Quality of Life Survey IV (2015/16): Crime and perceptions of safety in Gauteng

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) launched its fourth and largest Quality of Life (QoL) survey in 2016. The QoL IV survey gathered perceptions of Gauteng residents on a wide range of issues: perceived quality of life, socio-economic circumstances, satisfaction with service delivery, values, psycho-social and political attitudes, etc. Some questions asked respondents to comment directly on issues of crime and safety.

Other questions did not ask specifically about crime and safety, but these issues came up in the answers provided. This Data Brief, the first of a series to be released on the QoL IV survey results, reports on data related to crime and perceptions of safety. Key findings include the following. One in every five respondents had experienced crime in the 12 months prior to being interviewed, much in line with previous QoL surveys.

Various factors influenced whether or not people felt secure, such as the time of day, sex, migration status, dwelling type and the presence or absence of street lights. As with previous QoL surveys, crime was the most common response to the question, ‘What is the biggest problem facing your community?’ However, unlike previous surveys, drugs now featured prominently amongst communities’ concerns. Both formal and informal business owners identified crime as the main constraint facing their businesses.