How to Stay Safe in South Africa
South Africa
“Sorry that my ‘help’ is not here,” said the anti-apartheid hostess.
“Where is she?” we asked.
“She’s at a funeral.”
“Sorry to hear that. Whose?”
“Her son’s.”
“My! What happened?!”
“There was a knock at the door and her son went to answer it. They could hear someone ask him for a cigarette. Her son said that he was sorry but he didn’t smoke. From the living room, they could hear some scuffling as someone pulled her son out the front door. Next they heard a gunshot. It all happened so fast.”
I heard varied reports about safety before I left for South Africa. Once I got there, a grim composite emerged:
In the Cape Town newspaper was the story of a woman that dove from the train. No one knows what motivated it. Was she cornered? Going to be attacked? Raped? She was unconscious in the hospital.
“Watch your back in Umtata,” warned a man. “My best buddy got his throat slit over 2 rand(20 cents).”
How do you stay safe so that you can enjoy this spectacular country?
1) Upon arrival, many travelers stay in Pretoria rather than Johannesburg.
2) Ride the Baz Bus if you are staying at hostels. It will deliver you to the door.
3) Use “Mr. Delivery” rather than be out after dark getting dinner.
4) Have a friend watch your back if you get money from the ATM machine.
5) Engage other’s assistance in ensuring your safety. E.g. I drank some bad water at the ocean so I needed meds in Durban. The pharmacist understood my predicament. “Yes, I could walk to the hospital to get a lab test to confirm this diagnosis, but then I’d be walking after dark. Can we resolve this a different way?” “Yes, I can give you these meds now without the test.”
6) Don’t engage in conversations on the street, don’t give anyone an opening for the first step of trouble – a mugging.
7) Youth from the townships panhandle. Don’t pull out your wallet. If you wish, give them food instead of money.
8) Remove all signs of being an foreign tourist: camera, fanny pack, baseball hat. Adapt to fashions there. Try to tone down your foreign accent.
9) The hippos and crocs are real dangers. Though pudgy, hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa. After sunset they come out of the lagoon to forage up to 20 miles away. Hunker down inside at sunset. Don’t dangle your legs over the edge of the boat and have a croc drag you under. Heed crocodile warning signs.
10) South Africa has the Deadly Dozen – snakes. Visit in the winter when snakes are hibernating and you’ll never see the Green Mambo.
That said, South Africa is worth it. It’s spectacular: the cliffy coast, the Drakensburg, and Kruger wildlife. Predominately Xhosa and Zulu, it’s culturally rich. Home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, it is a fascinating nation giving birth to itself. So enjoy. Stay safe.