Crime transcends boundaries, impacting Africa profoundly. Socio-economic disparities, including poverty and limited education access, drive individuals towards illicit activities for survival.

Some African cities face heightened dangers due to issues like drugs, kidnappings, and armed conflicts.

According to Numbeo's updated crime index, crime rates vary across cities, with densely populated regions witnessing higher frequencies than rural areas.

The crime rate is measured as the number of crimes per capita per year, often expressed as events per 100,000 persons.

Numbeo categorizes crime levels: 40-60 as moderate, 60-80 as high, and levels exceeding 80 as very high.

Below are the 10 African cities with the highest crime index at the start of 2024:

RankCityCountryCrime IndexGlobal rank1PretoriaSouth Africa81.82nd2DurbanSouth Africa80.93rd3JohannesburgSouth Africa80.74th4Port ElizabethSouth Africa77.08th5Cape TownSouth Africa73.516th6LagosNigeria68.027th7WindhoekNamibia67.630th8HarareZimbabwe61.057th9NairobiKenya59.167th10CasablancaMorocco54.493rd