South Africa : Safety by City
South Africa - safety as a country Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, with a population of 9.6 million people – half of which live in Soweto and adjacent suburbs – is one of the most important cities in the country of South Africa.
Johannesburg is the economic hub of the country since approximately 10% of South Africa’s GDP generates there.
And though it’s one of the main cities, with rich neighborhoods, you’ll be surprised how many dangerous areas it contains.
It has a reputation of a lawless city.
When in Johannesburg, you can do a lot of shopping, though bear in mind that here everything shuts up shop at lunchtimes on Saturday, and doesn’t reopen until Monday.
That means that weekend sightseeing just goes a little bit harder so it’s smart to plan your weekend.
If you walk around a bit, you’ll find that the city is filled with many craft markets and beautifully crafted beadwork and wirework being sold on the roadside and at intersections.
Warnings & Dangers in Johannesburg
OVERALL RISK: HIGH
As fun and exciting Johannesburg might be, you should be aware of the many dangers that await the unsuspecting tourists. This city has extremely high rates of crime. You should be vigilant and take all possible precautions measures to minimize the risk of something going wrong.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
Public transport in Johannesburg is the scene of many criminal activities. Muggings on public transport are on a decline, but be aware of criminals waiting around at Johannesburg airports and then following tourists to their accommodation to rob them. There have also been reports of luggage thefts at the airports. Rails and metro trains are also the locations where assaults and robberies have occurred.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
Pickpocketing has been on a decline during the past couple of years. Still, the riskiest locations where you may encounter petty theft are crowded places such as markets, public transport and bus, and train stations.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
Johannesburg may become a victim of occasional tsunamis coming from the Indian Ocean. Another danger is flooding. One of the bigger floods in South Africa occurred in 2011 killing 91 people.
MUGGING RISK: HIGH
Mugging and robberies are a much bigger issue in Johannesburg than in other major cities of South Africa. And though usually, the motive of these incidents is theft, rape is sadly not uncommon at all, so female tourists should be particularly cautious.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
Threats are coming from extremists linked to Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL), as well as threats from individuals inspired by terrorist groups, including Daesh, who might try to carry out so-called ‘lone actor’ attacks targeting public places.
SCAMS RISK: HIGH
Scams happen in Johannesburg at every step. There are a couple of popular scams, one of them involving criminals posing as "tourist police" with a goal to rob visitors. They are known to stop tourist buses, saying that they're checking identification and searching luggage. However there's no such thing as "tourist police" in South Africa, so be on the lookout. Then there are so-called "strollers", and they can be anyone from children to junkies. Their only goal is to rob you blind so keep your valuables well hidden. You can report scams by calling the following telephone number: +27 11 9705300.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: HIGH
Though many female travelers went to Johannesburg and had no problems at all, this country once had a reputation of a place where women were raped at every step. Be very careful at night and avoid risky situations such as winding-up in deserted and poorly lit streets or finding yourself in an unknown area with strange people.
So... How Safe Is Johannesburg Really?
Johannesburg has a reputation of a lawless city and very high crime levels, so the sight of police and security guards is very common.
However, though crime rates are very high, tourists are seldom victims, since the crimes occur in areas rarely frequented by tourists.
Though it’s a rather rich city, it is not at all uncommon to hear about muggings and armed robberies in this country.
However, what is more, important than knowing what kind of crimes tend to occur in Johannesburg, is knowing the areas and hotspots where they’re more likely to occur.
If you wind up in an insecure neighborhood, just try to blend in, look like a local and avoid displaying any signs of wealth or significant personal property.
Keep your cellphone hidden, and in general, keep in mind that it’s best to leave all your valuables in your accommodation.
Such an area in Johannesburg, for example, is Hillbrow, one of the worst Johannesburg suburbs.
Avoid this area and if you end up in it, try to blend in and not look like a tourist.
Hillbrow is a den for prostitution, drug deals and crime.
How Does Johannesburg Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg | 40 |
| Cape Town | 43 |
| Durban | 40 |
| Pretoria | 19 |
| Pietermaritzburg | 43 |
| Port Elizabeth | 65 |
| Bloemfontein | 33 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia) | 61 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
| Calgary (Canada) | 82 |
| Buenos Aires (Argentina) | 60 |
| Vancouver (Canada) | 82 |
Useful Information
Visas
While U.S. citizens visiting Johannesburg for tourism purposes do not need a visa for any stays shorter than ninety days, along with many other countries, some nationals do need a visa to enter South Africa. Make sure your passports are valid for at least 30 days past your planned date of return from South Africa. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need a visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit.
Currency
South African rand is the official currency in Johannesburg. ATMs can be found throughout the country and credit cards are widely accepted.
