Is Cape Town Safe for Tourists in 2025? Tips from a Local

I’ve read a lot of blog posts, including ones written by women, which say things like “I didn’t feel unsafe at all during my time in South Africa”, or “it’s all the media hyping things up, it’s perfectly safe”.

As a South African, I’m pleased to hear that people have had such positive experiences. But I think it is important to highlight that there is crime in South Africa, like everywhere else. Whenever you travel anywhere, you should be aware of the risk of theft and pickpocketing, and people who say they have never felt unsafe at all in South Africa may not have been aware of their surroundings.

That said, lots of people, tourists and locals, including solo female travellers, get along just fine in Cape Town, as most of the serious crime takes place in areas which tourists are unlikely to go to. In the 31 years I lived in South Africa, the only crime I experienced was theft and pickpocketing. Read on for my top tips on how to stay safe in Cape Town.

Is Cape Town Safe for Tourists?

The short answer to this is “yes, but…”. Although there is a high crime rate in Cape Town, and in South Africa generally, most of it takes place outside of areas that tourists are likely to go to.

Even in touristy areas, you should avoid walking around at night (walking around the Waterfront is the exception to this), and you should never leave valuables visible on car seats.

The Best Areas for Tourists to Stay in Cape Town

On your first trip to Cape Town, you’ll want to be close to the City Bowl, where you’ll be spending most of your time. The Waterfront used to feel like a tourist trap, but that has changed a lot in the last few years, as local clothing designers have opened stores, and the restaurants have improved. I stayed at the Waterfront on a trip home recently, and was surprised at how much I loved it – it is huge, with some great restaurants and bars, and the major benefit is that you can walk around, including at night.

If you do stay at the Waterfront, you shouldn’t be afraid to venture outside of it at night – just don’t walk around Cape Town at night. Ubers are easy to get in the City Bowl, and much cheaper than you’d expect.

Alternatively, you can consider staying in Greenpoint or Sea Point, both of which have a great vibe and stunning views. Camps Bay and Clifton are good options too, although they tend to be a lot more expensive and slightly out of the way, and most of the restaurants are pretty touristy.

If you want to stay somewhere more suburban, the southern suburbs (Constantia, Newlands, Rondebosch) are 20 minutes from the City Bowl, and provide easy access to the Constantia Wine Route. The suburbs are stunning, very green, and you’re likely to get a lot more space. That said, it’s further away from the action, and you may prefer to hire a car if you’re staying there.

Theft

As with most cities around the world, theft is the most likely kind of crime that tourists might experience in Cape Town. Here are some general safety tips:

• Don’t flash valuable items like cameras and jewellery around, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• ATMs can be a hotspot for scam artists – if you need to draw money, do so within a shopping mall or at an ATM inside a bank, and ignore anybody who talks to you.
• Leave valuable items like passports in hotel safes.
• Keep your handbag on your lap in restaurants, not on the floor or hanging over the back of your chair.
• A card machine is usually brought to you at a restaurant – don’t let anyone take your card out of sight to complete a payment.
• When paying in shops, make sure you can see where your card is.
• Don’t fight to try to keep your possessions if you get mugged – give them what they want.

You are likely to be asked for money quite a lot in South Africa, particularly when you’re walking around. Whether you want to give is, of course, up to you, but I generally don’t like digging around my handbag or my wallet in public. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, the advice I’ve been given by police, on several occasions, is to say no and donate the equivalent amount to charity. My favourite South African charities are Habitat for Humanity, FoodForward SA, and the Lunchbox Fund. You can also buy vouchers for homeless shelters, which you can give away.

Is It Safe to Get Around Cape Town?

Walking around

During the day, walking around parts of Cape Town is ok, as long as you can see that there are lots of people around. Bree Street, Kloof Street, Sea Point, Green Point, and De Waterkant are all ok during the day. At night, avoid walking around, apart from within the Waterfront or in populated areas on First Thursdays.

That said, there are sections of Kloof Street and Bree Street which are very populated at night, because there are lots of bars and restaurants. Locals, including women, will walk very short distances at night (ie, bar hopping along Kloof Street). This is ok, but it’s better to do so in a group, and always take an Uber if you’re going from one part of the city to another. If you get to a section of the road where there are no other people, rather turn around and call an Uber from a more populated spot.

I spent a lot of time on Long Street at night when I was in my 20s, but I no longer recommend walking around there at night.

Driving

South Africa has one of the highest road fatality incidences in the world. Another oddity about South Africans is that, despite a reputation for being generally friendly, they can be quite aggressive when driving. Make sure to keep a safe following distance from the cars in front of you.

Other car safety tips:

• When driving around, avoid having valuables visible through car windows. Although you probably do need your phone propped up in order to navigate, leave large bags in the boot, and put smaller bags under the seat.
• Keep doors locked and windows closed, and be aware of your surroundings when stopped at traffic lights.
• When you park the car, make sure that it is locked. If you lock the car with a remote, it is best to check manually that it is actually locked, as signal jammers are not unheard of.
• Don’t leave anything of value visible on car seats when you leave the car.

