South Africa

Yes, but with caution — South Africa is moderately safe: as of July 2026 it scores 6.3/10 on our daily safety index, classified as Moderate risk. Most trips are trouble-free, but some risks deserve attention.

The score is an uncertainty-weighted (Bayesian shrinkage) geometric mean of five pillars — conflict (30%), crime (25%), health (20%), governance (15%) and environment (10%) — combined with a calibrated consensus of government travel advisories, so a weak pillar drags the overall score down more than a strong one lifts it, and thin or stale data pulls a country's score toward a cautious regional baseline rather than guessing. conflict (7.4/10) is South Africa's strongest pillar, while the score is pulled down by governance (5.4/10) and above all by crime (4.4/10).

This pillar reflects violent crime, theft and organized criminal activity — a low score calls for extra street awareness, especially outside the main tourist areas. It is recalculated every day from public sources including government travel advisories, the Global Peace Index, the INFORM Risk Index and World Bank indicators.

No single factor stands out as critical for South Africa: its relatively weakest area is crime at 4.4/10, close to the global mid-range. This pillar reflects violent crime, theft and organized criminal activity — a low score calls for extra street awareness, especially outside the main tourist areas.

The lowest-scoring signals here are homicide rate (World Bank) and societal safety and security (Global Peace Index). Its strongest pillar is conflict at 7.4/10.

As of July 2026, South Africa has 11 government travel advisories on record. The prevailing guidance is to exercise increased caution when visiting South Africa; the strongest current warning — exercise increased caution — comes from United States and Canada.