This page covers the central firearms route for the South African Police Service. The contact details below were taken from the official South African Police Service contact page and are the routes the South African Police Service itself publishes for customers in South Africa.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not the South African Police Service and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel quickly.
The South African Police Service contact numbers
These routes were verified against the official South African Police Service contact page on 21 August 2026. Contact numbers do change, so confirm on the official page before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Emergency, or a crime in progress | 10111 |
| Crime Stop (report crime information, may stay anonymous) | 08600 10111 |
Both the emergency line and Crime Stop operate 24 hours a day.
Use 10111 for an emergency or a crime in progress. Crime Stop on 08600 10111 is for reporting information about crime or criminals and you may remain anonymous; SAPS states there is no substitute for 10111 in an emergency. Every police station also has its own number, listed in the official station directory, and a case must normally be opened at a station in person.
Self-service options before you call
- The official SAPS police station directory, for contact hours and the details held for a specific location.
- The official site at saps.gov.za, which carries the current customer care details and any online enquiry form.
- Calling outside peak times. Monday mornings and the hour after 17:00 are usually the worst for South African contact centres.
What to have ready before you call
- A clear one line summary of what you need resolved.
- Your account, order or reference number if you already have one.
- The identity document or account holder details, since most South African providers verify who you are before discussing an account.
- Dates, amounts and any error message exactly as it appeared.
- A pen and paper for the reference number. Ask for one every time, because without it a follow up call starts from nothing.
Complaints and escalation
If a first call does not resolve the matter, escalate through the organisation’s own complaints process first, keeping every reference number issued.
Keep a short written log of each contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the agent and the reference number. Most consumer complaint processes ask for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
Avoiding fake The South African Police Service contact numbers
Contact details for well known South African brands are a common target for impersonation. Numbers that look official appear in search ads, social media replies and cloned websites, and the person answering is not the South African Police Service.
- Reach the South African Police Service through the official site at saps.gov.za rather than through a number in a search advert or a social media reply.
- the South African Police Service will never ask you for your full card number, PIN, CVV, online banking password or a one time PIN. Nobody legitimate needs those to help you.
- Treat any caller who creates urgency, asks you to install remote access software, or asks you to move money to a safe account as fraudulent, and end the call.
- If you are unsure whether a call was genuine, hang up and dial the official number yourself rather than calling back a number the caller gave you.
Related contact pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the South African Police Service contact number?
The routes the South African Police Service publishes on its official contact page are listed in the table above, with what each one is for. The main route is 10111. Confirm it on saps.gov.za before relying on it, since numbers are changed from time to time.
How do I know a South African Police Service number is genuine?
Check it against the official site at saps.gov.za. A number that only appears in a search advert, a social media reply or a third-party directory should not be trusted for anything involving your account, your money or your identity document.
What should I do if nobody resolves my query?
Ask for the complaint reference and the escalation path on your first call, then follow the escalation route described above. Keep the dates, agent names and reference numbers, because every formal complaint process will ask for them.
Can ContactDetails.co.za resolve this for me?
No. We are an independent directory, not the South African Police Service, and we have no access to your account. Everything here is a routing aid so that you reach the correct official channel with the right information in hand.
Is there a cost to calling these numbers?
South African 0860 and 0861 numbers are charged at a share-call or standard rate depending on your provider, and 0800 numbers are toll free from a landline. Calls from a mobile are billed at your own operator’s rate, so check your plan if cost matters.
Contact routes on this page were checked against the official South African Police Service source on 21 August 2026. If you find a detail that has changed, the official source above is always the authority.