Tourism Minister Says Safety in South Africa an Issue for Travelers

JOHANNESBURG – Barely two days before Ukrainian visitor Ivan Ivanova was stabbed to death while hiking in Cape Town, the Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said the government was paying attention to the issue of safety in the country that had been raised by potential visitors.

Kubayi-Ngubane told the Real Estate Development Summit on Friday last week that the National Tourism Safety Strategy was at an advanced stage, and that her department was working with the South African Police, provinces, local government and members of the sector.

“This in response to the concern that has been raised by those who want to visit our country, that they would like the issue of safety to be given attention,” she said.

As of October 2018, the U.S. Department of State has had a Level 2 travel advisory for South Africa in effect, which recommends that visitors exercise increased caution, in particular the prevalence of violent crime, especially in the CBDs of major cities after dark.

The British government, noting a similar warning, also mentioned that travelers had been followed from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and robbed.

In a recent article on Tripsavvy, the travel site concluded, “South Africa is by no means a utopia. Crime is a problem, and incidents do occur.

“However, as a tourist, you can avoid most dangerous situations by simply being aware and making informed choices. Don’t let negative media coverage put you off – this is one of the world’s most beautiful countries and somewhere that everyone should visit at least once.”