Overview

SafeAbroad analysts have assessed that crime in South Africa poses a moderate risk to travelers. Despite South Africa’s high crime rates compared to other popular travel destinations, tourists are unlikely to be targeted. Travelers can take additional measures to further reduce the chance of victimization.

Key Takeaways

1. While South Africa has observed decreases in most crime categories, crime is still prevalent.¹ Petty and financial crimes are commonplace in South Africa; violent crime occurs at a higher rate than other common travel destinations.² Renewed government efforts are slowly decreasing the persistent problem of crime.³
2. Travelers should practice increased caution when visiting South Africa. Travelers should take precautionary measures to reduce the likelihood of being a victim of a crime. This can include carrying small amounts of cash, avoiding dangerous neighborhoods, and maintaining awareness when in public spaces.
3. Although crime rates are relatively high, most travelers will not be the victims of a crime. Crimes against travelers are primarily opportunistic, and popular tourist destinations often have increased security.⁴ Thousands of tourists visit the country each year without issues, largely due to visiting only safer tourist areas with increased security and remaining vigilant.⁵ Most crimes are typically committed in non-tourist areas.⁶ By knowing how to prepare, travelers can best prepare themselves to make the most of their time in South Africa and avoid becoming the victim of a crime.

Crime in South Africa

Although South Africa has observed decreases in most crime categories, crime still presents a significant risk.⁷

On the CS Global Partners’ 2025 Global Safety Index, South Africa ranked 129 out of 166 countries.⁸ The Department of State also warns “that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.”⁹ Nonetheless, it should be noted that most violent crime occurs between parties that already know each other, and it is very rare for travelers to be the victims of serious crime.¹⁰

High-Crime Areas | Crime in South Africa is not evenly distributed. 20% of reported murders occur in 30 of South Africa’s 1149 policing areas; 50% of all violent crime happens in just 100.¹¹ Many of these more dangerous metropolitan areas are “townships.” Townships were areas designated for non-white South Africans to live in under apartheid; services and socioeconomic opportunities continue to be limited in townships where over half of all city residents live.¹²

Johannesburg is the capital of South Africa, located in the Northeast of the country. In Johannesburg, travelers should take extra safety precautions or avoid the neighborhoods of Hillbrow, Joubert Park, and Berea.¹³ Robbery is the most common crime in these areas of Johannesburg driven by high population growth and income inequality.¹⁴

The city of Pretoria lies just North of Johannesburg and is home to many tourist attractions such as the Voortrekker Monument and National Zoological Gardens. Its most dangerous neighborhoods include Akasia, Mamelodi East, and Temba.¹⁵ Despite having high crime rates, most areas of Pretoria are still considered safe to travelers.¹⁶

The city of Cape Town lies on the Southwest coast and is a popular tourist destination. Dangerous areas within Cape Town include Delft, Nyanga, and Manenburg.¹⁷ The city sees higher rates of sexual assaults than other parts of the country.¹⁸

Common Crimes | Travelers are most likely to encounter petty crimes such as theft and scams. Violent crimes are concentrated in the most dangerous neighborhoods of major cities, but are more likely to occur in tourist areas in South Africa than other common travel destinations.

• Thieves will use shopping malls to pick out targets and, once selected, will rob their targets in the parking lot (or other isolated location) away from witnesses and police, while some thieves will follow their targets to their homes.¹⁹
• Criminals will pose as volunteers to “help” victims at ATMs. At the ATMs, criminals will then grab the money as it is ejected, grab the card after viewing the PIN, ensure that the card is “skimmed” (device attached to the ATM that copies card information), or some combination of those three.²⁰
• Criminals will pose as security personnel and demand that pedestrians pay for a walking pass. Walking passes are a scam and are not a real thing. This scam often targets tourists.²¹
• Taxi stands, as well as other public transport stands tend to attract crime.²²
• Carjackings and smash and grabs often occur at on-ramps/off-ramps and stoplights. Many carjackings also occur when people arrive at their lodging; carjacker(s) often will pull up behind the victim to prevent them from escaping.²³
• Violent crime can happen anywhere in the country; it is most likely to affect travelers that show resistance or refuse to comply with demands of petty criminals.^{24 25}
• There is not a specific time of the day that home invasions, robberies, and carjackings occur, rather they can occur at any time of the day. However, criminals tend to commit these crimes most often when victims are at home or arriving/leaving their homes.²⁶

