The Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market outside Durban is trying to reduce thefts of one of the most frequently targeted vehicles by rolling out an exclusive Toyota Fortuners-only parking zone.
The “dedicated parking area with extra security” is located at the top of the popular market and is a response to the unprecedented theft of Toyota Fortuners in the Upper Highway area in Durban.
Between 66,000 and 70,000 vehicles are stolen or hijacked annually, according to various sources, including the most recent crime statistics from the SAPS. Fortuners are the third most hijacked vehicles in South Africa. First is the Toyota Hilux, and second the Volkswagen Polo.
“We are trying to be as proactive as possible and were advised by our security company to make it as difficult as possible for thieves to get near Toyota Fortuners,” the market’s Christine Standeaven told the Sunday Times.
“We cannot please everyone but we are trying our best to be proactive. We have two guarding companies with a total of six professional guards, and nine permanently employed car guards, with 12 car washers who also keep a lookout.”
She said one Fortuner had been stolen at the market in the last six months.
“There were two attempted thefts which were foiled by our security company.”
Standeaven said Fortuner owners who parked in the designated zone on Saturdays were appreciative. But not everyone is impressed and some called the move unfair and unnecessary.
“If you can afford a Fortuner, you can afford insurance,” Lesley Anderson commented on the market’s Facebook page. “Sorry but the idea that Fortuner drivers need special treatment just because it is a preferred car for thieves is ridiculous. They could steal any car on any given day. It depends on what cars they have orders to get. This is ridiculous.”
Samesh Pillay said: “This parking should rather be dedicated to all high-risk vehicles and not a select few, which is totally biased. It is easy to get a list of the top 10 stolen vehicles in South Africa. It was a good initiative but not properly thought out.”
Tracker’s latest statistics, for July to December 2024, show hijackings accounted for 56% of reported vehicle crime incidents nationwide, while theft made up 44%.
According to the Tracker Vehicle Crime Index aggregated from their more than 1-million subscriptions, there are as many hijackings as thefts nationwide.
In Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where most vehicle crime takes place, theft is more prevalent than hijacking, accounting for 52% and 61% of cases, respectively. In contrast, hijackings are twice as common as thefts in the Western Cape and four times more likely in the Eastern Cape.
Chad Thomas, an organised crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, told the Sunday Times a designated parking zone was not the answer.
“Once a vehicle like this is ‘ordered’ by the syndicate, the driver will be followed and surveilled. The crew sent to steal the vehicle will be patient and wait for the vehicle to be parked in a vulnerable spot or even hijack it,” he said.
Thomas said syndicates targeted most high-end Toyota 4x4s, Ford Rangers, VWs and BMWs.
Investigating the rampant theft of vehicles is one of specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis’s projects.
“Skilled thieves use advanced tools to bypass security systems or rely on carjacking to take vehicles by force. Stolen vehicles are either stripped for parts at chop shops or prepared for cloning. Parts are sold locally or exported to countries where there is a high demand. Some vehicles are cloned with fake registration papers and sold to unsuspecting buyers,” he said.
“Vehicles are smuggled across borders where they are harder to trace and fetch a high price. These syndicates operate with alarming efficiency, often evading law enforcement due to corrupt networks or gaps in border control systems.”
Fidelity Services Group said that while there was a decrease in hijackings over the festive season, the risk is “still very much present”.
“The number of hijackings decreased by 27.3% between November and December 2024. This decline aligns with broader trends in organised crime, as syndicate members often take time off during the festive season.
“Looking ahead, based on historical trends, hijackings are expected to increase from late January, with a notable spike anticipated in February and March 2025. The trend is likely to stabilise between April and May 2025. Further spikes in hijacking incidents are projected for August and November 2025.”
Last year, Fidelity Services Group CEO Wahl Bartmann said the Toyota Fortuner (GD6 and D4D), Toyota Hilux (GD6 and D4D), Toyota Corolla Cross, Toyota RAV 4, VW Polo, Nissan NP200 and Ford Ranger were the most stolen vehicles in South Africa.
In 2022, insurer Santam demanded that some clients with high-risk vehicles such as the Fortuner install two trackers from different companies in their vehicles.
Santam and other insurers declined to comment.
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