Is South Africa Safe to Travel? Honest Tips + Self-Drive vs Guided Trip

‘Is South Africa safe to travel?’ – I get asked this all the time.

And honestly, I had the same question before going. The internet doesn’t exactly make it sound reassuring.

But here’s the simple truth: if you’re careful and actually follow basic precautions, you’ll most likely be absolutely fine.

We spent months in Latin America travelling through countries like Brazil and Colombia that are known for their high crime rate. We had a smooth, incredible trip because we stayed aware and didn’t do anything careless. So when people kept warning us about South Africa, we decided to go anyway—with the same mindset.

And I’m so glad we did.

We travelled to South Africa for 18 days, and it’s easily one of our top 10 countries. Skipping it out of fear would have been such a loss.

Is South Africa Safe to Travel for Tourists?

Let’s address this right away.

South Africa does have a higher crime rate than many other destinations, which is why it often gets labelled as unsafe. However, the reality is a bit more nuanced.

A large portion of thiscrime is concentrated in specific areas that tourists typically don’t visit. At the same time, that doesn’t mean tourist-friendly areas are completely risk-free- you may still come across petty crime or situations where you need to stay alert.

This is why how you travel matters so much here.

Where you stay, how you get around, and how aware you are of your surroundings will have a direct impact on your experience. Most travellers who stick to well-known areas and travel sensibly have smooth, incident-free trips.

I’ll be honest—I had read so much online before this trip that I was a little nervous going in. But we followed all the basic precautions (which I’ve shared later in this post), stayed mindful, and ended up having such a smooth, enjoyable experience.

If you keep your wits about you and travel the same way, there’s no reason this trip shouldn’t feel just as incredible.

Where You Go Matters

This is the part people often overlook.

There are areas in South Africa that are very tourist-friendly and feel completely manageable, and others that you simply shouldn’t be wandering into.

Places that we visited that felt comfortable for us:

• Cape Town: Cape Town is amazing to visit but it does have areas which are known to be unsafe, so you have to take precautions. Nothing happened and we never once felt unsafe.
  
  
• Garden Route: The Garden Route has had a few incidents, so you have to be careful. But for us, it never felt unsafe except at the Knysna town centre, which felt a bit off
  
  
• Winelands: Felt very safe
  
  
• Oudtshoorn: Felt very safe
  
  
• Safari areas like Kruger: Felt safe

Places where you need to be more cautious:

• Johannesburg (especially certain neighbourhoods): We decided to never go into Joburg city because of everything we read about it. However, we had to go to Joburg thrice because of its excellent connectivity to all destinations we visited on that trip. So each time, we stayed just a few kilometres from the airport instead of venturing into the city. However, we do know people who live there and say it’s absolutely fine. So I cannot give you a first-hand account of how it really is to see Jo’burg as a tourist.
  
  
• Some parts of Durban: Durban was not on our itinerary and will likely not be on yours either

The key to staying safe is simple:
Stick to well-known, tourist-friendly areas and you’re already reducing most of the risk.

Read our South Africa Itinerary to plan your own trip!

Is It Safe to Drive in South Africa or Should You Book a Guided Trip?

This is the biggest decision I’ve seen most people struggle with. Let’s talk about the pros of both of these so you can decide better for yourself.

Driving Yourself in South Africa

We chose to self-drive and it really was one of the best parts of the trip. I can’t imagine doing it any other way.

Why we always recommend self-driving:

• Roads are great, especially along the Garden Route
• You get complete flexibility to stop whenever and wherever you like
• It’s significantly more affordable

Our take: If you’re a reasonably confident traveller and take the necessary precautions, self-driving in South Africa is absolutely safe, doable and very rewarding. If you’re a couple or family that has done a few international trips before, self-driving should feel completely manageable.

Doing a Guided Trip OR Hiring a Driver

This is a great option if you’re feeling unsure about safety and driving in a new country.

Why you might want to choose this:

• Less stress
• Local guidance
• Feels more secure
• You’ve never driven on the left side and are uncomfortable doing so.

Downside:

• More expensive
• A lot less flexibility

Our take: If the safety aspect is making you hesitate, this is a great way to ease into the destination. I would still recommend keeping an open mind, trusting yourself and self-driving if you can. It is really THAT MUCH better. However, if you’re a solo traveller or this is one of your first big trips, going with a driver or guided option might just make the experience more relaxed.

Safety Rules To Follow When Visiting South Africa

We just followed some basic rules. Nothing too extreme or crazy. Here’s what we suggest:

General Safety Tips

• Stay in good neighbourhoods: This one is important mainly for cities like Cape Town, where there are safe and unsafe neighbourhoods. Accommodation can get broken into so it’s best to stay in gated airbnbs and hotels.
  In Cape Town, stay in the area between Camp’s Bay and Green Point. Avoid the city centre (Central Business District/CBD) even if you find cheaper stays, as it is not known to be safe. For all our tips and how to spend your time in the city, read this Cape Town itinerary.
  
  In Jo’burg, choose to stay at the airport hotel or close by. Best to not go into the city unless you really are keen to explore.
  
  
• Avoid walking alone at night even for short distances. Take an uber or drive.
  
  
• Never show off valuables while walking on the road. Do not wear crazy jewellery or carry fancy bags. Try keeping your phone and camera inside your bag and hold your bag securely when walking through crowded areas like the Cape Town CBD.
  

Safety Tips for Driving in South Africa

• Park in designated parking lots. While it is best to park in parking lots, you will have to do quite a bit of street-side parking in Cape Town. It is unavoidable. When you do, parking attendants in reflective vests will approach you to tip them for keeping an eye on your car. Please tip them around R5–R20. Initially we felt a bit scared leaving the car like that at the side of the road, but the attendants were actually nice, and nothing happened.
  
  
• Choose hotels and guesthouses that have private parking spaces so that you will not have to leave your car parked on the road at night. This is crucial.
  
  
• Don’t drive at night: It is best not to drive around at night. You can drive to dinner and back but please don’t drive between cities as such after dark. We ate dinner relatively early and always drove back. In Cape Town, we started by taking an Uber for dinner but eventually stuck to driving.
  
  
• Keep the car doors locked and the windows rolled up. I did roll down the window sometimes to shoot videos/photos but never around people.
  
  
• Be extra cautious at traffic signals to avoid smash-and-grab situations. If you see someone coming towards you and feel like you’re in a bad situation, it is literally better to break the signal and drive off than to wait and see what happens. This never ever happened to us but we were always cautious.
  
  
• Never leave any of your belongings visible in the car to avoid car jackings. Yes, I mean it. Nothing. Not even a wire. You can take it with you or leave it in the boot of the car where it is not visible.
  
  
• Do not drive into a settlement. I was really worried we would do something stupid, but it turns out it’s not that easy to just drive into a settlement (slum). I still wanted to mention it because you should know!

So… Is South Africa Worth It?

100%.

This is one of those destinations that gives you everything—
safaris, wildlife, beaches, mountains, marine life, cities… all in one trip.

The people are warm, the food is great, and the overall experience is just… unforgettable.

Is it a place where you should be careless? No.
Is it a place you should skip out of fear? Absolutely not.
Is it safe? With precautions.

Travel smart, stay aware, and you’ll most likely have one of the best trips of your life.

Read all our South Africa posts to plan your trip!