As a native South African, the hardest question I get asked by new friends while traveling is "is it safe to travel to South Africa?". The short answer is, of course. With millions of tourists visiting the country each year, South Africa is widely regarded as one of the most accessible Third World destinations to reach and explore. This country is filled with so much natural beauty and so many amazing people, I want to tell the world to come and see for themselves immediately. The long answer is more complicated. Let's talk about the elephant in the room first. Yes, there is crime in South Africa. It can range from minor pickpocketing to more violent crime and burglary. For this reason, as a South African, there is a certain level of alertness and safety in my subconscious mind. This means I am often out of danger - the most important thing to keep in mind when visiting South Africa. However, it is not realistic to be able to classify an entire country or any country as "safe" or "unsafe".
Panorama of Cape Town Girl Laughing in South Africa Elephants in Gondwana Game Reserve in Denmark Phone Numbers What can you expect when traveling in South Africa? Coming from a first world country or a small France Phone Number List town where crime almost never occurs, you might not know what to expect from "crime-ridden" South Africa. South Africans take various security measures that we take for granted every day. We have high walls and electric fencing around our house, a home security system and community thriving entrances guarded by security guards. For tourists, this can be worrisome. But if anything, it should make you feel more secure. Petty crime is the most common festival spoiler. Handbags stolen from chair backs in restaurants, windows smashed with cameras in the back seat - I always tell tourists to keep valuables on them at all times and never leave anything in the car. Do you need to leave your watch at home with just a disposable camera in your shirt purse? No, that's not how any of us live.
But I do carry my handbag on my lap or between my feet in restaurants, and stash it under the seat when driving. Gang violence is a big problem in Cape Town. Mostly drug-related, the crime is far from the cities and largely confined to turf-war areas outside tourist hotspots. Recently, a wave of gang-related crime has infiltrated certain parts of the city, such as my neighborhood Woodstock. It was gang-on-gang violence, but it still didn't affect us personally. Read more: 10 tips for traveling to South Africa for the first time Best friends in South African flowers House in South Africa Blondes in South Africa How do you stay safe in South Africa? Please be safe when traveling in South Africa. Note that poverty is everywhere, and poverty breeds despair. I'm sure you can imagine the risks people take when they discover a situation that might mean their family will eat tonight instead of going to bed hungry.
