Cape Town Travel Risk — Elevated Risk (51/100)
Is Cape Town safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Cape Town scores 51/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates South Africa Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 27 May 2025); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Natural disasters (score 30)
Crime (score 62)
September 27, 2026
Cape Town, South Africa has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 51 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 62/100; the lowest-rated category is natural disasters at 30/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the South Africa travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Cape Town to visit in 2026?
Cape Town currently sits at 51/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the elevated-risk tier. Travelers should plan more carefully than the global average — read the Actions section below before booking. The highest-rated risk category for Cape Town is crime (62/100), and the lowest is natural disasters (30/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (61/100) and crime and scams (58/100).
A score of 51 is higher than the scores of 69% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 16, 2026
Cape Town currently has a baseline safety score of 51 out of 100, reflecting an elevated risk, alongside a US State Department Level 2 advisory and a Level 1 CDC global dengue health notice. Recent safety headlines highlight concerns around highway barriers, xenophobia impacting hotel demand, and protests related to undocumented migrant asylum applications.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 03:37 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 62/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Transport safety (score 50/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Cape Town
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Exercise heightened caution even during daylight hours. Stick to primary thoroughfares, travel in groups where possible, and avoid navigating quiet residential side-streets alone.
Nighttime movement carries significant risk. Strictly avoid solo walking after dark; rely exclusively on hotel-arranged transportation or registered radiotaxis, and confirm destination security before leaving your accommodation.
Safety by Traveler Type in Cape Town
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Solo travelers
Crime risk is elevated. Solo travelers should avoid quiet areas at night, keep a charged phone and offline map, and share a live location with someone.
Women traveling solo
General crime risk is elevated. Plan arrivals in daylight, avoid isolated areas, and prefer accommodation with 24h reception. We do not hold gender-specific incident data for Cape Town, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
Older travelers
Health/transport risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, plan rest between transfers, and locate English-capable medical care on arrival.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Cape Town for families with children (Health 40/100 · Natural disaster 30/100), business travelers (Digital 38/100 · Money 38/100 · Transport 50/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 35/100 · Political 38/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + Global Peace Index references)
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | high |
| Night safety | low |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Cape Town
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Today's weather
🌙 Clear
Cape Town, South Africa
| Today's high / low | 20.2°C / 13.3°C | Wind now / max | 9.6 km/h / 16.3 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humidity | 89% | Precipitation today | 0 mm · 0% chance |
| UV (max today) | 7.8 | Sunrise / Sunset | 06:03 / 19:00 |
Source: Open-Meteo (free public weather API) · fetched 2026-10-16 03:19:19 UTC · cached
Air quality
Air Quality
Moderate
| PM2.5 / PM10 | 11.4 / 15.7 µg/m³ | O₃ / NO₂ | 32 / 8.2 µg/m³ |
|---|
Source: Open-Meteo Air Quality · fetched 2026-10-16 03:19:20 UTC · cached
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
South Africa - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Wildfires | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Cape Town happened in June (4 of 7 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the South Africa travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the South Africa entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
Recent headlines
Recent Headlines · Cape Town South Africa
-
Cape Town's highway barrier: Can it bring safety?
DW.com · 3d ago
-
Home Affairs asylum directive withdrawal: South Africa pause applications from asylum seekers wey be undocumented migrants afta violent protests
BBC · 6d ago
-
South Africa Rail Incidents Fall 10% but Fatalities Rise 26%
Rus Tourism News · 6d ago
-
South Africa’s aviation safety record challenged by rising deaths
Getaway Magazine · 1d ago
-
Airlink given deadline to respond to Cape Town Stadium flyover report
Getaway Magazine · 1d ago
-
Storms and scorching heat set to hit parts of South Africa
Getaway Magazine · 2d ago
Source: Google News · headlines verbatim, dates from publishers · fetched 2026-10-16 03:19:21 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Cape Town
The most weather-stable two-month window for Cape Town is November–December, when typical daily temperatures run from about 15°C to 24°C and monthly rain averages 19 mm.
