Statement:
The level of criminal activities is higher in South Africa than in Malaysia

In the The Most Criminal Countries rating South Africa holds position #4 2022 out of 139 and Malaysia is #41 out of 139 2022.
Position of South Africa is worse than position of Malaysia.
South Africa is leader of the "The Most Criminal Countries" rating. So it is wise to avoid visiting the country or, at least, you need to take additional actions to protect your life and belongings, compared to Malaysia

Referencies:

  1. The Most Criminal Countries 2022 by Numbeo
    The countries in the rating sorted by 'Crime Index' in descending order.
    Malaysia 'Crime Index' value is 54.37
    South Africa 'Crime Index' value is 75.37