Issued by Ismail Joosub on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 27/11/2025

South Africa faces a rapidly worsening organised crime crisis that now constitutes a direct threat to constitutional rights, economic stability and the rule of law. According to the 2025 Africa Organised Crime Index, the country ranks first in Southern Africa and second on the continent for criminality, with a score of 7,43 out of 10. The report, produced by ENACT ( a partnership between the Institute for Security Studies, Interpol and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime), identifies South Africa as a central hub for transnational criminal networks spanning human trafficking, extortion, cybercrime, wildlife trafficking, drugs and illegal mining.

These trends unfold despite South Africa having one of the most comprehensive anti-crime legal frameworks on the continent. The Constitution obliges the state under section 7(2) to “respect, protect, promote and fulfil” the rights to security of the person and freedom from violence (section 12), while Chapter 11 mandates the police to prevent, combat and investigate crime. Statutes such as the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 1998 (“POCA”), the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004 (“PRECCA”), the Trafficking in Persons Act of 2013, the Cybercrimes Act of 2020 and the Firearms Control Act of 2000 provide strong tools to fight criminal networks. Yet the Organised Crime Index notes that the “main challenge lies in implementation”.

The findings are stark: South Africa remains a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking, including sex trafficking, forced labour and child exploitation. Extortion and racketeering have expanded from major cities into smaller towns and public-service sectors. Major drug routes – from Afghan heroin via Mozambique to South African ports and cocaine shipments transiting Durban – continue to proliferate. Wildlife trafficking, illegal mining and counterfeit markets remain deeply entrenched, often enabled by corrupt officials.

“South Africa’s crime crisis is not merely an issue of policing, but rather a systemic failure of governance, accountability and coordination,” said Ismail Joosub, Manager of the Constitutional Advancement Programme. “A country cannot secure constitutional rights when criminal networks operate with greater speed, organisation and resources than the state.”

Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, added: “Our legal framework is sound, but it must be matched with operational capacity, professional policing and zero tolerance for corruption. Parliament must intensify oversight and specialised units must be adequately funded to dismantle these syndicates.”

The FW de Klerk Foundation calls for strengthened law-enforcement capacity, improved inter-agency coordination, transparency in anti-crime reporting and urgent implementation of the National Transnational Organised Crime Strategy. South Africa’s constitutional democracy depends on ensuring that criminal networks do not outpace the institutions mandated to protect the public.