Crime in Cape Town - should you be concerned about Personal Safety?

The short, honest answer is “Yes”. Safety in Cape Town is a hot topic. Read a selection of 2010 tourist safety forum answers here.



Crime in Cape Town is an issue and I would be the last person to try and convince you that this is NOT the case.

On the other hand, some people imply that to visit Cape Town will almost inevitably result in you falling victim to crime. This is simply not true.

How do I know it’s not true?

I live here. I have done for the last 18 years, part from a 3-year absence when I was based in London.

And my experience is corroborated by Foreign Policy's September 2008 Murder Capital report that statistics for lower income areas do skew the crime figures for the entire city.

According to that report (which puts Cape town at #2 for murder capital of the world, one place above New Orleans) "...[Cape Town's] homicides usually take place in suburban townships rather than in the more upscale urban areas where tourists visit. According to the South African Police Service, most of the Cape Town area’s violent crimes happen between people who know one another..."

I have lived and worked in various parts of this city, some distinctly less than middle-income. My total brushes with crime in Cape Town have been as follows:

I’m not denying that I’ve got off lightly. Many Capetonians have not been as fortunate as that. But before anyone suggests either that I live in a well-guarded fortress or that I don’t get out much, let me describe how I do live.

Yes, my garden has a secure perimeter with a 6-foot-high fence. Unlike some homes in the suburb, we have no electric fencing or razor wire on the premises. I am usually in and out of the property several times a day and oh yes, our dog is a regular family pet, not a trained attack dog!

Crime in Cape Town - How do you keep safe?

There’s no guarantee that being careful will keep you outside the crime stats. All the same, if you’re living in or visiting a place where crime is an issue, you should take some precautions. Here’s what I do.

In general I take the precautions I have taken in every large city I have visited or lived in.

In the car

But what about the statistics for crime in Cape Town? They really are bad...

Cape Town crime statistics (like the rest of South Africa’s) are truly horrifying. I find myself wondering if I live in the same city, as my experience would indicate the statistics are not true. Unfortunately, they are true.

Cable car visits to the the top of Table Mountain are still fine, but venturing off the well beaten track is not a good idea.

I hate to say this, but rather be safe than sorry :o(

So how do I reconcile my reality with the statistics? There must be a middle ground somewhere between the doom merchants and Cloud Cuckoo Land.

The following explanation may seem simplistic but it is nevertheless true.

There are comparatively high levels of crime in lower income areas. (Tourists seldom venture into these areas unaccompanied.) The average middle-class resident or tourist is far less likely to become a victim of crime than a lower-income Capetonian.

In short, while you need to be careful you need not be paralysed by fear. I do not believe that crime in Cape Town (as it affects visitors) is at such a level that it should stop you from coming here.

But of course that’s a decision you must make for yourself.