Public transport

Apart from the My City Bus in Cape Town (and the tourist-focused Red Bus), public transport is best avoided by tourists. It is very cheap, but there can be security issues. You’re not really missing out, though, as public transport can be unreliable and the routes are nowhere near as well-developed as in Europe, for example. Ubers are cheap, easy to get, and much safer.

Taxis

There are minibus taxis in Cape Town, which I don’t recommend to tourists (there are pickpockets, and there have been horrendous overcharging stories). The old metered taxis are a dying breed, but there are also ride-hailing apps. The only one I recommend for use in South Africa is Uber.

Is Cape Town Safe at Night?

You should avoid walking around Cape Town at night, apart from within the Waterfront or in very populated areas on First Thursdays. Weekend bar hopping in a group on Kloof Street or Bree Street is ok to do for very short distances on foot, as long as there are lots of people around. Apart from that, get an Uber.

Sun Safety

The sun is a danger which is often underestimated by tourists visiting South Africa. You need sunblock, which you should frequently reapply, and it should be at least SPF 30 (SPF 50 is better).

South Africa also sees a significant number of heatstroke cases in the summer months. Sorry if I sound like Captain Obvious, but the sun in South Africa is hottest at midday (I thought this was a universal phenomenon until I lived in London, where it is oddly sometimes hottest in the late afternoon). It is usually best to avoid being in the direct sun between 11:00 and 14:00, and you should definitely avoid hiking between those times in the summer. Throughout my childhood, we were usually pulled out of the swimming pool around midday, and made to come inside for lunch, and then let out again after 14:00.

How Safe Are Cape Town’s Hikes?

The most important hiking safety tip is that you should avoid hiking alone in South Africa. There are occasional muggings on Cape Town’s hiking routes, but accidents also occur. Table Mountain’s various hikes are far from easy, and you are much safer in a group.

General hiking safety tips:

• Always start your hikes early in the morning, as it can get very hot in Cape Town – avoid hiking between 11:00 and 14:00 in the summer.
• Never hike alone, both as a matter of security and because accidents are not unheard of.
• Take snacks and water, wear sunblock and proper shoes, and take warm layers, even on a hot day – it can be surprisingly cold at the top.
• Double-check the weather on the morning of your hike, as it can change very fast, particularly at the top of Table Mountain.
• Always stick to demarcated paths, particularly on Table Mountain.
• If you are getting the cable car down Table Mountain, make sure you check the time of the last cable car, and be on it – people sometimes get stranded and have to be rescued.

What to Know About Beach Safety in Cape Town

Theft

The age-old problem of what to do with your things at the beach when you go for a swim. If you’re in a big enough group, not everyone always wants to swim at the same time, so we usually take turns (I, for example, am quite reptile-like in my desire and ability to keep lying on the beach for ages before I need to cool off).

If you’re in a smaller group, South Africans will often ask a friendly-looking fellow beach visitor to keep an eye on their things while they’re in the water, and you might find people asking you to do this. You can do this too, but do try to keep watch yourself as well, and don’t abuse the system – don’t swim for longer than 10 or 15 minutes (tbh, the water can be so cold that you are unlikely to want to).

Also think about the valuables that you really need to bring with you to the beach – I tend to bring less partly because I don’t want sand getting in everything. You probably need your sunglasses, your phone, and your keys, if you have them. Do you really need a Kindle or headphones? Nobody steals actual books. Also, you probably don’t need to bring a wallet if you have Apple Pay on your phone, and a single physical bank card can be kept behind your phone’s cover.

If you’ve only got the bare minimum, you could just take your valuables with you into the water – if you really want, your phone and keys can be put into a waterproof bag. I always swim in my sunglasses at the beach (mostly because I don’t dare to fully submerge in Cape Town).

Sharks

Great White Sharks are prevalent in False Bay in Cape Town, where the water is warmer. They don’t usually hang around the Atlantic Seaboard (Clifton, Camps Bay, and Llandudno) where the water is colder, but the surfers still see them there occasionally.

In False Bay, a shark spotting system is in operation, with flags indicating whether it is safe to swim or not. There is also a shark exclusion barrier up at Fish Hoek in the spring and summer months, but it is not deployed if the weather conditions are unsuitable. Don’t get into the water if it is unsafe.

Swimming

There are usually lifeguards at Cape Town swimming beaches in the summer, and they will sometimes delineate a swimming area with flags on the beach. This is to help them narrow the area within which they have to watch swimmers, and also because there are rip currents at some beaches in Cape Town. Make sure you stick to the delineated area – they will blow their whistle if you go too far away, which is slightly embarrassing.

Read the signboards at beaches about swimming safety, including whether there is a risk of a rip-tide and what you should do in the event of being caught in one. Generally, if you don’t see other people swimming, you’re better off finding another beach.

Wildlife in Cape Town: What Tourists Should Know

The operative term here is “wild”. As cute as baboons, dassies, and penguins might look, don’t forget that they are wild animals. You should not approach them, try to pet them, or feed them under any circumstances.

