De Lille says visitor safety top priority amid Level 2 travel advisory issued by US

CAPE TOWN - Noting a Level 2 travel advisory issued by the United States (US) for travel to South Africa, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says visitor safety remains her department’s top priority. 

The US government issued the travel advisory last week, just six days after the president visited the White House, and members of the delegation spoke about crime in the country. 

De Lille said that despite the country’s crime challenges, the overwhelming majority of international visitors travel safely and leave the country with positive and enriching experiences. 

The minister said the US travel advisory for South Africa must be put in context, and that many travel destinations around the world also have crime challenges. 

She said visitor safety is being actively addressed through coordinated efforts, which include increased security presence at key tourism nodes, safety monitoring and swift incident response. 

More than 100,000 US citizens visited South Africa in 2024, and in the first four months of this year, the US surpassed the United Kingdom as the country’s largest source market. 

In its travel advisory, the US government said increased caution should be exercised for visits to South Africa owing to crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping. 

It said violent crime is common, and includes robbery, rape, carjacking and mugging. Visitors are also advised to be cautious of smash-and-grab attacks, driving at night, particularly in big cities, and kidnappings to withdraw cash.

Level 2 advisories are reviewed once a year. 

France, Belgium and Germany were also placed on Level 2 of four levels in May.

In the region, South Africa joins Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana, which have all previously been placed on Level 2.