Crime at a Crossroads: SA Faces Global Organised Crime Squeeze

17 Dec 2025

JOHANNESBURG – As the world grapples with organised crime reshaping borders and economies, South Africa's position in the latest Global Organised Crime Index 2025 paints a stark picture of vulnerability amid shifting criminal tides. Titled "Crime at a Crossroads," the report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime warns of a duopoly dominating drug trafficking, surging non-violent crimes like counterfeiting, and resilience systems buckling under pressure – trends hitting home hard in Mzansi.​

Criminality indicators

South Africa ranks second in Africa for organised crime criminality with a score of 7.43 out of 10 in the 2025 Global Organised Crime Index, trailing only the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 7.47. Globally, we place seventh overall, reflecting increases from prior years (7.18 in 2023, 6.63 in 2021).​​

The country's resilience score stands at 5.67 out of 10, indicating low capacity to counter crime, consistent with 92.5% of African nations. This has slightly improved from 5.63 in 2023 but remains challenged by governance and judicial pressures.​

Top issues include financial crimes, human trafficking, non-renewable resource crimes, counterfeiting, and arms trafficking, with cybercrimes surging. State-embedded corruption and foreign networks exacerbate vulnerabilities.

Drug Duopoly Threatens SA Streets

The Index spotlights a global pivot where two major players now control drug flows, amplifying risks for transit hubs like South Africa. Our ports and borders, long exploited for heroin, cocaine, and synthetics, face intensified pressure as traffickers adapt to crackdowns elsewhere. Locally, this fuels gang wars in the Cape Flats and syndicate ops in Gauteng, demanding sharper interdiction and regional intel-sharing to stem the tide.​

Non-Violent Crimes Surge in Shaky Economy

Beyond bullets, the report flags booming counterfeits and cyber scams thriving in our unstable economy, piling burdens on already strained policing. From fake meds in townships to pirated goods flooding markets, these "invisible" threats erode jobs and tax revenue, while violent staples like extortion rackets persist. Resilience hangs by a thread, with judicial backlogs and patchy international cooperation hobbling responses.​

Path Forward: Boosting SA's Defences

Trajectories outlined urge containing criminality through fortified institutions, but state-embedded actors – corruption's hidden hand – block progress. For South Africa, this means tackling elite capture head-on, from state capture echoes to border graft. The Index's data appendix offers granular criminality and resilience metrics, a wake-up call for policymakers to invest in anti-corruption and cross-border pacts before the crossroads turns dire.

As Executive Director, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, notes, “…the trajectories of crime can be changed. The Index is both a record of vulnerabilities and a tool for solutions. By charting trends, risks and trajectories across every country, the Index provides a foundation for action to guide reforms, to strengthen institutions and to empower civil society. Its continuity across editions makes it possible to track change over time, offering not only a mirror of today's realities, but also a compass for the choices that lie ahead.” 

Adriaan Otto, Managing Director of Excellerate, comments: “What this report highlights is a shift in the nature of risk. Non-violent crimes such as counterfeiting, cybercrime, and organised extortion are harder to see, harder to prove, and often detected too late. In our experience, the organisations that cope best are those that treat security as a source of intelligence, not just manpower. Visibility, data, and rapid response are now as critical as physical presence.”

According to Otto, this shift has required a fundamental rethink of how security services are designed and delivered. “At Excellerate, we have built integrated operating systems that combine people, processes, and real-time intelligence. By centralising control, strengthening compliance monitoring, and using data to detect patterns and anomalies, we help clients move from isolated incidents to a clearer understanding of systemic risk.”

In an environment where crime is becoming more organised and less visible, Excellerate’s approach is grounded in intelligence, foresight, and disciplined execution.

Source: https://ocindex.net/