IS CAPE TOWN SAFE FOR FEMALE TRAVELLERS?

Are you planning to visit Cape Town but wonder if it’s a safe holiday destination for female travellers?

I’m so glad that I never allowed my fears about travelling as a woman to stop me from giving it a try. Travelling has changed my life and broadened my worldview. The beauty of travelling is to constantly meet other female travellers who feel the exact same way. Let me tell you…you are capable, wiser, smarter, and far stronger than you think. Just properly equip yourself and everything will be okay.

I live in Cape Town, and this world-class city is generally safe for female travellers. Also known as the Mother City by the locals, Cape Town, a port city on the southwest coast of South Africa, is situated on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. It is the oldest city in South Africa built by the Dutch East India Company as a supply hub for Dutch ships traveling along the spice route through East Africa, India, and the Far East. The Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront, Robben Island, one of the Seven Wonders of Nature – Table Mountain, Chapman’s Peak Drive, and Cape Point Nature Reserve, despite being 65 kilometres outside the city centre, are all popular local tourist attractions.

Even though the months of May to August may be cooler, Cape Town is a year-round and safe holiday destination with tidy streets, visible security guards on the streets, beautifully constructed roads, the most beautiful natural scenery, and accommodations for any kind of traveller. However, as with any large metropolis, there are areas of the city that are unsafe and there are opportunists waiting to take advantage of tourists. It is important to take the usual safety precautions, such as avoiding walking alone at night, being aware of your surroundings, and not carrying large amounts of cash.

To be honest, your biggest problem, and something you will have to figure out when you visit Cape Town is how to fit all of the city’s notable tourist attractions and fun activities into your itinerary. I have lived in Cape Town for the past 5 years and still haven’t ticked off everything and the list keeps getting longer.

The selection of safe accommodations and areas can also be absolutely overwhelming. Try to book accommodation around the City Bowl, De Waterkant, or V&A Waterfront if you like the nightlife and want to be closer to the action including popular bars, restaurants, shops, activities, and attractions. If your budget allows and wants to live near the popular beaches, Clifton, Camps Bay, and Bantry Bay are your best three areas, and for Atlantic Ocean views near the city and V&A Waterfront, consider Green Point or Sea Point.

Here are some safety tips for female travellers visiting Cape Town:

14 TIPS TO STAY SAFE AS A FEMALE TRAVELER

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

As you should with any country or city you plan to visit, do your research and learn as much as you can about the place you intend to visit before your arrival. Search on social media to see what people who have been there before say about the place, read travel blogs like this one, read the reviews, and ask other women about their experiences about a particular place you intend to visit. Never book a place that has no reviews, especially on Booking.com or AirBnB. Read all the reviews but focus more on those written by women.

2. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Walking down the street with your head down will make you a target for thieves and predators. It helps to put your phone away when walking on the street and if you like walking with headphones in, leave one ear unplugged so that you can hear any external sounds around you. Look at the people in your surroundings – both near and far. This shows any potential predators that you are aware of your surroundings and it helps you to prevent anything that might be coming. This will help you notice if someone has been walking behind you for several blocks, walking alongside you, or if a suspicious vehicle randomly stops in front of you. If I suspect anything, I just step into a store or restaurant and check if they stop or continue walking.

3. PRINT AND STORE COPIES OF YOUR IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

Print copies of your identity document, passport, driver’s license, and any other travel documents to carry along with you and leave your originals in the safe inside your hotel room. It also helps to store electronic copies on Google Drive, Dropbox, or e-mails so that you can access them from any computer should you get robbed or pickpocketed.

4. CONNECT WITH OTHER WOMEN

Try connecting with other women as soon as you arrive at a place. It will give you the comfort to walk around or do activities as a group instead of alone all the time.

