Women living in Cape Town consider the safety level to be relatively low, with an overall safety rating of 2.1 out of 5.
Women living in Cape Town consider the crime rate to be relatively high, with an overall crime rating of 3.5 out of 5.
On average 7% percentage of women in South Africa have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner at some time in their life, according to OECD Data.
Based on 15 experiences
Safety rating: | 2.1/5 | Unsafe |
Safety walking alone after dark: | 1/5 | Very Unsafe |
Safety using public transport: | 2.1/5 | Unsafe |
Crime rate: | 3.5/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being sexually harassed: | 2.9/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being sexually assaulted or raped: | 3.1/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being physically attacked: | 2.8/5 | Moderate |
Worries of home broken and things stolen: | 2.8/5 | Moderate |
Worries of being mugged or robbed: | 3.6/5 | Fairly worried |
Worries of being kidnapped or murdered: | 2.8/5 | Moderate |
Maia
Listen is all realness Cape town is so beautiful here but the crime here is like 50/50 in some places its not so bad but please be aware of your surroundings and what your around and who your around, i stay in plattekloof and most people consider it safe but then again ive gotten mugged at the duck pond before, just stay aware ladies always carry something to protect yourselfsšš¤š»
Posted: May 7, 2025Capetown is safe in all tourist destinations, although there are some locations you shouldn't go by yourself but in all my stay ofnore than 8 year living in the southern suburbs of Capetown and exploring the city I've never encountered any robbery of some sort or felt not safe
Posted: May 1, 2025It's safe if you're not stupid. You can't be completely carefree but it will be fine if you keep your belongings attached to you eg don't just have your phone/wallet hanging out of your pocket. Also definitely wouldn't recommend going out alone at night unless it's in a very safe area and even then be careful.
Posted: February 2, 2025Cape Town, like any country has its fair share of problems. It can be seen as a very unsafe place and statistics describe a high amount of crime. However I think that staying out of trouble is fairly easy when taking the right precautions. I think that it is very important to listen to locals and the advice we offer.
Posted: January 19, 2025Wherever you go as a women youāll encounter problems. Cape Town itself isnāt the safest but itās also not the most dangerous. There are certain conventions to follow such as, uber in a group, walk around in a group, donāt keep the same routine, avoid strangers, be careful when youāre out and about. For me, I donāt feel all that unsafe but itās always good to keep your awareness up. Iāve lived in Cape Town for about a year now and havenāt encountered many issues because I follow certain living conventions but other than that, I really enjoy it here.
Posted: January 6, 2025Cape Town has pockets of safe spots. Going out after dark by yourself as a solo traveler let alone a female is NOT advisable. Also choose very carefully which hostel or hotel you decide to stay in if youāre unable to find a suitable host. Because not all reviews online are necessarily accurate. And when it comes to your safety. Thatās of paramount importance. Take care and extra precautions!
Posted: October 20, 2024Cape Town can be unsafe in specific areas and safer in other areas. I have lived in Cape Town my whole life this Iām aware and will tell you which areas to avoid. I can also travel around with you to make it more safe. It is known as a very dangerous city but as I mentioned earlier there are safe areas and dangerous areas.
Posted: August 18, 2024Neo
Cape Town is mostly fine during the day, especially in the more bougie, gentrified areas. People will catcall you as youāre walking down the street, but apart from that there is very little likelihood of anyone actually confronting you. Once it gets dark itās a different story⦠Donāt travel alone, donāt do silly things like leave your door open to the street and donāt leave your belongings unattended. I do know a fair number of people who have been mugged at night, my boyfriend got attacked by someone wielding a panga walking home from a club, and Iāve had things stolen out of my house because I left my window open and they just reached in and grabbed it. Our criminals are not smart, and most crimes are crimes of opportunity. As long as you are sensible, you should be fine :)
Posted: June 8, 2024Itās dependent on the area, people who havent travelled to Cape Town before should ensure that they are aware of the town they are staying in to ensure itās considered a moderately safe environment. Some areas are more dangerous than others, however caution should be taken regardless.
Posted: June 6, 2024Cape Town is a beautiful country but there is little safety for women. You cannot drive at night, you cannot walk alone through the city centre, itās very unsafe to go clubbing or to be excessively drunk in public. Itās a destination Iād only recommend to travellers who know a local and will be staying with them.
Posted: March 27, 2024based on 33 experiences from female travelers
I felt sooo safe as in even after it got dark and well past my normal "get into the house now or else your in danger" time We budgeted around 10k+ including travel n lodging expenses plus food n activites and for transport we used Uber everywhere(extremely expensive) id reccomend renting a car instead since it'll be cheaper in the long run else the traffic is controlled and neat We stayed at ocean vibes inn it was an amazing place and the owners were extremely nice but i wouldn't recommend as its far from most of the activies which are literally in the centre or near VA waterfront which was far from us
Posted: April 26, 2025Experienced: December, 2024Overall I felt safe, because I followed advice from Lokals. Never leave your belongings unwatched. Don't enter Townships and put your phone away while waiting for your Uber. I can really recommend doing a sunrise hike on lions head. But make sure other people will join you for that.
Posted: December 5, 2024Experienced: September, 2024Gema
Hi! Iām Gema. Iām adventurous and will say yes to trying something new, but I also value peaceful rest and slow mornings. āļø Fresh out of high school and Iām looking to step out of my comfort zone in new ways and meet new people along the way for lifelong memories together. Iāve just come back from working abroad and Iām looking forward to planning my first solo travel trip. āļø
Maia
My name is Maia.š Im from the USA, i moved to cape town when i was three. Im a nail tech and im still a student at the moment, im a foodie and a binge watching series girlie and loveeee the winterš I love making new friends im also a very humorous person, I love nature and love going on walks im also a gardening girlie ifykyk im open to making new friends and trying new adventuresā”