What Are The Latest Statistics on Domestic Violence in South Africa?

South Africa’s domestic violence statistics are consistently among the worst recorded anywhere in the world. The most reliable national measurement instrument — the Statistics South Africa Victims of Crime Survey — found that in 2022/23, a spouse or intimate partner was the perpetrator in 16,4% of all assaults reported by victims, and a relative or other household member in a further 27,9%. In other words, well over four in ten assaults in South Africa happen inside a domestic relationship. The widely quoted research estimates that roughly a quarter of adult South African women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and that intimate partners are responsible for around half of all women murdered here, sit on top of that baseline. All of these numbers are measured against a single legal framework: the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, substantially rewritten by the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 14 of 2021, which came into operation on 14 April 2023.

The Statistic That Frames Every Other Number: Lifetime IPV Prevalence

The figure most often quoted in South African policy debate is that roughly one in four adult women — commonly rendered as 25% to 27% — have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lives. It originates in household survey and epidemiological work rather than in police records, and it is repeated across Human Sciences Research Council reviews, World Health Organization regional prevalence work, and government media statements.

Two cautions matter when using it. First, it is a lifetime prevalence figure, not an annual incidence figure — it is not comparable to a SAPS crime count for a given year. Second, the exact percentage shifts between survey waves and between methodologies, so the specific wave being relied on should always be named. The peer-reviewed baseline most frequently cited in the older literature was a Gauteng-based study; subsequent national work has carried the same order of magnitude to the country as a whole. Read alongside the WHO’s finding that the African region carries some of the highest lifetime IPV exposure in the world, South Africa’s figure is not an outlier within its region — it is characteristic of it.

Femicide: How Often Domestic Violence Ends in Death

The femicide statistic is the one that most sharply distinguishes South Africa internationally. The estimate reproduced across government communications and academic reviews is that intimate partners are responsible for approximately half — around 51% — of women murdered in South Africa, against a global average in the region of 11% for intimate-partner femicide specifically. Even allowing for definitional differences between studies (some count all family-related killings, others only current or former intimate partners), the gap between the South African proportion and the international benchmark is large and durable across successive studies.

Femicide is not a separate phenomenon from IPV; it is its endpoint. The risk markers identified in the research literature are the same ones that drive non-fatal IPV:

• A documented history of prior abuse in the same relationship
• Separation, or the complainant’s stated intention to leave
• Firearm access by the respondent
• Prior strangulation or serious assault
• Financial dependence limiting the complainant’s ability to leave

This is why the Domestic Violence Act empowers a court, under section 7(2)(a)(i) read with section 9, to order the seizure of any weapon in the possession or under the control of a respondent when granting a protection order. The statistical risk profile is written directly into the statutory remedy.

Stats SA Tracking Instruments and What They Actually Measure

South Africa runs two parallel measurement systems, and confusing them is the single commonest error in reporting on this topic.

Instrument	Publisher	What it captures	Principal limitation
Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS) / Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS)	Statistics South Africa	Self-reported victimisation from a national household sample, including incidents never reported to police, plus perpetrator relationship	Sample sizes for sensitive crimes such as sexual offences are too small for reliable disaggregation; Stats SA itself flags these as under-reported within the survey
Quarterly crime statistics	South African Police Service	Cases actually opened with SAPS — murder, attempted murder, assault GBH, common assault, sexual offences	Counts only what is reported; systematically understates domestic violence

The Stats SA Victims of Crime Survey 2022/23 gives the clearest picture of the reporting gap. An estimated 265 000 individuals aged 16 and older experienced psychological violence in a total of 1,3 million incidences — and only about 31% of those victims reported any of it to the police. Females were more likely than males to experience it, and the incidence peaked in February, April and December. For assault, 68 000 households experienced 85 000 incidences, with 53,7% reporting some or all of them. For sexual offences, the individual reporting rate fell from 88,0% in 2018/19 to 56% in 2022/23.

The practical consequence: a police statistic on domestic violence is a measure of reporting behaviour as much as it is a measure of violence. Any credible analysis has to read SAPS quarterly data and Stats SA survey data together — never either one alone.

Reported Crime: What SAPS Data Shows and What It Misses

SAPS publishes quarterly crime statistics with breakdowns for murder, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault, and sexual offences, including disaggregation for offences against women and children. These releases are the authoritative record of cases in the criminal justice system.

