Most-Stolen and Most-Hijacked Cars in South Africa (2025/2026)
Which cars are targeted most in South Africa - and what that means for what you drive. This study draws on the South African Police Service (SAPS) quarterly crime statistics and the model patterns reported by insurers and recovery operators. Carjacking is the clearest signal of targeting, so we lead with it, then explain the model and parts patterns behind the numbers.
The national picture (latest quarter)
In the most recent SAPS quarter (October to December 2025), 4,420 carjackings were reported nationally - an average of about 48 vehicles hijacked every day, and 8.1% fewer than the same quarter a year earlier. The decline is real but modest, and SAPS itself notes a large share of vehicle crime goes unreported, so the true exposure is higher than the recorded count.
Two patterns matter more than the headline total: hijackings are heavily concentrated in one province, and they fall on a predictable set of body types and models.
Hijackings by province (Oct-Dec 2025)
| Province | Carjackings | Share of national |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 2,567 | 53.4% |
| Western Cape | 694 | 15.7% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 599 | 13.6% |
| Rest of South Africa | 560 | 12.7% |
Gauteng alone accounts for more hijackings than every other province combined - 2,567 cases, or 53.4% of the national total in the quarter. If you drive in Johannesburg or Pretoria, your baseline risk is materially higher than the national average, which is exactly why insurers there lean hardest on an approved, monitored tracker.
What gets taken: by vehicle type
Across a recent SAPS quarter, hijackings split by body type roughly as follows:
| Vehicle category | Share of hijackings |
|---|---|
| Sedans, hatchbacks & coupes | 44.4% |
| Bakkies & panel vans | 33.1% |
| SUVs and other body types | ~22.5% |
Ordinary sedans and hatchbacks are taken most often simply because there are so many of them and their parts move fastest. Bakkies and panel vans are the second-largest category - lower in number but high in value, and disproportionately driven cross-border or stripped for driveline parts.
The most-targeted models
Exact model rankings vary by source and quarter, but the same names dominate SAPS and insurer reporting. The Toyota Hilux is consistently named the single most-hijacked vehicle, with these models the most frequently cited in 2025:
| Rank | Model | Why it is targeted | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Hilux | Workhorse double-cab with region-wide resale and parts demand; driven cross-border or stripped. | Best tracker |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | Fleet and trade favourite; the same cross-border and parts pull as the Hilux. | Best tracker |
| 3 | Nissan NP200 | Ubiquitous half-ton trade bakkie; often taken loaded with tools. | Best tracker |
| 4 | VW Polo Vivo | One of the country's most-driven cars; an instant parts chain absorbs it. | Best tracker |
| 5 | Toyota Fortuner | Syndicate favourite - easy to resell whole or break for components. | Best tracker |
| New | Kia Picanto | Newly prominent on the 2025 list - cheap, common, strong parts demand. | Best tracker |
| New | Isuzu D-Max | Newly prominent in 2025 - tough workhorse with farm and business use. | Best tracker |
| New | Toyota Corolla Cross | Newly prominent in 2025 - popular family crossover and e-hailing car. | Best tracker |
The thread is demand, not randomness: a car tops the list when its whole-car resale is strong, its parts sell instantly, or an export route exists for it. See the full set of model guides in our best tracker by car index.
How to read these lists
A model’s place on a stolen list reflects how many are on the road as much as how risky each one is - a common car can top the count without any single example being especially likely to be taken. Hijacking lists are the sharper signal of deliberate, to-order targeting. Either way, the lists describe populations, not your specific car, so treat them as a prompt to match your protection to the threat, not as a verdict.
If you drive a listed model, the practical response is the same one insurers and banks already require: a VESA-approved, monitored stolen-vehicle-recovery tracker, kept active. Our model guides set out the providers, real prices and the exact insurer rule for each car.
See the best tracker for your exact car, with real prices and the insurer rule.
Find your modelSources & method
National and provincial carjacking figures are from the South African Police Service (SAPS) quarterly crime statistics (Q3 2025/26, covering October to December 2025). Body-type shares are from a recent SAPS quarterly release. Model patterns are compiled from SAPS reporting and published insurer and vehicle-recovery data. Figures are updated as new quarters are released; this page was last updated in June 2026.