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“Crime is a bit like sunburn. Everyone knows it’s a risk in a country like South Africa, but if you take the right precautions you can still get out there and have some fun”

We know that the number one concern for anyone travelling to South Africa is crime. We don’t deny crime is a problem and as long as there are such extremes of wealth and poverty living so close to each other this will continue.

It is very important to understand the reality and take a sensible approach. If you don't you will either spend your entire trip in fear and not experience the best South African has to offer or you will increase the risks of becoming a victim. With common sense and local advice it is actually very simple to strike the right balance and travel with confidence.

Here is the good news for you: violent crime has fallen in recent years; most crime takes place in areas most tourists would never visit and hundreds of thousands of tourists visit every year without having a single incidence of crime. In fact, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office released a report in March 2010 that suggested that South Africa is a safer tourist destination (based on the percentage of incidents as a proportion of the total number of visitors) for British tourists than Spain, Thailand or even Germany

We don't want to play down a genuine problem. You should take local advice and use your common sense. And if you've got one of our GPS and phone devices with on-screen maps and turn-by-turn spoken instructions you can relax knowing you will not get lost or end up in the wrong part of town. It is preloaded with the best attractions and safe routes through towns, our security advice and driving tips.

Whilst some car rental companies offer the option of hiring a GPS device, these typically guide the driver on the shortest route between two points. However this may not necessarily be the safest (or most interesting or picturesque) route. For example a tourist arriving at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and heading to the popular Sandton area would generally be guided by a typical sat-nav device via Alexandra Township. This vibrant township is also a high crime risk area and might not be the best introduction to South Africa, especially after a long flight.

We use our expert local advice to pre-load routes that avoid potential hotspots so you don't get that jump in stress level that's common when driving in an unfamiliar hire car, on unfamiliar roads, in a foreign country.

We provide simple security advice and driving tips before you arrive so you know what to look out for and how to act. And if you have any questions or concerns whilst you are on the road (for example a policeman has stopped you and is being difficult), you can always use the device to drop us a call or an email.

If you follow the advice and routes we plan for you, you will dramatically reduce the chance of being a victim of crime. And you will also do your bit to bring wealth and honest jobs to the economy, which is the only way to solve crime in the long term.