Gauteng remains South Africa’s kidnapping capital

The latest crime statistics released by the SAPS show that Gauteng is South Africa’s kidnapping capital, with an average of 27 kidnapping cases reported daily between January and March 2026.

The province accounts for nearly 55% of all kidnapping cases recorded nationally. Among these are express kidnappings.

This crime has evolved alongside the growing smartphone market. It is sometimes part of a hijacking or an armed robbery.

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Drain victims’ bank accounts

Unlike traditional kidnappings, where victims are held for extended periods and ransom demands are made, express kidnappings are typically shorter in duration, with the criminals aiming to quickly drain victims’ bank accounts.

The criminals abduct victims and threaten them with weapons to force them to unlock devices and banking applications and transfer funds.

They are sometimes driven to an ATM and forced to withdraw cash.

Despite their short duration, the crimes carry severe risks. The financial losses can be huge, and the victims are extremely vulnerable throughout the ordeal.

Any resistance, delay or panic can quickly escalate into serious injury or even death.

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Women are often threatened with sexual assault, too.

Residents Action Group (RAG) chairperson Anjela da Silva said that everyone should be aware of the danger of express kidnapping.

“Kidnapping is no longer a crime that targets only wealthy individuals or business people. Victims are often ordinary residents going about their daily routines – driving to or from work, shopping, visiting friends, exercising, or simply walking in their neighbourhood. Our message is not to create fear but to encourage greater awareness, which is one of the strongest forms of crime prevention.”

Victim’s ordinary evening turns into a nightmare

To raise awareness and gain insights on the growing threat of express kidnapping, RAG reached out to a local victim who had shared some details of her express kidnapping ordeal on the Basically Bedfordview Facebook group.

This is her story of an ordinary evening that turned into a nightmare:

“I was at Rosebank Mall, visiting the iStore. I was driving home towards Modderfontein, and it was about 19:00 when I stopped at a traffic light near the Marlboro off-ramp from the M1. There was another vehicle in front of me. Nothing seemed out of place, and I am always alert and vigilant – especially because my job requires me to travel, including at night.”

As she stopped, without warning, four men suddenly appeared around her vehicle.
“I think they must have snuck up behind me. They just popped up.”

Two men were on the passenger side, one in front of the vehicle, and another standing on the driver’s side.

All were armed, with guns pointed at her. They all banged on the car and demanded that she unlock.

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Guns pointed at me

“I thought it was a hijacking. I had never heard of an express kidnapping. With the guns pointed at me, I didn’t want to risk my life and thought I could run away from the car and just let them take it.”

But when she did this, one of the attackers grabbed her and threw her back into the vehicle. The criminals then drove her into Alexandra. Inside the car, the kidnappers forced her to unlock her phone and laptop.

The men searched through her accounts and became angry when they discovered only a small amount of accessible money. “They shouted at me about how little money was in the account they found.”

At one stage, they stopped at an ATM on 14th Street in Alexandra and attempted to withdraw cash. Fortunately, they entered incorrect account information and failed to access the funds.

Throughout the ordeal, the attackers repeatedly threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate.

While most reports point to express kidnappings being part of the rising threat of organised crime, perpetrated by sophisticated, efficient criminals, this victim noted that her kidnappers looked young and were nervous.

“The driver didn’t lift the handbrake and had to ask me what to do. They looked like they were in their late teens or early twenties.” They did, however, appear to have assigned roles and had planned the operation.

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The questions and answers that may have helped her

As they drove around Alexandra, the kidnappers interrogated her about vehicle tracking systems. Did the car have a tracker?

Could her phone be tracked? Was anybody expecting her home? The victim answered yes. She told them her vehicle was tracked, her phone could be tracked and that both her husband and mother were expecting her home an hour ago.

These answers may have influenced what happened next. About an hour after the kidnapping ordeal began, the criminals left her and her car in Alexandra and fled.

Meanwhile, her mother had already started receiving notifications from tracking services and realised something was wrong. She alerted police in Alexandra and contacted the vehicle tracking company.

The aftermath
The criminals took her cellphone, laptop, a new iPad and some photography equipment. The insurance payout was just a fraction of the full value of what was taken. Tracking technology later helped trace the stolen laptop to a shebeen in Alexandra, but then it was switched off. A few days later, it was switched on again – in Mozambique.

But the emotional impact proved far greater than the financial loss. The victim got rid of her relatively new car, taking a financial knock. “I couldn’t sit in it. I didn’t want to drive it anymore.

“I am finding myself sitting with a lot of built-up anger regarding the whole situation.”

She says that the most terrifying part of the ordeal was when she was forced back into her car and was certain she would be raped or killed.

No warning signs
A disturbing aspect of this story is that the victim cannot identify any obvious warning signs. She does not believe she was followed from the mall. She does not believe she was specifically targeted because of her shopping trip. Instead, she believes she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I was vigilant. They just appeared.”

ALSO READ: Ransom kidnappings not limited to the wealthy – SAPS

Advice to others
Reflecting on her traumatic experience, she offers a few pieces of advice:
• Avoid stopping at isolated red traffic lights at night.
• Use family location-sharing applications such as Life360 so loved ones can quickly identify when something is wrong.
• Ensure that your vehicle and device tracking services are active and functioning.
• Consider carefully what sensitive information is accessible on your phone.
• Let family members know your expected arrival times and routes.
• If confronted by armed criminals, prioritise your life over property.
A woman travelling alone may be at greater risk, but she believes that in this instance, the four armed criminals could have overpowered two people.

A crime everyone should know about

Many victims of express kidnappings are not aware that such crimes even exist until they find themselves in the middle of one.

“Being aware of and understanding how an express kidnapping might unfold can help people prepare, recognise risks and take practical steps that may improve their safety. RAG appreciates this incredibly brave victim sharing her story to help protect others,” Da Silva said.