Is South Africa Safe for Solo Female Travelers?
Safety rating
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How safe is South Africa for solo female travelers?
Travel safety index
based on 58 experiences from female travelers
Cape Town, 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
Chiara
South Africa
Graaff-Reinet, Family travel
Beautiful, amazing, interesting location with so much to see. A creative, artsy place with so many things to see, full of little details and tiny things to notice. Very friendly people and had a very nice stay.
Posted: January 3, 2026South Africa, Solo travel
One of my favorite countries to visit! Capetown is stunning and Johannesburg gives you a full cultural experience. The food was okay overall but the seafood was very fresh. I highly recommend visiting both CT & Jozi
Posted: December 4, 2025
Lihle
South Africa
East London, Family travel
I didn't really feel safe because some coloured guy tried mugging us, but luckily nobody was hurt and the guy was caught as we acted fast. As I'm from gauteng the food is no different from ours, we stayed at my brother's place during our stay. And used Indrive to get from place to place.
Posted: July 29, 2025Experienced: May, 2024Cape Town, 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...
Posted: July 7, 2025
Maia
South Africa
Plettenberg Bay, Couple travel
Honestly it really depends what area your in but the majority of pletternburg bay is GORGEOUS, i really recommend going to the Tsala Lodge resort in the peninsula it is absolutely gorgeous they take such good care of you and the food is amazing🤞🏻
Posted: May 7, 2025Experienced: March, 2025Cape Town, 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...
Posted: April 26, 2025Experienced: December, 2024Western Cape, Group travel
We did the Garden Route, the place is clean and safe for travellers. The weather changes often but it’s still manageable, we went in summer and stayed in George very beautiful area with lots of scenic views. Highly recommended.
Posted: February 4, 2025Experienced: November, 2024
Thato
South Africa
St. Lucia, Couple travel
St. Lucia was so beautiful. The weather was still warm enough to go to the beach even though it was winter in South Africa. The place we booked, The Sandpiper, was just perfect. The food, the location, the staff and everything was great. It was like 3 minutes away from the beach.
Posted: December 25, 2024Experienced: March, 2024Cape Town, Solo travel
Overall 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, 2024Is South Africa safe for women?
Women’s safety index
Based on 71 reports
Crime index
Based on 71 reports
Lynadia
Pretoria
Pretoria is ranked among one of the most dangerous cities in the world. As someone who's grown up there, I've grown up knowing to keep my belongings in sight at all times as well as other "simple" things like keeping my phone in my zipped bag instead of in my pocket etc. I've been privileged that I grew up in the safer parts of the city, so the worst that has happened to me is my phone getting stolen, but its important to know where not to go and where not to go at night, or alone etc. If you...
Posted: April 24, 2026
Skyla
Cape Town
Soo lived here my whole life. Cape Town is definitely one of the safer cities in South Africa however it still has its faults. Never walk around at night, even in a group. During the day its okay to walk around in certain areas in a group, still just be cautious. Muggings are unfortunately very common.
Posted: April 23, 2026Hout Bay
Avoid walking alone in residential areas, its likely that nothing will happen but its worth taking the extra precautions. Dont walk around “showing off” or flashing things like phones, expensive handbags, watches, jewellery, etc. Stick to tourist spaces like the markets, restaurants and beaches, id advise against wandering too much as you can quickly end up in a more dodgy area. If you are in a car then just make sure not to drive up into Imizamo Yethu or the Harbour Heights (both clearly...
Posted: March 17, 2026Jeffreys Bay
Jeffery’s bay is moderately safe in majority of the areas. You can’t and shouldn’t walk around at night much like anywhere in South Africa. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and try to travel in groups
Posted: March 5, 2026Pretoria
Pretoria city center is no good. Avoid. But the rest is pretty safe. Watch out for petty crime (theft of phone, wallet). Night driving on freeways on outskirts of Pretoria can be dangerous. Generally a safe place to live.
Posted: February 7, 2026
Samke
Cape Town
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, 2026Safety in South Africa
Hospitality Exchange in South Africa
Thato
Sandton
Can host for:
3 days
About me
Just a girl's girl looking to meet new people and show them around. I spend all my time at work, home or the gym. So I'm looking for new friends.
Speaking
Babedi
Ga-Rankuwa
Can host for:
7 days
About me
I'm a shy person until I'm comfortable, I have 2 kids. Love to travel and eat. I am budget savvy. Love to dance and enjoy basking in the sun
Speaking
