Should travellers be worried about crime in South Africa?
Crime in South Africa should not be a worry when travelling to Kruger Park.
The high crime rates in South Africa can be prescribed to factors such as poor policing, however crime is a standard in modern life. No matter where in the world you are, there will be some kind of crime going on.
In our opinion higher crime rates in South Africa compared to other countries also relate to different factors such as corruption that need to be taken into the equation. South Africa may rate similar to first-world nations in terms of crime rates if these factors were left out of the equation.
It is a well-known fact that crime is high in big cities for example. You will definitely be safe when coming to South Africa!
Kruger National Park’s rest camps are know to be low crime areas, although statistics for crime in the country remains high. Safaris are usually well protected in terms of security. South African National Parks (SANParks) for example have helicopters and drones surveilling the park.
Wildlife areas are also surrounded by electric fences (as well as the rest camps) to keep the wild animals in, due to being big 5 areas.
We have some tips to stay safe in higher populated areas around the world:
- Lock your doors when leaving your car, when you arrive home or go to sleep.
- Have security measures in place such as armed response and alarm systems.
- Keep high value items out of sight. Always tightly keep your wallet and cellphone in your pant pockets or closed zips.
- Do route planning to avoid protests (these also occur in countries other than South Africa). If you are travelling with a tour operator, they should already do this planning for you.
- Have a charged cellphone with you as well as emergency numbers.
- Travel with a group or tour guide / tour operating company.
- Stay vigilant.
- Finally, remember your travel insurance.
The great news is that most (if not all) accommodations and tour operators in South Africa are well geared in terms of security and safety measures (unlike many other travel destinations globally).
We provide you with a lovely experience and wonderful trip, despite the bad media attention South Africa might receive on international news.
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