Kidnapping in South Africa: Why “It Will Never Happen to Me” Is the Most Dangerous Lie You Can Tell Yourself

South Africa faces a kidnapping crisis, with over 51 abductions daily. No one is immune. Victims come from all walks of life. Don’t believe “it won’t happen to me.” Prepare, assess, and protect.

1. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 1 of 4

Kidnapping in South Africa: Why “It Will Never Happen
to Me” Is the Most Dangerous Lie You Can Tell Yourself

South Africa is in the grip of a kidnapping epidemic, and it’s only getting worse. In 2025 alone,
thousands of lives have been shattered by abductions, leaving families traumatized and
communities in fear. The numbers are staggering, the victims diverse, and the consequences
devastating. Yet too many people still believe the myth: “It won’t happen to me.”
At Alwinco, we want to make one thing absolutely clear: No one is immune. If you’ve had a
Security Risk Assessment done, now is the time to revisit it.
A Growing Crisis in 2025
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), 4,748 kidnappings were reported
between October and December 2024. That’s an average of 51 people abducted per day.


VAT: 4920248509 CK 2006/029993/23 Alwinco cc
Cell: 062 341 3419
Durban: 061 384 0570
Cape Town: 061 613 2380
Fax: [phone]
Landline: 087 148 8615
https://za.linkedin.com/in/andremundell
[email protected]
www.alwinco.co.za
PSIRA 2038881
Reference# 25/08/0414:17:47
Reasoning with crime is Futile. I remind myself daily: crime can’t be undone.
2025-08-0414:17:47

2. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 2 of 4
Gauteng leads the statistics with 2,499 cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (901) and the Western
Cape (275). In the 2023/2024 fiscal year, 17,061 kidnappings were recorded (a 264% increase
over the past decade). All signs indicate that 2025 will match or exceed this horrifying trend.
This is no longer a problem limited to high-profile individuals or international visitors. The victims
are ordinary people. People like you.
• Josh Sullivan, an American missionary, was abducted at gunpoint during a church
service in Motherwell, Eastern Cape, in April 2025. He was rescued five days later in a
high-stakes shootout.
• Zahraa and Bataviya Mohammed, two teenage cousins in Brits, were kidnapped outside
their school and narrowly rescued by police.
• In Gauteng, John Shabangu was forced into the trunk of a car, with R20,000 drained from
his bank account.
• A Chinese businessman was abducted in Delft, with his case still under investigation.
And these are just the cases that made the news. Thousands more go unreported, leaving behind
silent victims and traumatized families.

Who’s at Risk? Everyone.
While organized syndicates still target high-net-worth individuals, the reality is that middle- and
lower-income South Africans are just as vulnerable, often even more so. “Express kidnappings”
for quick cash via ATM withdrawals are common, accounting for a massive chunk of cases.
• 44% of kidnappings are linked to hijackings.
• 22% are tied to robberies.
• Women and children make up 85% of victims.
Hotspots include areas like Vosloorus, Thembisa, Midrand, Gqwberha, Umlazi, and Inanda, but
no region is truly safe. Even the quiet Northern Cape recorded over 40 kidnappings in late 2024.
Criminals strike anywhere there is opportunity and complacency.
I know we often hear about hijackings too, but today I want to focus mainly on kidnapping,
because it's growing faster than most people realize.
Now, what exactly is kidnapping? It’s when someone takes another person and demands money
(or something valuable) in return. Sometimes, it starts as a hijacking. They might stop your car
with a gun, like a normal hijacking, but instead of just taking your car or phone, they take you or a
family member. That’s when it becomes a form kidnapping.
Many people think, “It won’t happen to me.” Maybe you’ve said that too. You might think, “We
don’t have money,” or “I’m just a normal person.” But here’s the truth: the criminal doesn’t care

3. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 3 of 4
who you are or what you think. They're just looking for an opportunity. Any chance to make quick
money. And sadly, kidnapping gives them that chance.
What makes kidnapping so risky is that it’s not just about money. If the person who gets
kidnapped sees the kidnapper’s face, they could recognize them later. That makes it even more
dangerous, and we can't pretend it’s not serious.
So, what can we do about it?
Well, here's where we start: talk about it. When was the last time you and your family sat down
together and had a real conversation about kidnapping? Not just watching something on TV, but
actually discussing what you’d do if it happened?
If you’ve ever had an independent security risk assessment done for your home or family’s safety,
go back to that report. Open it up. There’s usually a section that talks about kidnapping, maybe
more than one. Read every word carefully. And if there’s something you don’t understand, ask the
risk assessor. Email them, phone them, whatever it takes. Say, “On this page, there’s something
about kidnapping that I don’t get. Can you please explain it?”
Your Security Risk Assessment is not a formality; it’s a strategic, criminal-minded evaluation of
your vulnerabilities. It’s there to help you anticipate and prevent threats, not just react to them.
That’s your first step in protecting yourself and your loved ones: getting informed. Knowledge is
power, especially when it comes to crimes like kidnapping.
I’m not going to go into all the scary things that can happen during a kidnapping, especially since
this message is for everyone, including younger people. But what I really want you to understand
is this:
Kidnapping is real.
It happens more than we think. And it can happen to anyone. Criminals don’t only go after rich
people. If they think you might have something valuable, they’ll take the risk. They even use other
people to help carry it out. That’s why we all need to be aware, prepared, and educated.
So please, talk with your family. Read your security risk report. Ask questions. Learn what you
can. Because the more you understand, the better your chances of staying safe.
Speak the Same Security Language
In a kidnapping situation, every second matters. Panic can be deadly, but a prepared family
speaks a shared security language, including:
• Clear protocols: Know your safe words, emergency contacts, and who to call first.
• Suspicion awareness: Be able to identify unusual behavior, like repeated sightings of
unknown vehicles or people.
• Crisis communication: Know how to quietly alert help without putting the victim in more
danger.

4. PSIRA 2038881
Intellectual Property Notice – Alwinco
This document and its contents are intended solely for the recipient. All rights are fully protected.
No part of this publication, including text, images, reports, or assessments, may be copied, stored, resold, or shared by any means without prior written consent from Alwinco.
Unauthorized use, distribution, or modification of Alwinco’s assessment materials is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Page 4 of 4
Discuss it. Drill it. Don’t wait for chaos to test your family’s ability to respond.
South Africa’s kidnapping surge is a loud and urgent wake-up call. Thinking “it won’t happen to
me” is not just naïve, it’s dangerous. Criminals don’t discriminate; they look for people who are
distracted, unprepared, and routine-driven.
At Alwinco, we’ve seen time and time again how preparedness saves lives. That’s why we urge
every South African to review their risk assessment, prioritize the kidnapping section, and get
their family security-ready.
If you haven’t had a security risk assessment done yet; don’t wait. Prevention always costs less
than reaction.
Please note that, in order to prevent criminals from staying up to date with the latest security
measures, we cannot publicly disclose all our prevention methods online.
For more information on security and Security Risk Assessments specifically, please visit
Alwinco's website.

Alwinco Team
[email protected]