Canada dropped a travel warning telling its people to watch their backs in South Africa because violent crime keeps hitting tourists at crazy rates. The advisory flags armed robberies, carjackings, home invasions, kidnappings for ransom, and express kidnappings where criminals force victims to ATMs after snatching them off the streets. Women traveling solo face particular danger from assault and murder in cities, and sketchy dating app scams target foreigners through fake meetups.
Roads near airports are especially dicey, with people getting followed from baggage claim and robbed later. Fake cops run illegal roadblocks to jack travelers, and real highways have issues with nail strips, rock throwing, and staged accidents to make drivers stop. The government says skip driving after dark, avoid Cape Town airport secondary routes like the R300, and stick to main highways.
Theft happens constantly in hotel rooms, at ATMs, and through card skimming operations, while public transport minibuses are robbery magnets that should be avoided completely.
Roads near airports are especially dicey, with people getting followed from baggage claim and robbed later. Fake cops run illegal roadblocks to jack travelers, and real highways have issues with nail strips, rock throwing, and staged accidents to make drivers stop. The government says skip driving after dark, avoid Cape Town airport secondary routes like the R300, and stick to main highways.
Theft happens constantly in hotel rooms, at ATMs, and through card skimming operations, while public transport minibuses are robbery magnets that should be avoided completely.