No threshold-level heat, cold, wind, or cyclone flag appears in the stored normals; June is the wettest typical month at about 76 mm.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 5, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Cape Town
Cape Town has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 3 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Booth Memorial Hospital
- Hospital: Groote Schuur Hospital
- Hospital: Mediclinic Cape Town
- Hospital: Mowbray Maternity Hospital
- Hospital: Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital
- Hospital: New Somerset Hospital
- Hospital: PathCare MediClinic Cape Town
- Hospital: Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Hospital: UCT Private Academic Hospital
- Hospital: Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital
- Police: Camps Bay Police Station
- Police: Cape Town Central Police Station
- Police: Maitland Police Station
- Police: Maritime Port of Entry Control Centre (MPECC)
- Police: Mowbray Police Station
- Police: Rondebosch Police Station
- Police: SAPS Port of Entry
- Police: SAPS Woodstock Police Station
- Police: Sea Point Police Station
- Police: Table Bay Harbour Police Station
- Embassy: British Consulate
- Embassy: Consulado de Portugal
- Embassy: Consulate of Belgium
- Embassy: Consulate of the Republic of Namibia
- Embassy: Dutch Consulate General
- Pharmacy: A. White Chemist
- Pharmacy: Barr’s Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Blooms
- Pharmacy: Chinn's Corner Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Clicks
- Pharmacy: Clicks
- Pharmacy: Clicks
- Pharmacy: Clicks
- Pharmacy: Culemborg Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Litekem Pharmacy
- Fire station: Cape Town Central Fire Station
- Fire station: Salt River Fire Station
- Fire station: Volunteer Wildfire Services
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (South Africa)
| Police | 10111 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 10177 |
| Fire | 10177 |
| General | 112 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | high |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
Good private hospitals; public sector overstretched.
Common scam patterns
- Street mugging (phone/jewellery snatch). Muggers target visible phones and jewellery, especially after dark and on quiet streets between nightlife areas. Tip: Do not wear visible jewellery or display phones; do not walk between districts at night - use a taxi or e-hailing.
- ATM "help" / card swap. Strangers offer "help" at ATMs and swap or skim your card. Tip: Use ATMs inside malls or banks; never accept help; cover the keypad.
Major transport hubs
| Hub | Type | Risk | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town International Airport (CPT) | airport | 40/100 | Pre-book a hotel transfer or use a reputable e-hailing app; keep valuables out of sight. |
Area notes
- V&A Waterfront, Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point, Green Point, Bo-Kaap, Long St. The main tourist areas - well-secured with CCTV and safe in daylight; still take a taxi between nightlife spots after dark.
- Cape Flats & townships. High violent-crime areas - do not self-drive or wander in; only visit a township with a reputable guided tour.
- Overall. Cape Town is rewarding but has high crime outside the tourist zones. Stay in the safe areas, avoid walking at night, hide valuables, and do not hike alone.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in South Africa for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Frequently asked questions about Cape Town
Is Cape Town safe for tourists?
Cape Town currently scores 51/100 on our composite travel risk index (elevated risk; lower is safer). It already includes the current US State Department advisory for South Africa (Level 2 of 4). Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Sources: Travel Risk Calculator — Cape Town · Methodology
What is the travel advisory for Cape Town?
Official advice for South Africa: US — Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; UK — No FCDO advice against travel; CA — Exercise a high degree of caution. Advice can differ by region, so read the full notice before you go.
Sources: US State Department · UK FCDO (OGL v3.0) · Global Affairs Canada
Run a personalized assessment for Cape Town
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2026 | 60 → 51 | elevated | Data update scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 44 → 60 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 44 | moderate | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + Global Peace Index references) |
Every editorial change to Cape Town's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Cape Town
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Cape Town, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
Coverage looks complete for this city.
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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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.