It would be negligent to pretend there isn’t crime in Cape Town. In 2024 it sits at number 17 in the International City Crime Index but surprisingly only one spot below Australia’s Alice Springs which sits at number 18. On the International Safety Index by Countries it might surprise you that Australia sits at a poor number 80, with South Africa at number 142. These figures certainly surprised me.
Before relocating to Cape Town, naturally, I was reminded by many of its high crime rates. However, most of this information was shared by third parties or individuals who’d never experienced the city. The reality is, crime can happen anywhere and typically happens to individuals who aren’t prepared, take silly risks or aren’t aware of the dangers. Serious crime in Cape Town predominately happens in low socio economic areas where, as a tourist or even a local, you’d never frequent. In the high tourist areas, petty crime like phone theft, car break ins etc are more common however there’s things you can do to limit this risk. There is never a chance something cannot happen, no one can make that guarantee. But I’d like to share insights and tools with you that will decrease the chances of anything untoward happening to you and making sure you have a fabulous and safe holiday. This information is shared to be an informative guide and isn’t official or legal advice.
Catching e-hailing services (Uber etc) in Cape Town
Uber is the most popular form of public transport in Cape Town which is typically cheap and easily accessible. Unfortunately the service is pretty unregulated in South Africa in which one individual could have multiple vehicles and multiple individuals driving these vehicles, sometimes not the person listed to pick you up. Here’s a list of things you can do to limit your chances of any negative experience in an Uber.
Turn on all safety features in the app including pin number, audio recording of trip and sharing your live location with a trusted friend.
If traveling alone, I prefer to sit in the front passenger seat. The reason for this is I have more control over the driver and can keep an eye on their movements which I can’t easily do sitting in the back.
Lock your door or ask the driver to lock the doors.
Only have a small gap in the window and keep valuables out of sight.
Keep an eye on the proposed route as shown by Uber GPS and make sure your driver sticks to that route.
Ask the drivers name before entering the car (and make sure it matches that on the app).
Wait inside of the venue you’re leaving until the Uber arrives.
There are different pricing options for Uber. After dark ALWAYS book Uber Black. The Uber Black drivers typically hive higher-rated drivers and much more reliable cars. Night time is when you’re most at risk. Please where possible, travel with others.
If female and traveling solo, as far as anyone is aware, you’re married and your partner is waiting at home for you. You also live here. If you have to tell mistruths for your safety, that’s allowed.
Most drivers you’ll find aren’t South African. They often come from Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Congo etc. This is very normal and most are here to do the right thing.
If something feels wrong, leave the car in a brightly lit, busy area.
Exploring Cape Town by foot
Cape Town is a visually stunning city in which you may find yourself endlessly exploring by foot. There are some hard and fast rules to make sure a leisurely walk is an enjoyable one.
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES walk alone at night unless in very high foot traffic areas where people are out socialising or eating. Ubers are super cheap so always opt for transport home or out once the sun is down.
Like any large city, be aware of your phone and valuables. A cross over body bag is a great way for extra security and keep your valuable jewellery at home.
If you’re a morning walker like me, the Sea Point Promenade is a safe and busy place once the sun is up. It’s also a great location to take a run along the ocean taking in Lion’s Head and Signal Hill.
I only ever have one air pod/bud in so I am aware of my immediate environment and I prefer to walk towards oncoming traffic if I’m walking earlier in the morning to maintain a better sense of my surroundings. I also cross the road if I’m approaching someone who looks suspicious.
You will find there to be more vagrants in residential streets on the mornings that rubbish bins are out for collection as they rummage through waste for food. Just be aware of your surrounds at this time.
If anyone approaches you for directions or money, just firmly say ‘no thank you’ and keep walking. Do not entertain any engagement.
I carry a small personal alarm or a small pepper spray on me if I know it’s a day there may not be a lot of other foot traffic out. They may just give me an extra few seconds of time if I met someone with ill intentions. You can purchase pepper spray from any Cape Union Mart stores which are located across the city.
