South Africa.Pdf
South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Rep South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Offices at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria and Consulates in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in South Africa. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s South Africa-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses South Africa at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and drought. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation The U.S. Department of State has assessed Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban as being CRITICAL-threat locations for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Crime Threats Violent crime remains an ever-present threat in South Africa; however, criminals do not single out U.S. citizens for criminal activity, as most crimes are opportunistic in nature. Common crimes include murder, rape, armed robbery, carjacking, home invasion, property theft, smash and grab, and ATM robbery. Armed robbery is the most prevalent major crime in South Africa, most often involving organized gangs armed with handguns and/or knives. The South African Police Service (SAPS) recently released April 2018 – March 2019 crime statistics for all major crimes.
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