Weather
Temperatures in Johannesburg are usually mild and pleasant due to the city's high elevation. The temperatures have an average maximum in January of 25.6 °C dropping to an average maximum of around 16 °C in June.
Airports
O. R. Tambo International Airport is a major international airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa. It is located near the city of Johannesburg and, to a lesser extent, the executive capital Pretoria.
Travel Insurance
Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Johannesburg, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.
Johannesburg Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 25 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
| Low °C | 15 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| High °F | 77 | 79 | 75 | 72 | 68 | 63 | 63 | 68 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 79 |
| Low °F | 59 | 57 | 55 | 48 | 43 | 37 | 36 | 39 | 46 | 52 | 54 | 57 |
South Africa - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | 33 |
| Boksburg | 33 |
| Cape Town | 43 |
| Durban | 40 |
| Johannesburg | 40 |
| Pietermaritzburg | 43 |
| Port Elizabeth | 65 |
| Pretoria | 19 |
| Randburg | 32 |
Reasonable article but. . .
This article recommends trying to blend in if you land up in an area where you weren’t planning on visiting. In most areas, this will only work if you are of African ethnicity.
People of European descent stand out like sore thumbs in areas not frequented by European descended people.
Tourists don't really go into the city. I certainly haven't seen many tourists walking around in town.
Ahem. A Tsunami would not reach Jhb.
Tsunamis in Johannesburg? Did you know that Johanneabirg is 1600m above sea level and 500km from the nearest coast?
Factually incorrect
“Johannesburg may become a victim of occasional tsunamis coming from the Indian Ocean.”
Hahahaha, not in a million years – Johannesburg is so far inland it’ll probably be one of the last places on earth if climate change reaches all its worst predictions.
Can’t really trust much else in this article I’m afraid.
Soooo wrong
Who wrote this artice?where did they get their ‘facts’ from?
The biggest amount of *** I have ever read. Have you been to South Africa?
Take it from a local ...
Yeah, there’s a lot of mistakes in this. I’m Canadian and have been living in Johannesburg for 6 years.
Firstly, no one is following you from the airport.
Secondly, tsunamis? Really? Johannesburg is landlocked and very dry. No tsunamis. No floods.
Thirdly, do NOT go walking around to find markets. Try the Maboneng Market, Rosebank Sunday Rooftop Market, but take an uber to get there.
Fourthly, things do not close Saturday-Monday??? Most of the awesome markets are on Sunday. Most malls close around 5-6pm.
Fifthly, put your damn cell phone away if you don’t want it to be snatched from your hand.
Sixth, don’t get off the red bus anywhere except Sandton or Rosebank if you’re obviously a tourist with a big camera or luggage.
Local?
Canadian? LOL. What kind of Moron would move from Canada to South Africa. That is, unless you’re not white, which means you’re NOT Canadian,
What is wrong with YOU? Much of SA is WHITE…sadly…. My daughter is white as the driven snow and has lived in Johan for the past 8mo…she would LOVE to work and live there. It is dangerous yes, and especially for woman, but it is beyond beautiful. So without ever living there I’d suggest not making yourself look like a MORON and keep those dumb opinions to yourself….LOL
Highly unsafe, avoid Joburg if you can
Johannesburg beautiful??? You must be joking or you have never been there.
Only 7.8% of SA is white, so you are wrong there too.
The only reason people want to live in Joburg is that it is the business center of SA. More jobs, higher salaries.
But it is highly unsafe, especially at night and in the townships. Even in the better areas all houses have electric fence and armed response signs.
still, one of my friends was robbed at gun point in his own house. He sold his house the next day and moved to the south coast.
You’re one of the lucky few. I nearly got carjacked FIVE TIMES IN ONE WEEK. And I was just renting the car. Really… SA NEEDS to get carpet-bombed. It’s a bad country and it needs to change!
Moving from Canada to South Africa is just being stupid
From Airport following
I agree with tsunami BS . BUT … You are uninformed if you do not know that tourists are followed from the airport!! My family and I have been victim to this!
useless
Tsunamis in Jhb? It’s like warning of sunstroke at the North Pold. Good lord. And being white in Johannsburg makes you stand out? You guys do realise that a significant percentage of the native Jo’burgers are white, yes?
What kak
Whoever wrote this is not South African and most likely has never placed one foot on our soil. This article is laughable.
Inaccurate
I’m a female living in Johannesburg and though Johannesburg does have its problems, I can confirm that there are many, many inaccuracies in this article.
Tell me about safety experience in Johannesburg
Thanks for your contribution to the article, please can you help me with accurate experience of safety in Johannesburg, just planning a visit soon. Thank you
40? Are you absolutely brain defunct? More like 90. This place is on the same shit level as Yemen.