Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Johannesburg at 19/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than South Africa's national picture overall (55/100 vs 61/100).
City page · part of South Africa
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Johannesburg report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside South Africa's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
80.8
Safety Index
19.2
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as South Africa's national page, with crime swapped for Johannesburg's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Johannesburg, specifically
- • Johannesburg has stubbornly high crime levels.
- • Johannesburg earned its lawless reputation during the 1980s when the apartheid regime was collapsing.
- • When on the street (this doesn’t apply to shopping malls and other secure environments) best general advice is to try your best to look like a local and to avoid displaying any form of wealth.
- • Should you be a victim of robbery, it is best to cooperate with your assailants, surrender your valuables, do not attempt to negotiate, do not look them in the eye.
- • Above all, use your common sense!
- • Finally, keep things in perspective.…
Legal status (national law)
Male legal since 8 May 1998Female always legal; equal age of consent since 2007 + UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →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
Tipping
Tipping is the norm in restaurants. Indeed, most of these businesses pay their staff the legal minimum-wage, relying on customer tips to bring staff incomes up to live-able levels. Tips of around 10% of the bill are considered the norm but you may refuse to tip if the food and/or service were below par. Please note some restaurants management shares all "official" tips, you may want to rather give
Cash vs. Card
The currency is the rand, denoted by the symbol "R" (ISO code: ZAR). It is divided into 100 cents (c). Notes are in denominations of R200, R100, R50, R20 and R10. Higher value notes are slightly larger in physical size than small value notes. All notes have a metallic security strip and a watermark. Two series of banknotes are in circulation and are legal tender in South Africa, the "Big Five" ser
How this compares to South Africa
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Johannesburg at 19/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than South Africa's national picture overall (55/100 vs 61/100).
See the full South Africa page and all receipts →