South Africa Security Situation Overview – November 2024
Researcher No. 006
According to the monitoring report of the security officer of Hanwei International stationed in South Africa and related media reports, our company has obtained information on nearly a hundred various security incidents, among which murder, kidnapping, theft/robbery and other incidents occur frequently. Moreover, the instability of the domestic political and economic situation is also surging beneath the surface, posing a great threat to the lives and property of Chinese citizens in South China and personnel of Chinese-funded enterprises.
Hanwei International's analysis suggests that the overall social security situation in South Africa this month is not optimistic. The crime problem remains very serious, among which violent incidents targeting Chinese people occur frequently. This month, several hot events in South Africa have sparked widespread public discussion. Besides the highly controversial operation against illegal mining, our company has particularly observed the escalation of the business crisis in small stores. South Africa has declared a state of national disaster due to the food safety crisis in small stores. The upgrade of prepaid electricity meters in South Africa has sparked public panic. Does the less electricity used, the higher the payment? In addition, social security incidents occur frequently. The murder rate in South Africa remains high, accompanied by barrier robberies and car-smashing robberies. "Mafia-style" attacks further affect the development of enterprises. Moreover, our company has tracked down multiple kidnapping cases of Chinese people this month. The Chinese community in South Africa is in a state of panic. On October 28 local time, the South African Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Johannesburg has become the host city for the 2025 G20 Leaders' Summit. However, according to information from the well-known data website Numbeo in October 2024, Johannesburg's crime index is as high as 80.84, while its safety index is only 19.16. As the economic, cultural and tourism center of South Africa, Johannesburg can be regarded as a microcosm of the entire country. Crime and security work remains the top priority of the United Government of South Africa.
Figure 1 Johannesburg
First, food poisoning in South Africa has become a national disaster, and the Eskom electricity bill reform has put a heavy burden on low-power-consuming families.
On November 11th local time, a serious food safety crisis broke out in Gauteng Province recently. There were 441 recorded suspected poisoning cases, which led to at least 22 deaths, most of whom were children aged 3 to 10. On November 3rd, a 10-year-old girl in Alexandra, Johannesburg, tragically died after consuming snacks from a local small store. Her mother and 4-year-old brother were also sent to the hospital due to severe poisoning symptoms and were in critical condition. This incident has aroused great indignation among the local community members. Residents gathered in front of the small store where the incident occurred (see Figure 2), attempting to rush into the store to destroy all the goods. The scene was extremely tense. The local police promptly dispatched personnel to stand guard at the scene. On November 18th, members of a civil society organization gathered at the Soweto Civic Center to prevent foreigners from registering small stores, claiming that these stores could not only cause food poisoning but also take over local people's business. These members not only blocked the entrance to the citizens' center but also threw bottles at some vehicles suspected of belonging to foreigners, causing chaos at the scene. In response to this food poisoning crisis, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that all small stores and food processing facilities must complete re-registration within 21 days.
South Africa's national electricity company (Eskom) recently announced its 2025/2026 retail electricity price plan, preparing to make disruptive adjustments to household electricity charges. The new electricity bill structure plan is expected to increase fixed charges and implement a uniform electricity rate, which means that electricity bills for small and middle-income households will rise significantly, while high-power-consuming users will save on electricity expenses due to the elimination of tiered electricity pricing. During the process of Eskom promoting prepaid electricity meters, residents queued up for the meter upgrade service. However, due to insufficient information notification and poor on-site management, the entire queuing environment was "without water and sanitation facilities", "This is one of the most inhumane ways the government has treated its citizens", etc. Among them, a 59-year-old man even fainted suddenly while queuing and unfortunately died. This incident has further aroused public doubts and anger about the electricity meter upgrade plan.
Figure 2 shows a crowd gathering at the entrance of a small store
Second, "Mafia-style" attacks are rampant. How can Chinese enterprises break through the siege?
On November 6th, the South African Competition Commission announced that it proposed to approve the acquisition of the water heating business of Swedish multinational Home appliance manufacturer Electrolux in South Africa by China's Haier Smart Home company for nearly 2.5 billion rand. This marks that China's Haier will further expand its development in the African market.
With Chinese companies investing and doing business in South Africa, security issues in South Africa have always been a major difficulty for their safe operation.Recently, the construction and water tanker "Mafia" in South Africa has run amass, extorting profits from construction projects and monopolizing water supply through violent means, which not only seriously affects the normal operation of enterprises, but also threatens the basic life of communities. The police disclosed that over 200 construction extortion incidents have been reported in South Africa in 2024, with more than half in the Eastern Cape Province, followed by the Western Cape, Gauden and Kwazulu-Natal provinces. On November 19th, the National Construction Summit was held in Durban. At the summit, Police Minister McHunu stated that since 2019, more than 180 construction projects with a total value of up to 63 billion rand have been forced to suspend due to the violent extortion by the "Construction Mafia". These criminal gangs not only demand project funds but also directly break into the project site when their goals are not achieved, seriously hindering the construction progress and further scaring away private investors. Recently, a new type of "Mafia-style" criminal group has set its sights on freight and distribution enterprises, frequently launching attacks on delivery vehicles, with no one spared, from express packages to large goods. Tracker South Africa data shows that in the first half of 2024, the possibility of corporate commercial vehicles being hijacked in the Eastern Cape region was 43% higher than that of private vehicles. Facing these escalating "Mafia-style" attacks, South African enterprises are undergoing a test of survival.
