Trialogue conducts annual research into CSI spend on each development sector in South Africa. In 2023, 68 large companies participated in Trialogue’s primary research survey. According to the research, safety and security were supported by 13% of companies and received 1% of average CSI expenditure.
National context of safety and security in South Africa
- The peace and security budget increased from R220.7 billion in 2022/23 to R227.3 billion in 2023/24, constituting 10.2% of the consolidated government expenditure of R2.24 trillion for the year. Of this, police services received R112.1 billion, defence and state security R52.7 billion, law courts and prisons R51.4 billion and home affairs R11.1 billion.
- The global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylisted South Africa in February 2023, which means it is subjected to additional oversight because of eight areas of deficiencies in tackling money laundering and illicit financial flows. South Africa is expected to address the areas of deficiency by no later than 31 January 2025.
- According to the Institute of Security Studies, South Africa has the second-highest murder rate in the world, after Jamaica. SAPS reported a per capita murder rate of 46 murders per 100 000 people in 2022/23 (27 272 murders between April 2022 and March 2023).
- South Africa’s femicide rate for 2023 sits at 9.1 per 100 000 women, according to the World Population Review. The only African country with a higher rate (where data is available) is the Central African Republic with a femicide rate of 10.6 per 100 000 women. Uganda is at 4 per 100 000 women, Zimbabwe 3.5, Tanzania 2.6, Kenya 1.7, Cameroon 0.9, Egypt 0.6 and Algeria and Morocco at 0.4 per 100 000 women.
- A report by Kaspersky – a cybersecurity company – revealed that spyware attacks increased by 18% in South Africa between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. It identified South Africa as the most-targeted African country in terms of ransomware and business email compromise.
- The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) Global Peace Index (GPI) measures global levels of peacefulness. The Global Peace Index 2023 Report ranked South Africa 130 out of 163 countries, a decrease from 118 in 2022. Seventy-nine countries witnessed increased levels of conflict, including South Africa.
- Between 2017 and 2022, taxi violence resulted in 1 635 deaths in KwaZulu-Natal (564), Gauteng (697) and the Western Cape (374), according to SAPS. Five people were killed in Cape Town during a week-long strike by the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in August 2023.
Overview of CSI spend
Safety and security were supported by 13% of companies and received 1% of average CSI expenditure.
Type of intervention
Average % CSI safety and security spend 2023 n=7
30% Non-specific generals donations
23% National anti-crime/safety campaigns
18% Capacity-building empowerment programmes
13% Community policing forums
6% Infrastrcture, facilities, and equipment
5% Road safety
5% Gangsterism/ school crime
- In 2023, general donations made up the largest portion of CSI safety and security spend.
- National anti-crime/safety campaigns received almost half (23%) of the share they received in 2022 (40%).
Find out more about safety and security:
- Read the 2023 case study Organised crime in Africa – how to root it out.
- Read the 2022 research findings: Overview of CSI spend on safety and security in 2022.
Source: The original version of this article was published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2023 (26th edition).
