Travel Safety Tips for South Africa: How to Stay Safe and Aware

In recent years, South Africa has taken steps to improve tourist safety, yet certain scams and hazards persist that visitors should be aware of. This guide provides practical safety tips—from navigating busy airports and ATMs to staying secure at hotels, on the road, and in wildlife reserves. Whether it's your first visit or you're returning for another adventure, these insights will help you enjoy a safe, unforgettable journey in South Africa.

New Scam Alert: Fake Security Guards Targeting Tourists

Recently, the South African Police Service warned of a scam targeting tourists in busy areas. Individuals dressed as security guards claim tourists need a "permit" due to a supposed event. These scammers carry a "calculator" and a device resembling a pay-point machine to collect card information. If anyone requests payment or "permits," don't engage—reach out to local authorities immediately.

General Safety Tips for Tourists

Here are practical safety tips to protect yourself during your travels in South Africa.

On the flight and at the airport

• Never pack valuables in checked luggage. Keep valuables on you. Don't keep your phone or passport in your back pocket or accessible jacket pocket. Use an inside pocket or travel wallet.
• Be alert at the airport. Keep your belongings in sight. Hold on to your stuff. Never leave a bag unattended. Look around. Walk with purpose. Follow official direction signs, don't ask random people for directions.
• Don't accept help from strangers. If you get hassled, a firm, "No, thanks!" will do. Don't allow yourself to be distracted. Not by your phone, and not by other people. Thieves may stage a diversion to distract you while an accomplice tries to steal your valuables. Be suspicious of someone randomly bumping into you, or a stranger striking up a conversation.
• Do not carry valuables in your backpack or any bag or pocket that is easily accessible. If your valuables are in your backpack, don't carry it on your back. Pickpockets are clever and use all kinds of tricks to distract you and steal your wallet or phone.
• Avoid taxis that have been recommended to you by strangers at the airport. People offering rides or assistance with your luggage can be quite pushy and demanding. You'll need to be equally firm in your refusal. Don't allow anyone to touch your bags or grab your trolley.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash on you, or exchanging a large amount of foreign currency at the airport. Don't draw cash at an ATM in the public arrivals hall at the airport.
• Be aware of people who seem to be hanging around or following you. If someone keeps following you, report them to an official or the police.
• If you plan on tipping someone, prepare your tip in advance, in private. Don't pull out your wallet loaded with cash in public.

At an ATM

• ATMs or cash machines are available almost everywhere. Some are in safe locations, others not. The safest ones are inside a bank or shopping mall, not out on the street. You can also draw cash from most supermarkets, at the till (cash register). That is much safer.
• Don't draw large sums of cash at a time. Rather use a card to pay.
• Be alert. Never accept help from a stranger. Don't even look up if someone asks you what the time is. If someone tells you the ATM is broken and you need to use another one, be suspicious and don't draw cash there.
• Never allow anyone close to you. Make sure nobody is looking over your shoulder. Shield the keypad when typing in your PIN. Never divulge your PIN to anyone no matter what happens. If a suspicious person is hanging around or offering to help, walk away.

• If your card is stuck in the machine, and someone comes to try and help you, it is almost certainly a scam. Stay at the machine, don't enter your code again, phone your bank and cancel your card immediately. It is wise to save your bank's contact number on your phone before your trip, so it is easy to cancel your card if needed. And be sure to enable international dialling on your phone before your trip starts.
  
• Some scammers will offer to accompany you to an ATM to draw cash for some purpose. If someone offers to accompany you to an ATM or help you at the ATM, they are almost certainly a scammer. No legitimate permits, fees or fines require you to draw cash from an ATM. It doesn't matter how official-looking the person is.
• Anyone who says you need a permit for walking or driving somewhere, or need to take a detour and pay some kind of toll is lying to you and hoping to scam you. These scams are common in certain areas (e.g. "The road ahead is closed, you will need to take this private detour which will cost you R500, but don't worry, you can just get the permit or draw the cash from that ATM over there").

While driving

• We recommend downloading and installing the SECURA Traveller App (available from the app store). This handy app tracks your location and allows you to request help at the touch of a button on your phone. Via their country-wide network, the SECURA team will quickly get you the help you need, whether it's a medical issue, a car accident, a safety or security issue, or simply a case of feeling unsafe or if you got lost. This service only costs R49 for 30 days (less than $3) and we include this for free for all our self-drive clients.
• Do not put valuables on the passenger seat or backseat of the car. Make sure phones, handbags, laptop bags and other valuables are stored out of sight. If possible, keep your wallet, phone and passport on your person rather than somewhere in the car. A hidden money belt can be useful. A visible money belt (like a moonbag) is not advisable.
• Lock car doors and keep windows closed.
• At traffic lights, people may approach your window to beg for money or sell you something. Don't panic, this is common in South Africa and usually harmless. A shake of the head is enough to indicate you are not interested.
• Be alert if someone approaches the driver's window. Don't allow yourself to be distracted. Smash-and-grab thieves often have an accomplice distract the driver while they check your front or back seat for a handbag, laptop, phone or anything else they can grab through a smashed window.
• Use a GPS, but ask for directions to your destination before your trip, and plan your route before leaving. Study a map. Sometimes, a GPS or Google Maps will direct you through a dodgy area that may be a more direct route but is not the safest. If you find yourself in a dodgy area, rather turn around. Don't blunder around aimlessly. Do your research beforehand so you know where to go. Ask your dedicated Wild Wings African Safari Specialist or get advice from your host where you are staying. Find out if there are particular routes in areas that are best avoided.

