Is East London safe? South Africa travel risk
Is East London safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
East London scores 58/100 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.
East London scores 58/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and South Africa (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to East London: nearest emergency and transport facilities.
Driven by: crime and scams (92/100) and security (60/100).
A score of 58 is higher than the scores of 83% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the South Africa travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Local Geographic Profile
Charted at coordinates 33.0175° S, 27.9047° E in Eastern Cape, East London maintains a regional distance of 809.0 km N to Pretoria.
Eastern Cape
33.0175° S, 27.9047° E
48 m
Africa/Johannesburg
267,007
Emergency & Transport Infrastructure
Surrounding Localities in South Africa
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
No GDACS or USGS events recorded within 100 km in the past five years.
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.
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