Tired of being tired - We need to be angry and informed
Rates of GBVF remain worryingly high, with 19,387 rapes reported in the period of April – September 2025. That is over 105 incidents of rape a day in those six months.
One woman is raped every 29 seconds in South Africa (SA).An Average of 15 women/girls are killed per day.
Rape Rates: During the early 2026 reporting period, the South African Police Service (SAPS) recorded 9,782 rape cases in just one quarter. This roughly equates to over 105 incidents of rape every day.
In 2024, 42,569 rapes and 7,418 cases of sexual assault were reported. That works out to over 116 rapes and 20 sexual assaults per day. This is just what is reported. It is unknown how many incidents of rape and sexual assault actually occurred.
South Africa holds the highest femicide rate globally, representing the most extreme form of GBV. According to the National GBV Study 2022 conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), more than 35% of South African women aged 18 and older have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the G20 Summit confirmed its status as a national disaster, undoubtedly as a result of the demands from civil society, led by Women For Change.
However, it is worth noting that this classification does not invoke emergency powers, but rather just “reinforces and strengthens” the systems already in place. These are systems however, that have not been implemented very well, something we lament about every time we talk about GBVF