Swellendam, nestled in the foothills of the Langeberg Mountains, is dealing with crime levels last seen more than a decade ago.
Crime in the Swellendam police precinct has increased 23.5% over 3 years. Criminal activity is also up in the municipality’s other police precincts.
Crime in Barrydale is up 34.9% and in Suurbraak 12%.
But what’s behind this record-breaking crime spree?
283-year-old town reeling from crime
Founded in 1743, Swellendam, a farming community in the Overberg, is falling victim to a common culprit in the Western Cape: drugs.
Swellendam doesn’t have the poverty levels present in other Overberg municipalities.
In Swellendam, most households live in formal dwellings and have access to formal ablution facilities.
Only 5.79% of the local municipality’s 47 114 people receive a Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. To qualify, the grant’s beneficiaries must live below the Food Poverty Line (FPL).
Theewaterskloof is the only Overberg local municipality where the percentage of beneficiaries is lower. Only 4.59% of residents in Theewaterskloof receive the grant.
In the Overstrand, 6.42% of residents receive the grant, and in Cape Agulhas, 8.2%.
The level of beneficiaries points to unemployment among working-age adults who could otherwise find work.
In Swellendam, the data suggests crime may not be linked to poverty but to drug dependence.
Drug-related crime has had the largest increase across multiple police precincts in Swellendam.
In Barrydale, for example, drug-related crime increased by 52% in the year ending March 2026.
In Swellendam, drug-related crime rose 44.6% over the same 12-month period.
In the first quarter, drug crime continued this trend, rising by 47.7% in Swellendam.
Drug crimes have a trickle-down effect, bringing with them a host of other crimes as dealers fight over territory and users support their habit.
In the full-year data, common and serious assault are increasing, as are residential burglaries.
In the year ending March 2026, theft rose 33.2% from the same period the year before. Common assault rose 30.8% and serious assault 26.7%.
While residential burglaries rose 41.3% over 12 months, they declined by 18.2% in the first quarter.
Record-Breaking Crime
In the year ending March 2026, crime in Swellendam’s largest police precinct reached a 10-year peak.
The last time crime was this bad in the town was in the year ending March 2015.
In the first quarter of this year, crime rose 8.2% in the Swellendam police precinct.
If crime continues its first-quarter trend, the Swellendam police precinct could reach record-breaking levels by March 2027.
In Barrydale, the situation isn’t as severe.
Crime peaked in the Barrydale police precinct in the year ending March 2016.
March 2026 data shows the town still reports 13.5% fewer crimes than at its peak.
However, crime isn’t under control in Suurbraak.
The town has had two record-breaking years in the past five years.