Go with a plan.
South Africa dropped to a 56/100 sketch score today, and while the UK keeps its advisory at level 1, the US and Canada remain at level 2. Watch for the global measles notice before you book.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about South Africa
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Up-to-date safety advice for visitors is published regularly by the British Government and the United States Government.
- •The main safety issues in South Africa are violent crime, including gun crime, and HIV.
- •Most crime is concentrated around certain specific townships or perpetrated by specialised criminal organizations connected to specific trades not much affecting travellers, as long as you keep away from such dealings.
- •To avoid opportunistic attacks like robberies, avoid unsafe neighbourhoods and never walk around in deserted areas at night.
- •Don't ignore common safety advice, such as to have a separate purse for routine shopping, not to carry valuables around more than necessary and keeping them out of sight, and to stay vigilant.
- •To avoid carrying your passport, have an authenticated photocopy of it for showing in the bank and when otherwise needed.
Staying healthy
- •Emergency and medical assistance: There are a number of independent emergency assist companies in South Africa
- •Hospitals: It is best to avoid public hospitals where possible. Private hospitals are of world class standard.
- •Pharmacies: The major pharmacy chains found at shopping centres catering to tourists (e.g., Sandton City, V&A Waterfront) is Clicks and Dischem.
- •South African pharmacies are generally comparable to their counterparts in Europe and North America.
- •Water: Municipal tap water is usually safe to drink throughout the country.
- •Sunburn: Many activities in South Africa are outdoors, see the sunburn and sun protection travel topic for tips on how to protect yourself.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
- South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams dies aged 25 , just weeks after World Cup appearance2026-07-11
- WEATHER : Rain expected to hit THESE four provinces2026-07-11
- WEATHER : Severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours expected to hit SA2026-07-10
- WEATHER : Rain , morning frost set to sweep across parts of SA2026-07-09
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers emphasize that South Africa requires constant vigilance to navigate risks like carjackings, muggings, and violent crime. Success relies on strict adherence to basic safety protocols: avoid driving after dark, keep nothing visible inside your vehicle, stay in safe areas, and steer clear of townships. While some travelers report feeling European-level comfortable in nice areas, the consensus is that safety is the primary concern. Self-driving is common in Kruger and along the Garden Route, but it demands caution and staying on main roads. Aggressive vendors can be an issue in tourist hubs like Camps Bay. Ultimately, travelers who follow these rigid safety rules often report incident-free trips.
“Basic rules we followed: no driving after dark, nothing visible in the car, no stopping by the road, stick to safe areas and avoid townships, etc. We were back at our places by 7pm every night except one late dinner in Dullstroom (which felt safer in comparison).
— r/travel
“Only real issue is safety, so do your homework and pack LOTS of vigilance.
— r/travel
“Of course, we won't be driving at night, do our best to stay on the main roads and read about general safety in SA (windows closed, smash and grab, etc.)
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / M / N · 230V
Driving side
left
Emergency
police: 10 111 / ambulance: 10 177 / fire: 10 177
Zoom in
6 South Africa cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (11 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12