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Home » South Africa

South Africa

21 scams

With wild natural beauty, legendary safaris and colorful cultural fabric, South Africa is the perfect destination for an adventure of a lifetime!

Unfortunately however, despite being one of the most beautiful countries in the world, it also has one of the higher rates of violent crime. Thus, one has to be careful here.

Note: vast majority of trips are trouble free and there is no need to be paranoid. That said, it always pays to be aware, careful, and prepared.

Emergency number

  • Police: 10111
  • Ambulance: 10177
  • Cell phone emergency (note: you will face an automated menu first): 112

Trusted travel resources

  • Accommodation by SA-Venues.com
  • South Africa day tours
  • South Africa multi-day tours

Travel safety

  • South Africa medical care
  • South Africa natural disasters
  • South Africa transport safety
  • South Africa violent crime, hazards
  • Travel safety gear
Slanghoekberge Mountain Range

Travel scams in South Africa

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Bar in South Africa

Drink spiking in South Africa

8 3

How it works: South Africa has one of the highest reported cases of rape, and much of it is due to spiked drinks, with Rohypnol commonly used. Besides sexually assaults,…

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Taxi in South Africa

Taxi scams in South Africa

7 3

How it works: Version 1: official taxis have meters but some may refuse to use it and charge you an inflated flat fare. Version 2: if the meter is used,…

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Church Square, Pretoria

Snatch thefts in South Africa

6 2

How it works: Two versions: strike and run; distract and grab. Possible scenarios: Street, mall, shop, park, transportation hub: distracting and snatching from you, then escaping via a getaway car or…

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Drakensberg Mountains

Unofficial guides robbery in South Africa

5 0

How it works: Unofficial guides at tourist attractions are a dime a dozen around the world. However, in South Africa, some of these you find at national parks are actually…

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South African rand

Currency switcheroo in South Africa

3 1

How it works: When you pay, the cashier drops the cash received and then switch it with a smaller value note while picking them up. They then claim that you…

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Driving in Durban

Car window washer scam in South Africa

2 0

How it works: Situation: in 2015, 550 such scammers were caught in 6 months! Opening: at a junction/car park, a local springs out of nowhere and starts wiping your car’s…

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Traffic police in Sandton

Corrupt traffic police in South Africa

2 1

How it works: Corrupt traffic police officers will accuse you of a crime and demand you pay a bribe. One such hotspot is near Kruger on the Panorama route, as…

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African traditional market in South Africa

Price quote scams in South Africa

2 0

How it works: Version 1: at street markets where goods do not have price tags, inflated prices are quoted based on how rich a vendor thinks you are. Version 2:…

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Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Pickpockets in South Africa

2 0

How it works: Version 1: they work in a gang – one onlooker, one blocks, pushes, distracts, or engages you, one grabs and the final hides the loot under a…

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Signs of a Rigged ATM

ATM skimming in South Africa

2 1

How it works: Version 1: Card skimmer installed to capture your card details. Pinhole camera/keypad overlay installed to capture your PIN. Version 2: Card slot is rigged with a device…

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Travelscams.org is the largest community built database of tourist scams and key travel safety issues globally, with 1777 travel scams and 1692 user stories shared on 101 countries.

If you ever wondered how it feels like to glide along the Ganges in India’s holiest City or to trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, just go, as we have you covered on all pitfalls you may face. About us →

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