Is Soweto safe? South Africa travel risk
Is Soweto safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Soweto scores 60/100 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.
Soweto scores 60/100 (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 Soweto: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: crime and scams (92/100) and security (60/100).
A score of 60 is higher than the scores of 84% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the South Africa travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Coordinates 26.2678° S, 27.8585° E place Soweto within Gauteng at an elevation of 1632 meters. Heading to Pretoria: 66.7 km NNE.
Gauteng
26.2678° S, 27.8585° E
1632 m
Africa/Johannesburg
1,271,628
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in South Africa
Climate by Month
Hottest: October (25 °C avg high); Wettest: December (146 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 24° | 24° | 23° | 21° | 19° | 16° | 16° | 19° | 24° | 25° | 24° | 25° |
| Low °C | 14° | 14° | 12° | 10° | 6° | 3° | 2° | 5° | 9° | 11° | 12° | 14° |
| Rain mm | 132 | 112 | 81 | 51 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 75 | 119 | 146 |
Normals: Johannesburg (20.1 km away).
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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wildfires | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Soweto happened in February, October, November and December (4 of 4 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.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
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