Opposition parties laid the blame squarely at the door of the ruling African National Congress.
The murder figures, which have risen each year from a low of 15,554 in 2011/2012, reflect a reversal of what many had hoped was long-term progress in reducing violent crime.
Dianne Kohler-Barnard, shadow police minister of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, said "17,805 is a number I would expect from a country at war".
Gareth Newham, head of the governance, crime and justice division at the Institute for Security Studies, said the statistics reflected a "leadership crisis" in the police caused by endemic corruption in President Jacob Zuma's Government, where political allies are often promoted above skilled professionals.
"This is the third year in a row we've seen an increase in violent crime and that's unprecedented in democratic South Africa," he said.
Police commissioner Riah Phiyega, a civilian promoted by Zuma to lead the police three years ago, is facing an inquiry over her handling of the Marikana police shootings of 34 striking miners just months into her job.
Her predecessor Bheki Cele was sacked over a deal for a new police headquarters, and his predecessor Jackie Selebi was jailed for taking bribes from a drug lord.
"Each of these commissioners has forced out good, honest cops that might have challenged them and brought in their own people," Newham said. "We have seen very poor appointments at the highest levels of the organisation, people who don't have the experience to use the considerable police resources properly, or use their power to further their own interests rather than the interests of the country."
Releasing the figures to a parliamentary committee, Phiyega said her police force had "a good story to tell" and pointed to a 10-year trend of decline in overall crime.
Nathi Nhleko, the Police Minister, said the high murder rate could not be blamed on the police alone and that every member of society could influence it by "the way we raise our children".
"To think we can resolve the issue of murder on our own is effectively just hallucination in a sense, because it's a social problem," he said.
Ingrid Molai, a youth worker in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, blamed the increase on youth unemployment, which remains at around 50 per cent, and corruption. "If even the parliamentarians are doing it, our kids ask us why not them?"
Dangerous times
• 49 people killed every day in South Africa
• 4.6% jump in the murder rate in the past year
• 3rd year in a row there has been an increase in violent crime
