SA's GBV epidemic in numbers: Statistics reveal unprecedented crisis and catastrophic costs

As South Africa continues to grapple with gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, a crisis that can only be described as epidemic proportions, recent studies and crime statistics revealed the extent of the violence and its consequences on a national level.

Data confirms that GBV poses a threat to public health and the national economy, demanding urgent and comprehensive interventions.

Statistics from multiple studies paint a bleak picture of high victimisation and perpetration rates across the country.

Prevalence and femicide rates

Over half of women in South Africa (51%) report having experienced GBV. A recent Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) national study found that 33.1% of all women aged 18 years and older have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, translating to an estimated 7,310,389 women.

Furthermore, 9.9% of women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime, affecting an estimated 2,150,342 women. Overall, more than 35% of women over 18 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

Femicide rates in South Africa are five times higher than the global average.

The country held the fourth-highest female interpersonal violence death rate out of 183 countries listed by the WHO in 2016. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 5,578 women were killed, with femicide rising by a shocking 33.8% compared to the previous year.

Reported crime statistics indicate the violence against women and children. It is believed that vast amounts of incidents often go unreported:

From April 2023 to March 2024, 42,569 rape cases were reported. However, it is estimated that 95% of rape cases go unreported.

In the most recent reporting cycle (July to September 2024), 10,191 rapes were reported. A woman is murdered every three hours in South Africa. Daily, at least 15 women are murdered, and 117 women report rape cases to the police.

Between July and September 2024, 957 women were murdered, 1,567 survived attempted murders, and 14,366 experienced assaults resulting in grievous bodily harm.

Violence across vulnerable populations

The prevalence of GBV is intersectional, affecting several vulnerable groups differently, with violence often committed by partners, ex-partners, family members, or close friends:

Women and children

In the 2023–2024 period, 1,656 children were killed. Beyond physical and sexual violence, other forms of abuse are prevalent such as emotional and psychological abuse and economic abuse.

According to reports, one in four women have experienced emotional abuse, and more than 50% admit to experiencing controlling behaviours. This includes verbal insults, harassment, and coercion.

One in eight women over the age of 18 have experienced financial abuse, which is defined as the unreasonable deprivation of economic or financial resources.

Black African women

The HSRC study found that lifetime physical violence was significantly higher among Black African women compared to women of other race groups.

Dr Nompumelelo Zungu of the HSRC suggested that addressing the high level of victimisation and perpetration observed in Black communities requires difficult conversations regarding the historical impact of state-sponsored violence and the brutality of apartheid.

Women with disabilities

Women with disabilities face higher risks of lifetime GBV, with the risk increasing with the severity of the disability. Among ever-partnered women: Women with disabilities (29.3%) experienced overall lifetime physical abuse at a rate higher than women without disabilities (21.7%). They experienced twice as much sexual violence (14.6%) as women without disabilities (7.2%). They also faced higher rates of emotional abuse (31.9% compared to 24.2%) and economic abuse (16.3% compared to 12.8%).

Poverty and structural inequality are significant drivers, as women with disabilities are often exploited by caretakers and rely heavily on partners, increasing their vulnerability.

Older women

Older women (over the age of 60) in vulnerable township communities often face extreme violence. Abuse typically occurs in multigenerational settings, with perpetrators often being family members such as children and grandchildren. Financial abuse and physical abuse are the most common forms. Incestuous rape and sex trafficking are also common, though societal taboos discourage victims from reporting.

LGBTI+ Community

Members of the LGBTI+ community, particularly trans, lesbian, and other queer-identifying women, experience normalised and pervasive gendered violence and discrimination daily. They face intensified vulnerability due to rejection and abuse from family, partners, and religious communities, leading to challenges like homelessness and mental health issues.

How does GBV affect the rest of the country?

It's worth noting that GBV and femicide is everyone's issue and not just a passing trend or profile picture changes. 

Besides the human aspect, GBV constitutes a huge drain on South Africa’s economic resources. According to a conservative estimate by a KPMG report, the cost of GBV to the country ranges between R28.4-billion and R42.4-billion per year.

This staggering figure represents 0.9% to 1.3% of South Africa's annual GDP. To put this into context, this expenditure is equivalent to employing an additional 200,000 primary school teachers for a year, or providing National Health Insurance to a quarter of the South African population.

GBV also translates directly into a workplace issue, impacting the well-being and performance of employees.

Additionally, GBV is a major public health issue, with implications that often exceed other chronic health concerns:

Violence in women’s lives ranks higher than smoking, obesity, or high blood pressure as a contributor to death, disability, and illness.

Sexual and Reproductive Health: There are significant links between GBV and adverse health outcomes, including sexually transmitted disease, forced and unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortions, traumatic fistula, maternal morbidity and mortality, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and death.

HIV Risk: Women who have been physically or sexually abused are 50% more likely to acquire HIV in some regions of the world.

Mental Health: Female victims of violence experience severe psychological distress and challenges with mental health. The HSRC study specifically sought to determine the links between GBV victimisation and mental health and depression.

Poor Outcomes for Children: Women who have been physically or sexually abused are 16% more likely to have a low-birth-weight baby, and twice as likely to have an abortion.

Risk-Taking Behaviour: Victims exhibit risk-taking behaviours such as substance abuse, alcoholism, unhealthy feeding habits, and suicidal tendencies. GBV fundamentally prevents women from leading healthy and productive lives.

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