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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. In December 2018, U.S. Embassy employees reported criminals had pepper sprayed a group of people departing the Global Citizen concert in Johannesburg in an attempt to partially incapacitate victims and steal phones and other valuable personal property. Of concern are home invasion robbery and carjacking. These crimes are often violent and can occur at any time of day. In many cases, criminals prefer to attack when the occupants are home or arriving/leaving the premises, because the residential alarm is inactive and the occupants can identify the location of valuables. In August 2019, someone attempted to gain forcible entry to the home of an Embassy employee through a pedestrian gate. Embassy security personnel responded to the residence, inspected the gate, and noticed significant pry marks on the steel frame of the gate near the lock. Although the pry tool slightly damaged the gate frame, the suspects were unable to gain access to the property. In September 2019, an Embassy employee reported a burglary of the attached garage of their residence. It appears that the suspects reached the electric fence using rubber tubing to prevent activating the alarm and forced the garage door open by unknown means. South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Rep South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report Most carjackings occur when the victim arrives at home and pulls into the driveway or entrance gate; the carjackers pull up behind the victim to block an escape path. Carjackers may kill or seriously injure victims who resist or fail to comply with demands. In many scenarios, robbers force the victim into the house, rob them of their valuables, and take the vehicle. South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world. While rapists do not specifically taret foreigners, foreigners have been victims. Financial and identity theft crimes, including debit/credit card and advance-fee scams, are common. Most businesses have portable credit card machines they bring to the customer to allow them to swipe their card themselves. Despite these safeguards, scammers frequently clone cards, resulting in fraudulent charges. ATM fraud includes the placement of a skimming device on the ATM itself or the ruse of a “helpful citizen” who offers to assist. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Review OSAC’s reports, All That You Should Leave Behind, Hotels: The Inns and Outs, and Considerations for Hotel Security. Cybersecurity Issues South Africa has seen a significant rise in cybercrime, and SAPS lacks the resources and technical capability to combat the crimes effectively. Organizations with the financial resources continue to invest heavily in cybersecurity to protect their assets. Much of the country, to include critical infrastructure, remains vulnerable to cyberattack. Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots, as it is difficult to ascertain if the connection is secure. If you must connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, use a virtual private network (VPN). Identity theft remains a significant concern due to several contributing factors: SIM swap fraud, a strong infrastructure of money wiring services, readily available internet, prepaid cell phones, high levels of corruption in many companies and government agencies, and a lack of police resources/expertise to combat this type of crime. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Other Areas of Concern Avoid township neighborhoods and Central Business Districts (CBDs), particularly after dark, unless traveling with an organized tour group or someone who knows the area. (Soweto, for example, is a known and heavily visited township enjoyable during the day or when traveling with a tour group.) Increase awareness in CBD areas during daylight, due to high crime rates and spontaneous protests often involving roadblocks and demonstrators burning tires/throwing rocks and other projectiles. South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Rep South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report Occasionally, the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to South Africa may declare specific locations off-limits to employees because of risk of violence or other physical danger. When these same dangers apply to private citizens, the Mission will alert the public to the fact. Check the Mission website to review Security Alerts. The U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town requires all employees use fully armored vehicles for official travel into townships in the Cape Peninsula and other areas prone to high levels of crime. Townships are less developed but heavily populated areas, generally located on but not limited to the edges of urban centers. Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Traffic moves on the left, and steering wheels are on the right side of the vehicle. Vehicles pass on either side or travel at varying speeds (some very fast, others very slow) in all lanes. It is common to see older, poorly maintained vehicles breaking down and creating road hazards. Be vigilant when driving on the highway, particularly at night. The Mission prohibits employees traveling after dark outside of most major metropolitan areas. Texting/talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving is a violation of the law and can result in heavy fines, the impoundment of your cell phone, or the solicitation of a bribe by an errant police officer. While the highway system and toll roads are generally in good condition, automobile accidents are the highest single risk to drivers and pedestrians. This is due to dangerous driving practices, speeding, alcohol use, slow and un-roadworthy vehicles, the condition of the road surfaces, and the frequent presence of pedestrians/animals in the road outside of large cities. South Africa has a high rate of fatal traffic accidents, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). Toll roads have emergency call boxes similar to those in the U.S. Secondary roads are often in poor condition and frequently marked by potholes. Highway signage can be inconsistent; this is more evident when driving on secondary and tertiary roads. Highway lighting is limited outside major cities and towns. Road construction is often poorly marked. Many construction zones outside metropolitan areas use a “stop-and-go” approach where one lane completely closes and the adjacent lane becomes one-way, alternating between directions. Roadway policing mainly consists of speed traps and checkpoints where officers check for mechanical malfunctions, operator compliance with license restrictions, and alcohol consumption. The legal blood alcohol limit is .05% and is strictly enforced. When stopped at a checkpoint, police may be require to see a valid driver's license. Police have stopped some foreign drivers and informed that their foreign driver’s license is not valid in South Africa, in an attempt to secure a bribe. Foreign driver’s licenses, in English or with an attached translation, are normally valid for three months. International driver’s licenses are valid and accepted for the duration of the license. South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Rep South Africa 2020 OSAC Crime & Safety Report Other common road-related crimes include smash-and-grab robberies, where a robber smashes a vehicle window to grab what is easily accessible (e.g. purse, briefcase) when a motorist is stopped in traffic or at a stop light. After snatching the item, the robber flees (often into nearby townships where it is dangerous to pursue). These crimes can occur anywhere, but most are at major intersections and at highway off- ramps. Criminals may target vehicles on the highways, but seldom do so during daylight hours. Gangs will place debris in the road and wait for a vehicle to stop after hitting the object. In another frequent scenario, an individual (or several working together) may park a vehicle on the side of the road feigning a mechanical problem in an attempt to flag down passing traffic for help. When a passerby stops to assist or to inspect damage, the criminal robs the driver of valuables and sometimes steals the car and/or assaults them. If a vehicle is on the side of the road, do not stop to render assistance.

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