What they cannot show is the volume of violence that never reaches a charge office. The reasons complainants give for not reporting are consistent across survey waves: fear of retaliation, financial dependence on the respondent, family or community pressure, and a belief that the police will not act. The Act now addresses the last of these directly — section 2 imposes a duty on SAPS members at the scene of a domestic violence incident to assist the complainant and inform them of their rights, section 3 permits a peace officer to arrest a respondent without a warrant where an offence is reasonably suspected, and section 2B creates a positive duty on any adult who knows or reasonably suspects that domestic violence has been committed against a child, a person with a disability or an older person to report it to a social worker or to SAPS.

What Changed After COVID-19

The hard lockdown period of April to June 2020 produced the sharpest documented spike in gender-based violence reporting in recent South African history — a pattern UN Women described globally as the “shadow pandemic”. Call volumes to the national GBV Command Centre and shelter admissions both rose steeply, and, critically, neither returned to the pre-pandemic baseline afterwards. The Command Centre (0800 428 428) was expanded during this period and remains the single national referral pathway into SAPS, Department of Social Development emergency accommodation, and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Thuthuzela Care Centres. The policy consequence was the framing of GBV as a national crisis rather than a private matter — the framing that underpins the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and the provincial plans of action rolled out beneath it.

The Legal Framework Underlying These Numbers

Five statutes carry the substantive law that these statistics describe:

• Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 — the principal Act. Assented to on 20 November 1998 and in operation since 15 December 1999, it creates the protection order regime and imposes duties on SAPS.
• Domestic Violence Amendment Act 14 of 2021 — in operation from 14 April 2023 (Proclamation R117, Government Gazette 48419). It rewrote the definition of domestic violence, broadened “domestic relationship”, introduced the domestic violence safety monitoring notice (section 4A), and created an integrated electronic repository for protection orders (section 6A, still to be proclaimed).
• Judicial Matters Amendment Act 15 of 2023 — further amended the Act with effect from 3 April 2024.
• Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 — governs sexual offences, including those committed within marriage.
• Protection from Harassment Act 17 of 2011 — covers harmful conduct where there is no “domestic relationship” as the DVA defines it. Section 1(3)(a) of the DVA expressly preserves a complainant’s right to seek relief under this Act.

Maintenance and parenting remedies frequently run alongside a protection order and are governed by the Maintenance Act 99 of 1998 and the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. Section 5(1A) of the DVA allows a court considering a protection order application to direct an investigation by a Family Advocate under the Mediation in Certain Divorce Matters Act 24 of 1987, or by a designated social worker under section 47 of the Children’s Act, where a child is affected.

What the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 Actually Provides

Since the 2021 amendment came into force, “domestic violence” is statutorily defined to include physical abuse; sexual abuse; emotional, verbal or psychological abuse; economic abuse; intimidation; harassment; sexual harassment; related person abuse; spiritual abuse; damage to property; elder abuse; coercive behaviour; controlling behaviour; exposing a child to domestic violence; and unlawful entry into the complainant’s residence, workplace or place of study — plus any other intimidating, threatening, abusive, degrading, offensive or humiliating behaviour that harms the complainant or creates a reasonable belief that harm may follow.

The procedural spine of the Act runs as follows:

1. Section 4 — application. Any complainant may apply ex parte, in the prescribed form, lodged with the clerk of the court or submitted electronically. Urgent applications outside ordinary court hours may go directly to the court. If the complainant is unrepresented, the clerk must explain the available relief and the right to also lay a criminal charge.
2. Section 5 — interim protection order. Where there is prima facie evidence of domestic violence, resulting or potential harm, and the order is immediately necessary, the court must issue an interim order even though the respondent has had no notice. The order calls on the respondent to show cause on a return date why it should not be made final.
3. Section 6 — final protection order, granted after the return date.
4. Section 7 — terms. The court may prohibit further acts of domestic violence, bar the respondent from a shared residence (where it is in the complainant’s best interests), from the complainant’s residence, and from their workplace or place of study, and may prohibit disclosure of specified electronic communications.
5. Section 8 — warrant of arrest issued together with the protection order, to be executed if the order is breached.
6. Section 17 — offences. Contravening any prohibition, condition or obligation imposed under section 7 is a criminal offence.

