While much political noise surrounds sensationalised narratives, South Africa’s most pressing crisis—its staggering murder rate—continues with barely a whisper from those in power. Every day, an average of 84 people are murdered in our country, many of them women, children, and the poor. It is not a distant threat—it is a brutal reality that plays out in our communities, townships, and cities.
By Rebecca Davis – Daily Maverick
This silent epidemic doesn’t make headlines the way inflammatory rhetoric does. Yet, it’s the daily tragedies—fathers gunned down walking home, children caught in gang crossfire, women murdered by partners—that tell the true story of South Africa’s deep social wounds.
It’s time for the private sector to recognise this crisis for what it is: a social emergency that demands urgent intervention—not just from the state, but from business leaders, investors, and employers who have the power and resources to drive meaningful change.
Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives must now go beyond education and enterprise development. We must invest in safety. This means:
· Funding trauma counselling and victim support services
· Supporting youth development programmes that steer vulnerable youth away from crime
· Backing grassroots organisations working in violence prevention and community safety
· Partnering with SAPS and NGOs to create data-driven crime response strategies
The future of South Africa’s workforce, consumers, and communities depends on collective action. A safe society is not just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one.
The corporate sector has long spoken of “shared value.” This is the time to live it—by investing in the shared safety and dignity of every South African.
