerous Cities in South Africa According to Crime Index

• A TikTok user recently shared a video ranking some of South Africa's cities based on their crime index scores
• Several major cities, including the capital and economic hubs, fall into the very unsafe category according to the data shared
• The video highlights notable differences in crime perception across the country, sparking discussions about safety

South Africans are reacting to a viral TikTok video that ranks some of the country’s most prominent cities by how dangerous they’re perceived to be, with crime index scores placing multiple metros in the highest risk category.

A video of a TikTok user @justrandomstats has stirred conversation online after posting a video listing what he claims are the most dangerous cities in South Africa. Using data based on crime index ratings, the video ranks six major South African cities according to their perceived levels of safety.

At the top of the list is Pietermaritzburg, which the video states holds a crime index of 80.2, placing it in the 'very unsafe and dangerous' category. Pretoria follows closely with a crime index of 81.9, reportedly making it the second most dangerous city in the country.

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Coming in third is Johannesburg with a crime index of 80.8, followed by Durban at 80.6. According to the crime index scale, any city scoring between 80 and 100 is considered very unsafe, which means the top four cities listed all fall into the highest risk category.

Port Elizabeth is next on the list, with a slightly lower but still high crime index of 77.7, placing it in the 'unsafe' range. Lastly, Cape Town rounds out the list with a rating of 73.8, which still classifies it as unsafe, though slightly lower in risk compared to the others.

Viral video ranks SA cities by crime risk

According to the crime index scale used in the video, scores between 0 and 20 indicate an area is very safe, while scores from 80 to 100 denote a place is very unsafe or dangerous. The rankings presented by @justrandomstats suggest that crime and safety remain significant concerns in many of South Africa’s major urban centres.

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Mzansi reacted to the video

Sanele Khoza said:

"Pietermaritzburg is the most dangerous city in the world? Seriously, where were these statistics cooked up? I just can’t believe it."

Toobaddd wrote:

"Are you saying Mexican cities are safer than Pietermaritzburg? That’s really hard to believe and honestly quite shocking."

Donutsxd commented:

"I live in Pietermaritzburg. South Africa is dangerous in general, but how can PMB be the most dangerous city in the world? It’s definitely calmer than Cape Town, Johannesburg, New York, or London."

Delia said:

"I live in Pietermaritzburg and have travelled worldwide. I can confidently say PMB is probably one of the safest cities in South Africa."

Elvislufunomudzan wrote:

"The crime index for Pretoria seems really exaggerated to me. Maybe I’m living in a completely different Pretoria than the one they describe."

Phathou commented:

"We live in Cape Town and I can say without a doubt it is the most dangerous place in South Africa."

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Peter Legodi said:

"Pretoria being more dangerous than Johannesburg? That statistic really surprised me. I didn’t expect that."

Bruinchild wrote:

"Last week, 18 people were killed in gang violence on the Cape Flats, so your crime index is clearly not capturing the full picture."

Check out the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News stories related to crime

• South Africans were alarmed and stunned after Lieutenant General Nhlamhla Mkhwanazi exposed news of a crime syndicate.
• The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements said the collapse of part of a building on the Montrose Mega Project was due to crime.
• Ronald Lamola weighed in on the departure of 49 Afrikaners to the United States of America as refugees, saying crime affects everyone.

Source: Briefly News