South Africa forum: Criminality in South Africa
Posted in the South Africa forum
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Galina Zlateva
19 Jan 2009, 16:13Criminality in South AfricaIs it dangerous for a girl to live alone in south Africa? Are there cities that are safe/unsafe? What should you think of before moving there?
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I own a house in the Eastern Cape. I have been travelling up and down the coast on and off for five years. I dont go out at night and avoid "danger" zones. I think anywhere can be unsafe these days. I often go to London and walk and tube about for days without any danger but there is terrible crime there.
I never let fear dominate or spoil anything I want to do.
South Africa is a stunning country, richly diverse, fabulous wildlife, beautiful beaches... I could go on and on.
For a relatively safe trip to see most of the country try the BAZ BUS. It goes from backpackers hostels door to door. I think the website is bazbus.com.
A trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town would give you an incredible insight. This is how I got to know South Africa.Hope this helps...
Caroline
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Galina Zlateva
28 Jan 2009, 15:11
Thank you Caroline! Well you say you don´t go out at night? What exaclty do you mean? Isn´t it possible to leave the house after sunset? Or only go everywhere by car?
Thanks for the tip with the busses, I´ll certainly check it out! Do you have more tipps for such a trip? What are the nicest beaches?
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You cannot survive without a car in South Africa. Its not like Europe where you can walk or bus between towns or districts. Once you get a few kilometres from a major city the countryside opens out and it is very difficult to walk anywhere. Public transport outside of cities is non existent. Central Durban is a great place for backpackers with all the clubs and bars within walking distance of the hostels.
The beaches in South Africa are AWESOME!!! The best beach I think is chintsa in the Eastern Cape. I bought a plot of land there in 2003 really cheap then sold it in 2007 and bought a house. Check out Buccaneers backpackers chintsa on the web. I've got loads of photos if you send me your email address.
Are you living in Bulgaria or the UK? You will need 600-700 euros for return flight ticket. About 300 euros (approx) for BAZ Bus return ticket from Johannesburg to Cape Town. The ticket is valid for a year and you can hop on and hop off wherever you like on route. Don't worry about travelling alone, loads of girls your age do it. You will make many new friends and have the time of your life. The exchange rate is still very good.
The buccaneers take on backpackers to work at the hostel. The pay is low but I think you get food and accommodation (not sure).
Hope this helps
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I've written a good few articles about this very subject on my blog. I won't repeat it all here, but basically you can be safe if you follow some simple guidelines. I'm going to say something pretty harsh here, but true. There are enough people in SA who are simply dumb enough to do things for example like walking around on high heels with an expensive camera around their neck whilst carrying parcels in dodgy bits of town, so that they are targets of crime. In other words as long as your are more sensible than people who I see everyday being dumb about safety, you most likely won't be a target, because there will be a million people who are easier targets. Anyway here are more details:
http://www.my-cape-town-south-africa.com/crime.html
http://www.my-cape-town-south-africa.com/category/lifestyle/
crime-lifestyle/Cheers,
Last edited 15 Sep 2009, 13:33
Liz
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