Section 12 sets jurisdiction more broadly than is generally assumed: any court in the area where the complainant or the respondent permanently or temporarily resides, studies, carries on business or is employed — or where the cause of action arose — may grant a protection order. Section 14 confirms that a complainant may be legally represented, and section 10 governs variation or setting aside of an existing order.

How This Works in Practice in Gauteng

The Act applies uniformly nationally, but the practical entry point is the Magistrate’s Court, not the High Court — protection order applications in Gauteng are heard at the district Magistrate’s Courts serving Johannesburg, Randburg, Pretoria, the East Rand and the West Rand. Because section 12 also allows filing where the complainant works or studies, a person who has moved away from the respondent for safety reasons is not locked into the court nearest the shared home. Complainants may bring the application themselves; representation matters most where the application is contested on the return date, or where the protection order sits alongside a divorce, maintenance claim or parenting dispute. Burger Huyser Attorneys’ Family Law Department — headed by Director Anna-Mi Nel, with branches in Linden/Randburg, Midrand, Sandton, Roodepoort, Bedfordview, Alberton, Pretoria (Menlyn) and Centurion — handles protection order applications and the related interdicts, maintenance and parenting matters that commonly run with them.

Reporting and Safety Pathways

Need	Pathway	Contact
Immediate danger or an incident in progress	SAPS emergency, or the nearest police station	10111
Referral, counselling, shelter placement	National GBV Command Centre (24 hours)	0800 428 428 / SMS 31531
Crisis counselling	National Crisis Line	0800 567 567
Sexual offence — medical, forensic and prosecutorial support in one facility	NPA Thuthuzela Care Centres	Referral via SAPS or the Command Centre
Emergency accommodation	Department of Social Development and accredited shelters	Referral via the Command Centre
Protection order	Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court (no filing fee)	Court with jurisdiction under section 12

South African Legal Remedies Side by Side

Mechanism	Where to apply	What it does	Best fit
Protection order — Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998	Magistrate’s Court with jurisdiction under section 12	Restrains further domestic violence; interim order available the same day; warrant of arrest attaches	Current or former intimate partner, family member, or other “domestic relationship”
Protection order — Protection from Harassment Act 17 of 2011	Magistrate’s Court	Restrains harassing conduct, including by strangers or non-domestic contacts	Where no DVA domestic relationship exists
Maintenance order — Maintenance Act 99 of 1998	Maintenance Court	Compels financial support for a spouse or child	Where economic dependence is part of the abuse
Criminal prosecution	SAPS / National Prosecuting Authority	Charges under the Sexual Offences Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, or section 17 of the DVA for breach of an order	Sexual offences, serious or repeated assault, breach of a protection order

What Is Changing in 2026 and Beyond

Three things are worth watching. First, implementation of the 2021 amendment provisions is now the live policy question rather than the law itself — arrest at the scene, risk-informed bail consideration, and the functionaries’ obligations under sections 2A and 2B are all measured through SAPS and Department of Justice monitoring data. Second, section 6A’s integrated electronic repository for protection orders is still awaiting proclamation; once operational, it should materially improve enforcement across court districts, because an order granted in one district is currently not visible to a police officer in another. Third, resourcing for shelters, Thuthuzela Care Centres, the Command Centre and SAPS victim-friendly rooms remains uneven between provinces, and that unevenness is the practical determinant of whether the statutory remedy is available in fact rather than only on paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, and does the 2021 amendment change anything for current victims?

The Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 is the principal statute providing protection orders against intimate partners, family members and other parties in a domestic relationship. The Domestic Violence Amendment Act 14 of 2021, in force since 14 April 2023, expanded the definition of domestic violence to include economic abuse, spiritual abuse, elder abuse, sexual harassment, coercive behaviour, controlling behaviour and exposing a child to domestic violence, and broadened the “domestic relationship” definition through a “close relationship” test based on trust, dependence, length of relationship, frequency of contact and degree of intimacy. The practical effect is that conduct falling outside the Act before 2023 can now be raised on a protection order application.

What is the latest Stats SA figure for intimate partner violence in South Africa?