Figure 3 Haier Group
Thirdly, social security incidents occur frequently, and Chinese people are often attacked.
Murder: According to the latest crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS), as of September this year, more than 19,000 murder cases have been recorded across the country, which means an average of 70 cases per day. The murder cases tracked this month mainly occurred in the Western Cape Province. Recently, due to the homeless population rectification work carried out in the urban area of Cape Town, most people have moved to the Belleville area, and criminal activities in this area have increased. From November 3rd to 4th, multiple shooting incidents occurred in several areas of Cape Town, resulting in 6 deaths and 3 injuries. All the victims died from fatal gunshot wounds. On November 3rd, Cape Town gang boss and businessman Mark Lifman was shot dead in the parking lot of Garden Road Shopping Center. The murderer then fled in a white Volkswagen Polo with a CY license plate. On November 8th, a 40-year-old Chinese man was shot and murdered in a tavern in the center of Belleville, north of Cape Town, and unfortunately died. He had multiple gunshot wounds. At that time, the victim was accompanied by a security guard to the restroom. But just as the security guard entered the restroom and turned on the light, the victim was already lying in a pool of blood.
Robbery:Recently, there have been frequent cases of barrier robbery on the N1 highway in South Africa, especially in the Bella Bella area. Criminals set up roadblocks on the road surface to force drivers to stop, and then carry out violent attacks such as robbery and even shooting. On November 18th, it was reported that through the joint operation of Limpopo - Northwest Province - Gauteng Province, five suspects involved in the violent robbery on the road have been successfully arrested. On November 19th, a driver was robbed on a section of the road in Marianhill, Kwazulu-Natal Province. The Hyundai H1 truck he was driving and all the household appliances it was fully loaded with were looted. Recently, cases of car smashing and robbery have also shown a significant upward trend. Johannesburg and Cape Town are key high-incidence areas. Such incidents usually occur when vehicles are parked at red lights or in traffic jams. Criminals will quickly smash the car Windows, snatch the conspicuous valuable items inside the vehicle, and then flee the scene.
Kidnapping：On November 4th, the Mpumalanga police arrested two men who were suspected of kidnapping and robbing a German tourist. The German tourist was attacked and injured immediately after withdrawing money from an ATM at a gas station. On September 30th, a 46-year-old Chinese businesswoman in Kokstad (100 kilometers from Durban) was kidnapped while closing her store. During the kidnapping, the suspect repeatedly demanded a ransom of up to 1.5 million rand. As of November 11th, the victim, who had been kidnapped for over a month, has been successfully rescued. On November 13th, in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, a 47-year-old male Chinese businessman was forcibly kidnapped into a white Ford by three kidnappers while opening a store and taken away.
Hanwei International suggests that Chinese-funded enterprises and individuals in South Africa should focus on the following precautions:
First, always keep an eye on information related to protests and demonstrations and avoid going to areas near the border with Mozambique.Recently, a number of hot events have occurred across South Africa, ranging from the crackdown on illegal mining to the escalation of business crises in small stores and the upgrade of prepaid electricity meters in South Africa, which have frequently aroused the anger of local people. It is suggested that Chinese people in South Africa learn about relevant information in advance and stay away from protest and demonstration sites to avoid violent conflicts. Meanwhile, as the post-election protests in Mozambique continue to escalate, all transportation routes between South Africa and Mozambique have been completely disrupted, and the border crossings have fallen into chaos. It is recommended not to travel to the areas near the Mozambique border unless necessary.
Second, business operation safety involves many aspects, and it is essential to take safety precautions in advance.Nowadays, "Mafia-style" violent attacks are rampant in multiple industries, and even in other industries, they are on the rise. It is suggested that Chinese enterprises in South Africa install solid physical protective facilities such as doors and Windows, guardrails, and anti-theft locks. Hire professional security companies or well-trained security personnel to be responsible for patrolling around the enterprise facilities, access control management and other tasks. Actively establish good communication channels with local government departments, the police and private security companies. When encountering gang blackmail and extortion, remain calm, try to preserve relevant evidence and report to the local police in a timely manner.
Third, small business owners and individuals should enhance their safety awareness.The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Johannesburg has issued relevant reminders, which suggest that overseas Chinese business stores in relatively independent or remote areas should pay attention to strengthening security precautions during the morning and evening opening and closing hours. Measures such as installing iron gates, hiring regular security guards, and concentrating personnel to open and close stores should be taken to strictly prevent being robbed or tied up during this period. Pay close attention to the security situation near the workplace, residence and travel destination; Adjust business hours and travel routes appropriately, be vigilant against following suspicious individuals and vehicles, and do not store or carry large amounts of cash or valuable items at business premises or residences to avoid being targeted by criminals.
