How to Travel Smart & Safely in South Africa
I love South Africa….I think that likely comes across in all of my content. But it’s not without it’s dark side as well. It’s one of the most violent & dangerous countries in the entire world.
Violence has been a part of South Africa’s history for centuries - drawing back to the days of colonialism when it was used to reign over, repress, and control the indigenous people. Later the apartheid regime (starting in 1948) used violence as a tool to gain and maintain political control.
Sometimes living in Cape Town, it’s hard to understand how South Africa could be classified as a developing country….but then you venture into other regions & cities and it becomes evident just how big of a class divide there is. In fact, South Africa has one of the biggest gaps between the rich and poor of any other nation in the world. And when you have a country with a big wealth disparity & prevalent poverty, crime levels are typically high.
I’m not telling you this to discourage you from visiting South Africa. But I do think it’s important to educate yourself on the realities of life in South Africa and let it serve as a reminder to stay ever vigilant when you visit - especially if you’re a woman.
I, myself, have encountered a number of scams the last several weeks and wanted to write this article to share my experiences and hopefully prevent someone else from being caught in a stressful situation.
An encounter with police corruption…
My friend and I decided to rent a car and drive between Johannesburg to Cape Town, making various stops along the way. My boyfriend was also with us for the Johannesburg —> Drakensubrg —> Durban portion. Our very first day, we encountered our first corrupt act.
We were cruising down the freeway and from way off in the distance, we could see a man stepping into the road. As we grew closer, we could see it was a policeman and he was motioning for us to pull over. He told my friend that she was going 140km/hour (seems unlikely). He then asked where she was from (USA) and how he could guarantee that she would pay the ticket since she was a visitor. It was a very weird conversation….and became clear what he was getting at was that he wanted her to pay on the spot.
My boyfriend rolled down the window and paid the guy 900 rand so we could get on our way.
After that, I immediately did a little research and found out that on the spot payments are illegal in South Africa. So we clearly had been dealing with a corrupt police officer.
What to do in this situation?
First off, ask to see the radar gun for proof that you were actually speeding. Next you can ask to see the calibration report and the officer’s certification to actually operate the radar gun.
Next, NEVER PAY ON THE SPOT. It’s illegal, for one. And secondly, you encourage police officers to continue to pull this shit with others in the future.
Ask them to write you out a ticket (you can pay it at many banks, Pick’n Pay, etc.) OR follow them to the nearest local police station where you will pay the ticket. They likely won’t want to do this and you may get let off.
Let’s jump to a few days later when we were driving through the Wild Coast - as this was where we encountered a few scams and theft attempts.
A well coordinated Covid scam….
We were cruising down the highway, when this white vehicle cuts us off and then starts driving super slowly. Being prone to road rage, I verbalized my frustration at the idiot driver numerous times as we approached the town of Mthatha - which we had to pass through in order to get back to the high way.
As we pulled up to town, we saw a man in a metallic yellow vest talking to the idiot driver who had cut us off, and then went and spoke to the car to the left of us as well. He then approached our car and told us that the town was closed due to covid and we would have to purchase a covid pass in order to go through. It was all happening so quickly and the other cars were pulling over to the gas station, so we did as well.
The friendly attendant tells me to wait with the car and my friend, Sonya, goes inside to investigate the pass situation. As I look around, I immediately feel a bit uneasy. It’s definitely the sort of place you want to keep all the car doors locked at. The attendant made a bit of small talk with me and has me move the car a few times to get out of the way of those trying to use the gas station.
But the minutes tick on and I start to get uneasy. Why is Sonya not back yet??
Then a police officer knows on my window. I roll it down a bit.
“Are you alone?” He asks.
No, I’m waiting for my friend who went inside to buy some covid pass.
“Stay in the car,” he says and then goes running towards the gas station.
Obviously I’m freaking out a little bit now. I call Sonya.
She picks up frazzled, telling me people just stole her credit cards.
Get out of there!! I’m scared for your safety!! Come back to the car, NOW. Please!! I am literally yelling at her I’m so scared.
She comes back and we drive away in a hurry. My heartbeat is racing.
Apparently a couple guys walked her into the gas station and told her she needed to purchase a covid pass at what was clearly an ATM. Against her instincts, she put a card in and then nothing happened, so they told her to insert another card. She could tell something fishy was going on (and she thought she might have seen one of the guys hand off her card to another) so she started to try to get out of the situation….but they were surrounding her and telling her not to be hysterical.
They said she needed to use a different card so she tried again.
That’s when the police officer came over and all the guys scattered. The officer told her to cancel her cards immediately. So Sonya ran back to the car and we hightailed it out of there.
As we re-played the situation to each other - we realized it was more elaborate than we had initially realized. And that we must have been targeted from 10 minutes away from town…when we were still on the road. Remember the car that raced to pass us and then slowed down to a snails pace? It was that car that also went in to purchase the “covid pass”.
I later learned that scam artists are really playing the covid card to try to trap unsuspecting tourists. This “covid pass” scam is happening pretty rampantly in Green Point in Cape Town now too.
What to do in this situation?
Don’t believe anyone if they say you need a “covid pass”. Ignore them or tell them point blank, you know it’s a scam.
Don’t get out of your car and if pushed, offer to drive to the police station where they can confirm if you actually need this. Or dial the police at 10111.
Less than an hour later, we HAD to stop for gas (even though I was feeling very anxious about stopping again for any reason!)
Gas station scam attempt….
We pulled up to the gas station and the attendant walks up to help us. I tell them to please fill the tank with petrol.
A man in a maroon jacket (all the other gas station attendants were wearing matching red uniforms) walks up and tells me I need to go inside to pay at the ATM machine.
