Delmas recorded the highest number of truck hijackings among the precincts identified in new research into crime on South Africa's national road network, followed by Orange Farm, Kempton Park and Alberton.
The Delmas precinct recorded 53 truck hijackings in 2023, while Orange Farm recorded 48, Kempton Park 47 and Alberton 42, according to research presented at the 44th Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) in Pretoria.
Truck hijackings had remained at around 1 200 incidents a year for much of the decade covered by the study but began increasing from the 2020/21 reporting period.
The study, Road-Based Crimes on the National Road Network: An Initial Investigation, analysed South African Police Service (SAPS) crime statistics from 2013/14 to 2023/24 and data collected through the South African National Roads Agency Limited's (Sanral) Freeway Management System between 2016 and 2024.
The research also identified concentrations of road-based crime on major transport corridors in Cape Town, Gauteng and eThekwini.
In the Western Cape, the N2 between Jakes Gerwel Drive and Mew Way, including the R300 intersection, accounted for 46.7% of all road crimes against individuals recorded in the Cape Town study area.
The hotspot recorded 718 incidents between 2016 and 2024, comprising 279 hijackings, 268 smash-and-grab incidents, 156 shootings and 15 cash-in-transit robberies. It also had the highest crime density in the study, at 21.1 incidents per square kilometre.
Road-based crime in Gauteng was more dispersed, while hotspots were also identified along the N2 and N3 in eThekwini. Hijackings were the most prominent crime type recorded in the eThekwini data.
The research examined links between road-based crime and infrastructure such as off-ramps, interchanges, pedestrian bridges and traffic-light intersections.
Smash-and-grab incidents in the Western Cape were often concentrated near pedestrian bridges, off-ramp entrances and signalised interchanges, while incidents in Gauteng occurred mainly near off-ramps. Cash-in-transit robberies were generally recorded around off-ramps and traffic-light intersections.
The researchers found that criminals were adapting their methods to specific road environments, selecting vehicles and tactics based on crime type and using surrounding land, escape routes and road layouts to their advantage.
The study called for detailed hotspot mapping, closer integration between road authorities and police, infrastructure-specific interventions and a better understanding of how criminals used transport networks.
