South Africa's crime wave continues, though it is largely confined to large cities and is unlikely to affect travelers—particularly package groups—who stick to established tourist areas and follow a few commonsense rules. Avoid townships unless you have a local guide who knows the area well. Tourists can also be targets of street crime in the cities, primarily in Johannesburg and Durban, where muggings and armed robberies occur in the central business district even during the day. Spread your valuables in various places: Keep some with you (take a money belt) and leave some in hotel safes. But remember that no one place is really safe. Never walk alone at night and don't wear expensive jewelry visibly. Avoid driving alone, lock your car doors at all times, keep your windows up and be alert to strangers approaching your vehicle when stopping at urban and suburban intersections.
For the latest information, contact your country's travel-advisory agency.
Dos & Don'ts
Do take an organized tour of a black township, either in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban. Instead of hostility, we have encountered friendliness and openness in the townships. We played soccer with children in the street while mothers called out playful greetings from their doorways.
Do try to visit a shebeen (bar) in one of the black townships during a tour. Under apartheid, blacks were forbidden to sell alcohol. Many risked imprisonment by running these speakeasies.
Don't become so worried about crime that you forget to enjoy the country. It's easy to fall into the habit of worrying so much that the real pleasures of the country and its inhabitants pass you by.
Do try to see a play by South African playwright Athol Fugard (Master Harold ... and the Boys, A Lesson From Aloes).
Do visit a Zulu or other ethnic village to see the incredible traditional dancing.
Don't be afraid to ask about security when making hotel reservations and when checking into your hotel. Some Johannesburg hotels now require that everyone who enters be asked for identification, including guests.
Do tour a working gold mine.
Do take, at the minimum, a 300-mm lens if you want to get great animal photos in South Africa. Also, assuming you haven't gone digital, buy plenty of high-speed film—animal photography is best at dawn and dusk. Also take a flashlight, and a pair of high-quality binoculars will come in handy—they're a must for bird-watchers.
Do plan a lengthy stay at one of the game reserves if you can afford the time. Such sights as elephants bathing, a lion at a fresh kill, a family of hyenas interacting, or antelope fighting over territory are encountered more often by the patient, unhurried visitor who has time to take everything in slowly.
Don't swim at any beach where others aren't swimming. Sharks cruise the waters, and some beaches aren't protected by shark nets.
Do try and catch South Africa's premier sports team—the Springbok rugby team—in action. Even if you don't understand the game, you'll find the atmosphere electric.
Do take a coat and tie if you are a male and expect to dine at very swanky restaurants. They may be required in the evening.
Do ask hotel staff to get you into one of the diamond-cutting works in Johannesburg.