Exploring Cape Town by car
There are many wonderful places to see and visit within a 60 to 90 minute drive of the city such as Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Cape Point, Langebaan and Hermanus. The benefit here is South Africans drive on the left side of the road, just like in Australia. If you are a competent driver, hiring a car is a good idea. Please note many cars here are manual transmission, very few automatic. If you’re not a super confident driver, I’d recommend hiring a guide or transfer service. South African drivers are notoriously bad. I find the road rules here are more of a “suggestion”, not to necessarily be adhered to by many. Even for a competent driver like myself, I sometimes feel uncomfortable being on the road. Some of the driving behaviour I’ve witnessed here would put even the worst Australian driver to shame. If you are opting to hire wheels, here’s some tips to keep you on the road and help get you to your destination safely.
Lock doors and place any bags or luggage in the boot (trunk) before departure. Get your GPS and directions set up before leaving so you can be 100% focused on driving.
In the city, you’ll find many beggars at traffic lights (otherwise known as Robots). It’s best not to interact with them even when it can be quite confronting at times.
If you are ever in any type of accident or incident, keep driving until you are in a busy and public space. There are many scams in South Africa where individuals will create a situation requiring you to pull over or stop. This is the perfect situation to be robbed or possibly worse.
Best avoid driving at night where possible.
Don’t leave any valuables in the car when visiting parks or tourist destinations or if you do, place them in the boot of the car and out of sight before arriving. Often at carparks you’ll see Car Guards. It is customary to pay a small amount (a coin or two) to ‘thank them’ for looking after your car if you’re in a more remote area.
The road rules- speeding, drinking driving, mobile phone usage apply here too. I’ve heard of people getting caught on their phones and the police will confiscate them for 24 hours and you can collect by paying a fine.
If you are on open roads and you’re holding up traffic, it’s polite to pull to the left into the shoulder of the road (if there’s sufficient space to do so) to allow traffic to pass. The passing traffic will then indicate ‘thank you’ by using their hazard lights. This applies in reverse for overtaking.
When exiting the car, double check to make sure doors are locked. Remote jamming is a thing in South Africa and it is where thieves use electronic interference to prevent your car key fob or remote from working as intended, meaning you leave your car thinking it’s locked, but it’s not.
Be aware of your surrounds when entering and exiting the vehicle.
Hiking in Cape Town
Cape Town is a magnificent place to hike and many tourists come here to do just that. The views are spectacular and the options for hikes are plenty. Hikers can often be targeted though, with muggings being a common occurrence. Many tracks do now have cameras and security presence but not all. I would never want anyone not to experience a Cape Town hike because of this risk, so here are some ways to remain as safe as possible and have a lekker (good) time.
Always hike in a minimum group of four as safety comes in numbers. There are multiple groups that do hikes regularly. Here are some you may want to join: Westside Adventurers, Lekker Hike, Social Community, Cape Town Hiking with Tim Lundy
If you don’t want to join a specific group or timings don’t work, it’s best to wait in your vehicle in the carpark until a larger group starts a trail and tag on the end or close by.
Some trails have dangerous terrain. Please ensure you have appropriate footwear and equipment (water, food, clothing etc) and watch the weather before departure to ensure your safety.
Walk at the pace of the slowest hiker.
Stick to well-used paths. Don’t take shortcuts or stray into ravines.
Try to limit what you take on your hike that is of value.
Some trails with higher elevation can get very windy and/or very hot, very quickly. Please dress and prepare accordingly and watch the weather closely.
Notify a friend of exactly where and when you’re going with an expected return time and contact them upon return.
Be careful starting your hike from suburban streets. This is typically where most incidents occur as it’s an easy getaway into the streets for criminals.
Ensure someone has a cellphone with the correct emergency numbers and sufficient battery power for the day. In an emergency, switch your phone to whatever power saving mode is available to ensure longer battery life. Please refer to essential numbers for these.
Be sure not to leave any items, particularly valuables in the car that are in visibility. Car break ins sometimes happen when there’s no car guard.
Download the Namola or Buzzer Safety Apps before setting off.
The vast majority of the mountain is free of crime, but there are consistent ‘hotspots’ worthy of extra caution – such as adding a couple more people to your group – or, in some cases, avoiding completely.
Please note this is not an exhaustive list and crime can occur anywhere.
Signal Hill (extra caution)
Deer Park jeep tracks (extra caution)
Rocket Road-Sandy Bay (extra caution; hike in a big group)
Hangberg trails and the Sentinel Peak (hike with a local guide or avoid)
Trails around Kleinplaas Dam, between Simon’s Town and Scarborough (avoid)
There is more information about Table Mountain crime on this map here.