5. USE APPS ON YOUR PHONE

Our cellphones are more than just for social media platforms, they can be used for safety purposes too. Use it to send your loved one your live location (I use Whatsapp) so that they know exactly where you are at all times. Download the offline version of Google Maps for Cape Town and surrounding areas you will be visiting to use without data/Wi-Fi. Looking lost will make you a target. If English is not your first language don’t fully understand it, downloading a Translation App (iTranslate or Google Translate) can also come in handy sometimes because not understanding what people are saying to you becomes a safety concern.

6. PUT YOUR CAMERA AWAY

Walking around with your camera in hand or around your neck also signifies that you are a tourist and likely have other valuables (smartphone, lenses, laptop, lots of cash, etc.) on you or inside your bag/backpack hand. There are situations where I have seen people walking next to someone, snatching their phone right out of their hand, and jumping into a slow-moving vehicle.

7. DON’T EXPOSE YOUR VALUABLE ITEMS

Never expose your valuable item, especially your camera – this will attract unnecessary attention and will give it away that you are a visitor/tourist. If you park your vehicle, do not leave items on your car seat, and if you are going for a hike, leave important travel or identification documents at your accommodation. When using the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), refuse any assistance from people lurking nearby unless it’s a security officer in a uniform.

8. BE SMART ON SOCIAL MEDIA

No matter how excited you are about a place or any experience, do not post in real-time – wait until you’ve left a certain location or attraction before posting a photo or video. Only post your accommodation once you have left, never reveal where you are sleeping in real time too. You can never know who is watching or following you. If you plan to meet up with a follower from social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or any dating App), be sure to meet in a public place.

9. BE CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT

Dangerous things can happen at any time but studies have proved that more are likely to happen at night when there are fewer crowds out. Try arriving at your accommodation during the day to familiarise yourself with the surroundings. Try to meet people during day tours and avoid going out at night alone. If you really want to go out at night, find a group of people at your accommodation who are already going out and ask to tag along. The most important thing is to know your alcohol intake limit and to never experiment with drugs even if offered by your new friends.

10. GET A LOCAL SIM CARD

It is wise to have a local sim card to use for calling and texting your hotel and friends including loved ones if you need to. In South Africa, we use Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom as our cellphone network providers for both calls and data plans.

11. PACK SMART

Do not pack your valuables in one place when walking around. Keep your cash and cards distributed throughout your pockets and various compartments in your bag/backpack. Always move your bag to the front of your body and never put your phone in your pockets in crowded areas.

12. BE STREET SMART

If someone asks if you are alone, tell them that you are meeting up with friends or that your boyfriend is on his way.

13. HANG OUT WITH THE LOCALS

The locals always know where the fun and affordable spots are and they will always protect you should someone try to rob/scam you. If you treat locals like you would treat a friend, they will treat you like their own too.

14. USE UBER/BOLT/MYCITY BUS

Avoid accepting lifts from strangers and rather request Uber, Bolt, official Taxis, Hotel Shuttle, or use the MyCiTi bus to get around. We have trains but I would avoid them at this moment – I have had my own share of horrible things happen to me. To read more about getting around Cape Town safely, click here.

27 BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND CAPE TOWN DURING THE NETBALL WORLD CUP 2023

There is a seemingly endless list of fun things to do and tourist attractions to explore in Cape Town and the surrounding areas, and the list continues getting longer. The most frequently asked question by visitors is whether it is possible to have fun and visit Cape Town’s popular tourist attractions on a tight budget. We’ve put together a list of 27 inexpensive activities to do in and around Cape Town to help make your trip as enjoyable and memorable as you can.

To save more money on your Cape Town trip, we recommend getting a City Pass Card for generous discounts or free entry to Cape Town’s top attractions – Over 70 popular Cape Town attractions, tour activities, and restaurants!

29 THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND CAPE TOWN DURING THE NETBALL WORLD CUP 2023

If budget is not a problem, here are some of our favourite things to do in and around the Mother City, and we hope that this list will give you a few ideas of what you can do and see in and around Cape Town to ensure your stay is as fun and memorable as possible.

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