Now savvy to their tricks, I wasn’t going to fall for it. I polite, but firmly, told him I was not going to use the ATM. I would pay via the mobile credit card machine brought out to the vehicle - just as I had seen everyone else pay using. He tried to pressure me again but I stood my ground. He then walked away. It was a very weird, creepy encounter.
While the gas was pumping, Sonya went to the bathroom and when she came back to the vehicle - that same guy tried to approach her and tell her to use the ATM machine inside. I told her to get in the car now and to NOT speak to him.
After our gas was finished pumping, our attendant started to mention paying at the ATM inside and I cut him off. Again, saying I would NOT be paying at the ATM machine inside. I did not need an ATM. I wanted to pay with credit card via the mobile pay station.
A manager, hearing my frustration, came over.
“Is everything all right, ma’am?”
No, I keep getting hustled to go inside and pay at the ATM machine but I’m not falling for that. I live in South Africa and I know all about the ATM scams. I’ve seen everyone else pay with the credit card machine brought out to their vehicle and that’s how I will be paying as well.
“Ok ma’am, no problem.”
He brought the device over, we paid and were on our way. We had tried to ask about if the man in the maroon jacket even worked at the gas station….but the manager just waved us on, it was clear that he didn’t want to be caught as in on the scam. And just wanted us to be on our way.
What to do in this situation?
Be aware of your surroundings and what the locals are doing.
Be polite but hold your ground.
Tell them you are a regular visitor to this country and you know how things work.
So those are the 3 scams I’ve encountered in the last few weeks. Hopefully you can learn from our experiences and know what to do if you ever find yourself in these situations!
With that in mind, I also wanted to highlight a few other common scams and general safety tips for traveling in South Africa.
Beware ATM and credit card scams
This is a very common form of theft in South Africa and something you should be ever aware of. Plan ahead and accordingly so you only have to withdraw cash during the day and in populated places. Ideally you would only take out cash from a bank or mall, where there is a security guard on duty. And never ever accept help from a stranger at the ATM (they may try to steal your pin by standing close).
Don’t engage with homeless people and those begging for money
Unfortunately there are some areas in South Africa where the homeless people are relentless…they will stalk and follow you until you give them money. This is going to sound mean, and I don’t love it - but the best way to avoid this happening is to not give them attention from the get go. Once you engage with you, they frequently will not leave you alone until they get what they want.
On one occasion, a homeless woman came up to me in a restaurant - saying how hungry she was. I gave her my leftovers in a takeaway box. She threw away the box and came back, continued harassing me for money….followed me as I left the restaurant and was waiting for me outside retail shops. This went on for at least 15-20 minutes. I felt VERY uncomfortable. I even tried running away….but she would keep catching up to me. I finally just had to escape in an Uber.
If you do find yourself being followed relentlessly, duck into a restaurant or retail shop and let them know what’s going on. They can have a security guard talk to the person.
When driving, don't get out of the car for any reason
There are a number of tricks thieves will use to get you to exit your vehicle so they can rob you and/or steal your vehicle. This involves placing something in the road so that you have to stop. Veer around it - but don't stop the car.
Don’t drive at night (or walk around alone)
On a similar note, if you’re in unfamiliar areas, DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT. This is when the majority of crime and theft takes place. Also, don’t walk around alone at night. Hopefully that one is obvious, but I’m writing it here just in case. Take an Uber and go out in groups.
Make sure someone knows where you are at all times
This is especially important for my solo female travelers out there. Make sure someone knows where you are staying at your general schedule at all time. This way someone will know if anything happens to you and can report it immediately. Tell your mom, tell the person at the front desk of your hotel, etc.
Don’t walk around outside with your phone out
In Johannesburg, someone walked up to Colin (who was standing outside our hotel on his phone) and told him not to stand on the street with his phone exposed….someone will walk right up and snatch it and run away. This is a very common form of theft in South Africa and something that locals learn quickly in life.
Never hire unofficial guides at national park
I am a big proponent of hiring guides….but never hire a random “unofficial” guide that you meet outside of a national park. Only trek with official, registered guides that you know you can trust. There are stories of unofficial guides taking tourists off the beaten path, far from help, and then rob them.
Don’t hike alone
As an independent woman, I like to believe I can hike alone….but in South Africa, this is extremely ill-advised and just not smart. Better to be safe than sorry! Solo hikers have often been targeted in places like Table Mountain, where reception can be poor to non-existent in certain areas.
Be smart when it comes to taxis
This advice applies to outside of South Africa as well - but if you use taxis, make sure you tell the driver to use the meter (or pre-negotiate a FAIR price). Often times taxis will refuse to run the meter, instead trying to charge exorbitant prices. On a slightly scarier scale, I’ve also heard of taxis in South Africa driving tourists to middle of nowhere and then demanding money or robbing them and leaving them stranded.
Honestly, I think the safest way to travel is via Uber. I would only use a taxi as an absolute last resort. Uber offers fair pricing and you know exactly what rate you’re going to pay. Additionally, since your drives are tracked and all drivers are registered with Uber, there is much less chance you will encounter any funny business.
Watch your drink
Again this one applies to any destination or city you are in. But in South Africa in particular, it’s something to be cautious of - as the country has a very high rape rate.
Beware corrupt police officers and fake police (see ways to handle above!)
Don’t believe anyone saying you need a covid pass to go somewhere (see ways to handle above!)
So I hope I haven’t scared you too badly! South Africa really is a great country….but just one that you need to visit with your eyes wide open. If you educate yourself properly, I guarantee it will be a wonderful experience.
xoxo
Lauren