The Statistics South Africa Victims of Crime Survey 2022/23 found that a spouse or intimate partner was the perpetrator in 16,4% of assaults reported by victims, with a relative or other household member responsible for a further 27,9%. On lifetime exposure, the figure most commonly cited in South African research and government communication is that roughly a quarter to just over a quarter of adult women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence. The exact figure shifts between survey waves, so the most recent Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey release should always be cited for the current number.

Why is the South African femicide rate so high relative to the global average?

Because the same risk factors that drive intimate partner violence prevalence in South Africa are present at high levels. The research literature identifies prior abuse in the relationship, separation, firearm access, prior strangulation or serious assault, and financial dependence as the strongest individual risk markers, with socio-economic inequality and a legacy of political violence cited as population-level factors. The commonly quoted estimate is that intimate partners are responsible for around half of women murdered in South Africa, against a global average of roughly 11%.

Where does a victim apply for a protection order, and how urgent is the process?

At the Magistrate’s Court. Section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act gives jurisdiction to any court in the area where the complainant or the respondent resides, studies, carries on business or is employed, or where the cause of action arose. The application is made ex parte, lodged with the clerk of the court or submitted electronically, and urgent applications outside ordinary court hours may go directly to the court. Under section 5, where there is prima facie evidence of domestic violence and an order is immediately necessary, the court must issue an interim protection order on the day, before the respondent has been given notice. There is no filing fee.

Does a person have to leave the home for a protection order to be useful?

No. Under section 7(1) of the Domestic Violence Act the court may prohibit the respondent from entering a shared residence, or a specified part of it, where this appears to be in the complainant’s best interests, and may prohibit the respondent from preventing a complainant who ordinarily lives there from entering or remaining in the shared residence. The order can also bar the respondent from the complainant’s workplace or place of study, and where a child is affected the court may direct an investigation by a Family Advocate or a designated social worker under section 5(1A).

Can an unmarried partner or a person in a same-sex relationship get a protection order?

Yes. The Domestic Violence Act is gender-neutral and does not require marriage or cohabitation. The 2021 amendment broadened the “domestic relationship” definition and introduced a “close relationship” test, under which a court weighs the degree of trust between the parties, each person’s dependence on and commitment to the other, how long the relationship has existed, how frequently the parties have contact, and the degree of intimacy between them. Dating relationships and same-sex partnerships fall within the Act on that basis.

What is the national GBV helpline, and when should it be used?

The national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre operates 24 hours on 0800 428 428, or by SMS to 31531 where a caller cannot safely speak. It is a referral pathway into SAPS, Department of Social Development emergency accommodation and shelters, and the National Prosecuting Authority’s Thuthuzela Care Centres. It does not replace SAPS on 10111 for an emergency in progress. The National Crisis Line is 0800 567 567.

Does the Police Service have a legal duty to act on a domestic violence complaint?

Yes. Section 2 of the Domestic Violence Act obliges a SAPS member at the scene of a domestic violence incident, or as soon as reasonably possible afterwards, to assist the complainant and inform them of their rights. Section 3 permits a peace officer to arrest a respondent without a warrant where an act of domestic violence constituting an offence is reasonably suspected, and section 8 provides for a warrant of arrest issued together with the protection order, to be executed on breach. Contravening a term of a protection order is itself an offence under section 17. The 2021 amendment strengthened these enforcement provisions and added obligations for other functionaries under sections 2A and 2B.

If these statistics describe a situation at home, the first steps are free: SAPS on 10111 if you are in danger, or the National GBV Command Centre on 0800 428 428 (SMS “Help” to 31531) for referral to shelters, counselling and Thuthuzela Care Centres. A protection order application costs nothing to lodge and does not require an attorney.

Where a protection order sits alongside a divorce, a maintenance claim or a parenting dispute — or where the application is going to be contested on the return date — the Family Law Department at Burger Huyser Attorneys handles protection order applications, related interdicts, and the family law matters that commonly run with them. The firm practises from its head office at 49 First Avenue, Linden, Randburg (011 888 0246) and from branch offices across Gauteng: Midrand, Sandton, Roodepoort, Bedfordview, Alberton, Pretoria (Menlyn) and Centurion. Burger Huyser Attorneys holds a 4,8/5 average across 250+ Google reviews (Trustindex verified — “Top Rated Law Firm in South Africa”). Contact the family law team through the branch closest to you.