Yesterday morning, I collected someone from the airport. Our first stop was a BP garage just outside Cape Town International.
We got out, used the bathroom, came back, and got into the car.
As I was about to start the ignition, my window was open. A man in his forties approached. He was dressed smart casual. Nothing about him screamed danger—until it did.
His left arm was positioned in a way that made it clear his right arm was inside his jacket.
He asked me one question:
“Is this a hired car?”
In that moment, time compressed. You don’t get a minute to think in situations like this. You get seconds—if that.
There were only two possible answers: yes or no.
I said: “No, this is my car.”
He looked at me, paused, and then disappeared.
And just like that, it was over.
I sat in the driver’s seat, barely able to breathe. The tension, the shock, the realisation of how close that moment may have come to something far worse—it all hit at once.
Let that sink in.
A single question. A single answer. The difference between driving away… and not.
Only later, after putting distance between myself and that petrol station, did my body begin to settle. Even now, there’s probably still adrenaline lingering.
This is my story.
But how many people don’t get to tell theirs?
How many have faced that same question—and answered differently?
How many didn’t survive?
What the Numbers Say (and Don’t Say)
One of the unsettling realities is this:
There is no clear national figure for how many people are killed specifically during car hijackings in South Africa.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) tracks hijackings and murders—but not the overlap between them.
The latest available data shows:
• Around 4,420 hijackings reported nationally in Q3 (October–December 2025)
• That’s roughly 48 hijackings per day
• Murders in the same period totalled 6,351
Hijackings are reportedly down slightly—about 8.1% year-on-year—but that offers little comfort when you consider the lived reality behind the numbers.
Because statistics don’t capture moments like the one I experienced.
They don’t capture the question at your window.
They don’t capture the split-second decision.
And they don’t capture how often those moments end in tragedy.
The Detail That Matters: Hired Cars vs Personal Cars
The question I was asked wasn’t random.
“Is this a hired car?”
That distinction matters.
Hired vehicles—especially those used for airport transfers or e-hailing—are often targeted more aggressively. They’re easier to identify, often tracked, and in many cases, criminals assume there’s less resistance or more predictable movement patterns.
A personal vehicle, on the other hand, introduces uncertainty.
Ownership suggests familiarity. It suggests someone who knows the area, who may react differently, who may not be as easily controlled.
Right or wrong, in that moment, perception matters more than truth.
And that perception may have saved my life.
I’ve known people—and known of people—who have been killed in hijackings. It’s the price of daily life in South Africa. After decades, this is not a problem that will disappear easily. Criminals here have the power to decide if you live or die.
