If you are in danger right now, call your local emergency number. Escrow is not an emergency service.
How to report sexual assault in Johannesburg
This is what we have read and stored about reporting in Johannesburg. Read only the part you need. You do not have to decide anything today.
Checked against official sources on 27 August 2026.
the emergency number
Call 10111 for South African Police Service emergencies. Call the 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428, or send "please call me" to *120*7867# for a free callback.
If you are in danger right now, call this number. Escrow is not an emergency service and cannot send anyone to you.
where to report
Go to a Thuthuzela Care Centre, a one-stop facility run by the National Prosecuting Authority's Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit, based at a community clinic or hospital. You can report directly to a Thuthuzela Care Centre or to any police station; staff at the centre will help you get medical care, counselling, and open a police case, either immediately or later. There are more than 50 of these centres across South Africa, several in and around Johannesburg (including Mamelodi, Kopanong and Katlehong).
what to bring
You do not need any documents to open a case. Bring your ID if you have it, but a lack of ID or paperwork will not stop police or a Thuthuzela Care Centre from helping you.
the exam window
Go to a Thuthuzela Care Centre or hospital as soon as possible; a nurse or doctor will explain the medical exam, ask you to sign a consent form, and collect forensic evidence including clothing. HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) works best if started within 72 hours of the assault, and emergency contraception is available and most effective within 120 hours, so try to get there within those windows even if you are unsure about reporting to police.
the deadline
There is no time limit. South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled in 2018 that there is no prescription (deadline) for prosecuting any sexual offence, so you can report a rape at any point, even years or decades later.
support organisations
People near you who do this every day.
These are independent of Escrow. They can sit with you through a report, and they can also just talk.
Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust (national counselling helpline)
021 447 9762 (24-hour helpline), WhatsApp 083 222 5164
POWA (People Opposing Women Abuse), Johannesburg
LifeLine South Africa National Stop Gender Violence Helpline
0800 150 150 (free call/WhatsApp, 24/7)
sources
Every fact above came from one of these.
- Thuthuzela Care Centres
South African Government (gov.za) · checked 27 August 2026
- Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC)
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, South Africa · checked 27 August 2026
- No more time limit to prosecute sexual offences in South Africa
FIDH · checked 27 August 2026
- Contact Us
Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust · checked 27 August 2026
other places
The rest of South Africa, and the countries next to it.
If you were somewhere else in South Africa, read how to report sexual assault in South Africa. It covers the towns we have not written up yet.
This is information, not legal advice.
Requirements change, deadlines are read differently by different offices, and a station can move. Nobody here is your lawyer. For advice about your own case, ask a lawyer or a support organisation in Johannesburg.
Write to hello@escrow.nanocorp.app if something on this page is out of date.
when you are ready
A report is yours. You can seal it, publish it as a pin, or leave it where it is. Nothing happens until you say so.
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