• Never pick up hitchhikers or offer lifts to a stranger, no matter how sad and desperate their story.
• Do not drive at night. Aim to reach your destination before sunset.
• Do not stop along a highway. Criminals use all kinds of ways to get a vehicle to stop. Someone may lie down on the road and pretend to be dead or injured. At night, they sometimes put spikes or rocks in the road in certain areas in an attempt to disable a car so they can rob the driver and passengers. If you hit a rock or get a flat tyre, don't stop immediately, carry on slowly and try and find a safe, well-lit place to stop such as a service station.
• Stick to the speed limit and obey all traffic rules. Never roll over a stop street. If a traffic light is not working, treat it as a four-way stop. You must stop dead, behind the line. If you get pulled over, stay friendly and polite, but be aware that a small minority of traffic cops are corrupt. Never pay a fine in cash, on the spot. Insist that the ticket is written out and inform the cop that you have been instructed not to pay any fine in cash - spot fines are illegal. If you are asked to go to the police station, agree to go, insist on a written ticket showing the infringement and the officer's name, as well as a receipt for the fine you paid. Never pay a cash fine to an officer demanding one.
• Most of South Africa's roads are good quality and safe to travel. However, certain regions and routes are known to be less safe either because of potholes and poor road conditions or because carjacking or robbery attempts are more common there. Find out from your host or your consultant which areas and roads to avoid.
• In the unlikely event that you are robbed or hijacked, cooperate fully and do not resist. Let them take what they want. Resisting, cursing, threatening or shouting increases the chances of escalation to violence. Stay calm and don't fight them. Trying to get away can also end in tragedy. Your car or valuables are not worth your life.
• When locking your car, listen for the click of the lock or check your doors to make sure they are locked. In some areas, remote jammers are active. Some thieves will hide out of sight and quietly open the back door just a bit while you get out so that they can access the car after you've locked it and walked off. Don't leave visible valuables in your car.

At your hotel or restaurants

• Don't leave your bags unattended. Keep them closed and within sight.
• All credit card transactions should be completed in your presence. Don't let anyone take your credit card out of sight, where it may be cloned.
• Use the room safe. Never leave valuables in your suitcase or elsewhere in your room, where cleaning staff can access them. If anything goes missing from your room safe, it is almost certainly an inside job by the hotel staff. Speak to your agent or operator who will help you sort this out with the hotel owner or manager.
• Keep your hotel door locked and don't open it for strangers.
• Ask the hotel front desk about your immediate surroundings, if there are any areas to avoid, etc. You can also get directions about where to go.

On foot and in public areas

• Stick to areas that are well-lit and frequented by tourists. Avoid empty side streets or alleyways. Avoid dodgy-looking areas, deserted areas, and remote beaches or footpaths.
• Don't wander around aimlessly. Know where you are going. If you need directions, don't ask strangers on the street. Go into a hotel or shop and ask for directions.
• Don't walk around staring at your phone. Keep your phone, purse and other valuables out of sight. Be alert.
• Don't display valuables or excessive jewellery. Don't wear a moonbag or visible money bag. Try to blend in, rather than stand out as a wealthy tourist.
• Never put your bag down somewhere and turn your back, or walk away from it.
• Be cautious when people approach you or try to distract you. Go into a nearby shop if you feel uncomfortable.
• Walking in groups is better than walking alone.
• Do not give money to people on the street. Rather give to registered charities. Be careful about where you take out your wallet. And don't believe all the sad stories you hear.
• It is not wise to carry large sums of money with you. Credit cards are widely accepted and much safer.
• Avoid remote beaches and hiking trails. Do a bit of research beforehand. Some areas are known to be unsafe, so don't go there. Ask your hotel or tour operator which areas are best to avoid.
• Some areas like the Waterfront in Cape Town are very safe, even after dark. But generally, it is safer to take a cab after dark than walking somewhere. In South Africa, we don't stand on the sidewalk hoping to flag down a passing cab like one does in NYC or London. Phone and book a cab while you are still in the restaurant, or book an Uber.

In game reserves

• Game reserves are generally safe. Drive slowly and stick to the speed limit. Stay in your vehicle. Do not feed or touch any wild animal. Be careful of baboons and monkeys, especially around Cape Point and at picnic sites in Kruger National Park. They have lost their fear of humans and will grab food from your hands if the opportunity presents itself.
• Do not leave food or bags in an open vehicle. Do not leave valuables lying around. Before leaving your car, check that your car doors are locked.
• In Kruger Park, do not leave valuables in your bungalow while out on a game drive. Cleaning staff will have access to your room and your fridge. Occasionally something goes missing, so take care.