Baboons

You’re unlikely to have a close encounter with a baboon apart from when you’re driving past them. Towards Cape Point and Franschhoek, they love to sit along the side of the road, and sometimes even in the middle of the road.

Drive slowly, stop, and let them pass if necessary. The babies are particularly cute, but don’t assume they are soft and cuddly – a scratch or a bite from a baboon can cause serious injuries. Stay in your car, make sure your windows are closed, and your car doors are locked (some of them can open car doors). Baboons can be aggressive, and they do, unfortunately, associate humans with food. If they see a car door or window open, they will try to get inside. You should never feed them, which aggravates this problem – you will notice that the public bins along the Cape Peninsula are all baboon-proof.

If you’re staying on the Cape Peninsula, keep your doors and windows locked when you leave the house. If you do encounter one in your accommodation, stay away from them, and don’t corner them or get between them and an exit. Locals will also tell you that baboons are notoriously sexist and seem to be more intimidated by male humans than female humans.

Snakes

There are snakes in Cape Town, including several poisonous ones. Be aware of where you are putting your feet, and stick to designated paths – you are less likely to come across them on busier paths. See this advice for what to do if you encounter one.

Spiders and scorpions

My friends love to laugh at my intense arachnophobia because the spiders in South Africa are generally not dangerous (although bites can be painful, and spiders are sometimes big, particularly in winter). Spider bites can usually be dealt with by going to the pharmacy, but see a doctor if you feel unwell or it gets worse.

You’re unlikely to encounter a scorpion in Cape Town, but if you do, the majority aren’t dangerous in South Africa. I would probably go to a doctor with a scorpion bite, but mostly these can also be dealt with by going to a pharmacy.

If you’re staying somewhere a bit rural, zip your suitcase closed, store it in a cupboard, and give your shoes a quick shake before putting them on.

Seals

You’re probably surprised to see seals on this list, and while they are not generally dangerous, you should keep your distance. They hang out in harbours, hoping for some scraps from the fishermen, and you can see them at the Waterfront, in Kalk Bay, and at Hout Bay.

I absolutely love watching seals – they’re cute and furry, and remind me of mermaid-dogs. That said, do not try to touch them, feed them, or get too close. They are wild animals with sharp teeth. Most recently, there have been confirmed cases of rabies in Cape fur seals, so definitely stay away from them.

I doubt this happens anymore since the rabies confirmation, but local fishermen in Cape Town have always gotten on very well with seals, and in the past they’ve offered me scrap of fish, and invited me to feed the seals by hand – if this happens, always say no. You wouldn’t feed a wolf or a wild dog, which may have rabies, from your hand, and seals are the exact same (except the mermaid versions).

Solo Female Travel in Cape Town

As a woman, when I’m in Cape Town, I don’t walk around alone at night (in fact I don’t even do this with a companion), I make sure I am aware of my surroundings, and I don’t hike alone. Apart from that, I stick to well-populated areas – if I’m ever alone and feel unsafe, I leave. I know that might sound difficult to interpret if you’re used to living in a very safe place, but basically, I keep away from places that are isolated.

That said, you don’t need to lock yourself up at night as a solo female traveler in Cape Town. I do leave home alone at night, either driving or in an Uber.

I always tell women going to South Africa that the only taxi service I recommend for use at home is Uber. I also enable the following safety features on the app, wherever I am:

• Ride Check, where Uber checks in if your trip stops unexpectedly or goes off course.
• Pin Verification, which helps to ensure that the car you get into is the correct one. The app generates a four-digit pin, which you give to your driver, which they have to input in order to start the trip.
• Share My Trip, which automatically alerts one of your contacts to your trip and your route.

Another tip: When I take an Uber home alone at night, I always ask the driver to wait until I get inside before leaving, and they have always been happy to oblige. I would also do this if I were taking an Uber to a restaurant alone at night, if there were no people around outside.

Understanding the Bigger Picture

Although you’ve probably read a lot about Cape Town’s crime rate online, it is important to understand the context. South Africa is a third-world country, with a high unemployment rate and a legacy of apartheid, which caused huge systemic challenges that continue to reverberate today.

South Africa is also one of the most unequal countries in the world, with an incredibly high Gini Coefficient (the gap between rich and poor), which is correlated with crime. In the immortal words of Meadow Soprano, crime is an economic issue.

That doesn’t mean you should feel unsafe – it means you should travel with empathy and awareness. Cape Town is a beautiful, complicated place, and part of appreciating it fully is understanding its history too.

TL;DR – Final Thoughts on Staying Safe in Cape Town

• Don’t walk around at night.
• During the day, don’t walk around anywhere that looks abandoned.
• Don’t leave valuables visible in the car, lock your car doors, and keep windows closed.
• Don’t flash valuables around, avoid carrying cash, and use hotel safes for valuables.
• Wear sunscreen and carry water.
• Hike in groups.
• Swim only in designated areas.
• Keep a safe distance from wild animals and respect local warnings about them – they can be genuinely dangerous.

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