A surge in violent crime is threatening jobs and businesses

South Africans are facing a surge in brutal crimes, with rising cases of gender-based violence (GBV), assault and kidnapping threatening lives, livelihoods and the fabric of communities. 

This was among the findings of the 2024 Violence Survey released by RCS in partnership with BNP Paribas and the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) this week, which found that respondents had increasing concerns about their personal safety and deepening violence across the country.

The study, which explores the impact of violence on vulnerable communities and its effect on business operations, surveyed individuals from violence-affected communities in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, as well as corporates across a wide range of sectors, including services, construction, retail, hospitality, financial and manufacturing.

Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative conflict resolution and peace building expert Siphathisiwe Dhlamini said there had been a decrease in the number of crimes in 2024 but an increase in the severity of violence.

“The violence survey findings mirror the Q1 2024 crime statistics published by SAPS [South African Police Service], which show that extreme violence has become more prevalent,” Dhlamini said.

According to the survey, incidents of being threatened with a weapon rose from 57% in 2023 to 62% in 2024, while cases of being physically attacked and injured increased from 51% to 53% for the period.  

There was also a hike in reported kidnappings and abductions, which rose from 11% in 2023 to 16% in 2024, with a higher prevalence in the Western Cape. 

Eighty-two percent of respondents reported feeling unsafe in their community while 81% felt that violence had increased due to the rising cost of living. About 36% of respondents, double the number recorded in 2020, claimed to have never felt safe in 2024.

Clayton Williams, chief executive of Cape BPO, which aims to attract overseas companies to the Western Cape and to train and employ the youth, said the country ranked low, at 127th position, out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index 2023.

“To put this into perspective, on the safety and security index, which looks specifically at political instability, criminality, violence and unrest, South Africa ranks number 12 in the world with an economic cost of violence as a percentage of GDP, sitting at 15.38%,” Williams said.

“Our unfortunate reality is that this environment of persistent inequality, crime and violence continues to threaten our inherent sense of safety and security as individuals and as communities.”

The survey found that reports of verbal abuse, threats of violence and the destruction of property had declined and there was a 2% decrease in the impact of violence on respondents’ physical or mental ability to do their jobs effectively, as well as a 6% decrease in the effects of violence on general psychological distress.

In assessing the effect of violence on livelihoods the study assessed four key areas of influence: loss of income or a job; being late for work, school or tertiary education; being absent from work, school or tertiary education and being physically or mentally hindered in ability to perform in the workplace.

“The survey demonstrates that violence continues to impact livelihoods and well-being with a significant rise in loss of income or job reported by over half of the respondents (51%) as a result of their experience with violence — a 12% increase when compared to 2023,” Dhlamini said.

GBV remained a pervasive problem as 46% of respondents reported that they had been victims of this crime — 53% of women respondents said they had been affected by it compared to 38% of men.

Verbal assaults remain the most common type of GBV perpetrated against women, with a 5% increase in being verbally threatened with violence, and a 7% increase in kidnappings.

“In 2024, there is a significant increase in females who are too scared to go out and enjoy their usual activities. Additionally, there is a noticeable increase in those who live in fear and more have stated that their job has been impacted,” Dhlamini said.

About 60% of women said GBV has negatively impacted their self-confidence, while 29% said it has impacted their jobs. A total of 59% reported that GBV has caused them to stop going out to do the things they enjoy, while 54% live in fear. 

Many expressed the fear that, if they left their partners, the violence against them would only escalate. Some fear leaving because their partner, or violent family member, provides for them financially — in one case a child victim refused to report repeated rapes because the perpetrator was the sole breadwinner.

“Tackling GBV requires a strategic, targeted intervention involving multiple stakeholders across society. However, this is especially urgent in the workplace, where only 54% of women feel their employer offers them sufficient support. 

“Men also expressed concerns about how violence affects their income and job security,” Dhlamini said.

Crime and employees 

According to the survey, the ripple effect of violence on employees is constraining businesses.

Almost half of corporate respondents (46%) reported that community violence is a major contributing factor to employee absenteeism, while 67 said absenteeism hampers business productivity. In addition, 25% of corporate respondents said absenteeism hampers employee career growth.

However, there were notable decreases in the number of corporates who believed that community violence affects employee “presenteeism” (where staff are present at work but not focused due to distress), well-being and career growth.

RCS human resources executive Sandy Richardson said this softening may suggest that the impact is being underestimated or that businesses are adapting.

However, there was a 10% decline in the number of corporations who said they are actively taking steps to assist employees living in violent areas (from 72% in 2023 to 62% in 2024).

Richardson said that while businesses appeared to be doing less, many maintained consistent initiatives focused on staff transport, accommodation and counselling, including psychological and emotional support.