Recommended Precautionary Measures

Increased caution is recommended for all travelers going to South Africa due to crime levels in the country. Travelers are not necessarily singled out by criminals due to them being foreigners but rather crimes tend to be opportunistic in nature; thus, criminals tend to target those with perceived wealth.²⁷ Below are some precautionary measures that should be taken by travelers to reduce the likelihood of experiencing crime. 

• Maintain vigilance and be cognizant of your surroundings, even in tourist areas.²⁸
• Avoid walking alone, especially at night.²⁹
• Remain in populated and well-lit places if out at night.³⁰
• Bypass demonstrations and crowds by planning alternate travel routes.³¹
• Refrain from visiting informal settlements (townships) unless you are with a responsible and reliable tour guide.³²
• Refrain from exhibiting signs of wealth, including wearing expensive watches or jewelry.³³ 
• Put credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, and any items that have a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) into an RFID blocking sleeve, wallet, or faraday bag.³⁴
• Use ATMS only inside trusted financial institutions, especially those that have security personnel.³⁵
• Avoid retail shopping in person and instead, shop online.³⁶
• Do not accept drinks from strangers and ensure that you always have eyes on your drink.³⁷
• Stay in places with layered physical security: gates, alarms, reinforced doors, and window grilles.³⁸ 
• Stay in places with backup generators to ensure that security features that require electricity (alarms, electric fences, security lighting) will still work during rolling blackouts.³⁹
• Know the emergency numbers. For police, call 10111 (from any South African phone) or 112 (from a cell phone), and for an ambulance, call 10177.⁴⁰

1. https://csglobalpartners.com/the-global-safety-index/
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2. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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3.  https://issafrica.org/iss-today/is-south-africa-s-crime-problem-turning-around 
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4.  https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html#safetysecurity 
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5.  https://planetescape.pl/en/blog/bezpieczenstwo-w-rpa-czy-rpa-jest-bezpieczna/ 
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10. https://www.findingouradventure.com/travel-diaries/safe-to-visit-south-africa#:~:text=South%20Africa%20has%20one%20of,is%20not%20targeted%20at%20tourists. 
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11. https://theconversation.com/violent-crime-in-south-africa-happens-mostly-in-a-few-hotspots-police-resources-should-focus-there-criminologist-248233 
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12.  https://www.sacities.net/publication/township-transformation-timeline/ 
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13.  https://www.drivesouthafrica.com/blog/is-johannesburg-safe/ 
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14.  SACN. 2020. State of Crime and  Safety in South African Cities Report 2020. 
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15. https://www.citizen.co.za/rekord/news-headlines/2025/02/26/here-are-the-most-dangerous-suburbs-in-pretoria/
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16.  https://www.numbeo.com/crime/in/Pretoria 
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17.  SACN. 2024. The State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report.
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18.   SACN. 2024. The State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report.
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19. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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23. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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24.  https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/safety-and-security
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26.  https://ifearless.co.za/most-common-crime-in-south-africa/ 
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27. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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28.  https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html
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29.  https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html
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30. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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31.  https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html
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32. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html;https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/safety-and-security
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33.  https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/south-africa.html
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34. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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35. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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36. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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37.  https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/safety-and-security
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38. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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39. https://www.osac.gov/Country/SouthAfrica/Content/Detail/Report/bd2dab15-0f21-496f-9aae-2313e8b5ea43
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40.  https://za.usembassy.gov/emergency-assistance/
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