Is Cape Town safe for solo female travelers?

Cape Town is a city of contrasts with areas that are safe, especially popular tourist areas like the City Bowl, the Atlantic Seaboard, and the Southern Suburbs. It is common for solo female travelers to visit these areas without issue. However, it is important to be cautious as crime, including muggings and theft, can occur. Always be alert, avoid unlit areas or unfamiliar neighborhoods at night, and use common sense when it comes to personal safety. Utilize transportation options that are known to be secure. Public perception of safety can vary, so always do your research and stay alerted to the conditions around you.

Safety rating

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How safe is Cape Town for solo female travelers?

Travel safety index

3.7 /5

based on 35 experiences from female travelers

Solo travel

The city was really interesting and fun and I enjoyed going to the waterfront and seeing the seals and the penguins at bouldes beach was amazing. Table mountain was an incredible sight to see. I really enjoyed the hike all the way to the top

Posted: January 8, 2026Experienced: December, 2025
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Solo travel

The most memorable for me was actually the food in Cape Town, every cuisine here is just so good and literally every food I ever had was just delicious. The people are all very open and friendly, but of course you got to stay a bit conscious about your surroundings since there are a lot of people in the street trying hard to sell anything to you. I still felt safe even walking around alone sometimes and you can take an Uber everywhere because it’s really cheap and safe. Most of the activities are outside so I would recommend coming in spring or summer but there are also a lot of very nice...

Posted: July 7, 2025
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Family travel

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...

Posted: April 26, 2025Experienced: December, 2024
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How safe is Cape Town for women?

Local safety index

2.5 /5

Based on 20 local experiences

Local crime index

3.5 /5

Based on 20 local experiences

Samke

Samke

Atlantic Seaboard is one of the safest areas to stay, offering peace of mind and a relaxed atmosphere. Still, it’s important to remain alert, cautious, and mindful of your surroundings at all times. I hope this helps

Posted: February 4, 2026
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Teggs

Teggs

Cape town is generally pretty safe. Its best to stay in places like Camps Bay, the Waterfront, Blouberg, Stellenbosch. Its best to stay away from the city center, Mitchell's Plain and Dunoon. NEVER drive past those two places please. Also just some basic tips. Dont walk around alone, keep your phone close and out of site. And be vigilant

Posted: December 20, 2025
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Tamsin

Tamsin

Everyone always asks about the safety of Cape Town, South Africa. It's probably one of the most asked questions when travelling there! I have grown up in CT, but have never had a bad experience there. However, I have unfortunately heard of many incidents there. As a proud South African, who loves her country and would HIGHLY recommend traveling there, I think it is relatively safe as long as you keep your wits about you. For example, do some research. Try not to walk alone in an isolated street, research which areas are better than others - and don't wander into the more 'dangerous' ones....

Posted: July 8, 2025
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Safety map

The safety map shows areas in Cape Town where women have reported feeling unsafe.

Safety in South Africa

Hospitality Exchange in Cape Town

khanyisa

khanyisa

Cape Town

Can host for:

2 days

About me

My name is Khanyisa ☺️ I am 31 years old from Cape Town, South Africa. I love to meet people, travel and making connections. My passion is spirituality and healing ❤️‍🩹 exploring the psychedelic healing space at the moment. Looking forward to making new friends 🤍

Speaking

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Tayla

Tayla

Cape Town

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hey! I’m Tayla. I’m currently living in my dream spot back in my home country after living and travelling abroad for 4 years. I live by the sea with my 2 cats and Turkish partner. I absolutely know the struggle of finding safe places to chill while travelling and hope I can be a safe space for some ladies who need it.

Speaking

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