South Africa Travel Risk Overview
Country-level baseline for crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital, and money-safety risk, with city-level dossiers where Travel Risk Calculator has local data.
Run a personalized South Africa assessmentCountry baseline composite
Data file
| Confidence | 70 |
|---|---|
| Source note | calibrated 2026-05-09 v1.0 (knowledge-based; State Dept advisory tiers, GPI, OSAC patterns) |
| Last reviewed | 2026-05-09 11:01:52 |
| City files | 9 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 5 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | 43/100 |
Threat Vector Baseline
City Risk Files in South Africa
Showing 9 of 9 reviewed cities in South Africa, ranked by population.
Emergency Numbers
| Police | 10111 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 10177 |
| Fire | 10177 |
| General emergency | 112 |
Recent Assessment Signals
| Location | Mode | Score | Confidence | AI / Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | trip planning | 43/100 · moderate | high | AI + search |
| Cape Town | trip planning | 43/100 · moderate | high | AI + search |
| Cape Town | trip planning | 43/100 · moderate | high | AI + search |
| Cape Town | trip planning | 43/100 · moderate | high | AI + search |
| Cape Town | already arrived | 44/100 · moderate | high | AI + search |
Latest AI-assisted briefing for South Africa
Cape Town faces heightened crime risk from card‑cloning scams targeting tourists, a recent hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, and an intense cold front with heavy rain and flooding expected across the Western Cape. Travelers should remain vigilant, avoid suspicious card‑reading devices, seek medical care if exposed, and monitor local weather alerts.
Top risk drivers
-
Card‑cloning scams targeting tourists in Cape Town
· crime
Tourists have been targeted by scammers using card‑cloning devices in Sea Point and near Table Mountain, with authorities confiscating devices and arresting suspects.
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Hantavirus outbreak linked to MV Hondius cruise ship
· health
Eight confirmed hantavirus cases and three fatalities, including a Dutch couple and a German national, have been traced to the MV Hondius cruise ship, prompting contact tracing across South Africa.
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Intense cold front and flooding expected in Western Cape
· disaster
The South African Weather Service warns of a strong cold front bringing heavy rain, flooding, and wind gusts up to 78 km/h across Cape Town, with a Level 8 flood warning in place.
Recent intelligence
- Tourists to Cape Town warned about card-cloning scammers [source]
- Three men arrested for trying to scam tourists near Table Mountain [source]
- Hantavirus alert: South Africa races to trace contacts after MV Hondius outbreak [source]
- Four monitored in CTN over possible Hantavirus exposure [source]
- SA braces for intense cold front, heavy rain [source]
Live intelligence cited 12 public-source snippets. Every claim above is grounded in one of them — verify any specific detail by following the snippet links on the full assessment page.
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.