“Misleading”: Mzansi Reacts After 6 SA Cities Rank Among World’s Most Dangerous in Global Report

A 2026 Global Urban Safety Statistics report has ranked six South African cities among the world’s 50 most dangerous, with Pietermaritzburg sitting at number one. The list, which circulated widely on Reddit on 27 April 2026, put South Africa ahead of Venezuela, Brazil, and the United States.

South Africans online rejected the findings, saying the data behind the ranking cannot be trusted.

SA cities dominate alarming global safety ranking

The report placed Pietermaritzburg at the very top of the list, making it the most dangerous city on the planet according to its findings. Pretoria came in at number two, with Johannesburg ranked fifth. Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town also appeared in the top 20.

That puts six South African cities in one global danger list. No other country had that many cities in the top 10. Venezuela’s Caracas came in third, while Brazil and the United States each had several cities further down.

Read also

“He sold his people": Throwback clip of Nelson Mandela cracking jokes in Afrikaans stirs debate

South Africans who came across the list online were quick to challenge it. Many said the ranking was based on opinions rather than verified crime or safety data. Others demanded to know exactly who compiled the report and how the numbers were calculated.

See the full list in the Reddit post here:

Mzansi rejects the findings

@AnonomousWolfMOD commented:

“This is somewhat misleading, as someone else here said. That is from Numbeo. It is based on perceptions measured in surveys, not actual data.”

@Henry_Oof wrote:

“Source, though? I do get tired of seeing these recycled stats, and I'm wondering if these are current to 2026.”

Source: Briefly News