U.S, Canada, Australia, and China All Have Travel Advisories for This One Popular Destination

Countries around the world have encouraged travelers to use caution when visiting the popular tourist destination of South Africa, citing concerns about crime.

Earlier this month, Canada updated its travel advice for South Africa, noting a “significant level of serious crime.”

“Violent crimes occur frequently throughout the country and have involved foreigners,” Canada warned, adding these crimes could include armed robberies, burglaries, home invasions, carjackings, murder, and assaults, including sexual assaults.

Australia similarly updated its travel advisory on Nov. 28, encouraging travelers to “exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa.” The alert was published on the Smart Traveller website, which is updated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

“South Africa experiences more crime during its power cuts (load shedding), but crime can occur anytime, anywhere,” the Australian government warned. “Be particularly alert in major city centres and township areas and when travelling after dark. Crimes in South Africa often involve the use of weapons.”

For its part, the United States published a Level 2 advisory on May 27 for the country, recommending Americans exercise increased caution when heading there. The agency warned against “smash-and-grab attacks” on vehicles along with other violent crime like robbery, rape, carjackings, muggings, and kidnapping.

The State Department said travelers who do go to South Africa should avoid walking alone, especially after dark, avoid large crowds, drive with their doors locked and windows closed, and avoid displaying overt signs of wealth. American travelers should also “avoid visiting informal settlements (townships) unless you are with someone familiar with the area.”

Over the summer, the Chinese embassy in South Africa published its own safety notice, citing the risk of “kidnapping and other serious crimes.”

In the U.S., the State Department regularly updates travel advisories, classifying countries from the lowest Level 1 warning to the highest Level 4. This month alone, the department issued a warning for the tropical island of Mauritius due to crime concerns there.

In addition to the State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also regularly updates its own travel alerts due to health concerns. This month, the agency published Level 2 alerts concerning the risk of contracting the chikungunya virus in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cuba, and China. The mosquito-borne virus can cause a variety of symptoms from fever to joint pain.

The CDC also recently published a travel alert for Americans heading to India and Haiti due to the risk of rabies there.