How Safe is it to Visit South Africa?

This is a question being asked more and more recently, as people who want to visit on holiday research what the country is like. Unfortunately there have been incidents reported on recently in the press that cast a negative light on visiting South Africa.

These incidents are actually rare occurrences, blown up in the press so that you get the impression that they are everyday events.

This is definitely not the case. Let me explain why I can say this with confidence. Last year there were about 8 million tourists who visited South Africa - but there were not 8 million criminal acts performed against tourists last year. Nothing like it! Just a few incidents - generally when tourists have taken a chance - gone to a lonely spot alone for example.

You have to realise one fundamental truth about South Africa - it is essentially a third world country with a 'thin veneer' of first world appearance. Poverty and unemployment are rife - regardless of what the 'official' statistics show. Where there is poverty and unempolyment there will be crime - thats a fact.

But there is reason to be positive about visiting South Africa - it can be done safely - as evidenced by the 8 million or so visitors to the country last year alone.

Watch for the next post where I will elaborate on how you can accomplish a safe visit to South Africa!