Johannesburg Safety for Foreign Tourists: Areas to Avoid
Browse more guides: South Africa travel | Africa destinations Johannesburg Safety for Foreign Tourists: Areas to Avoid Last updated: April 2026 · 12 min read I've been to Johannesburg three times across seven years. Plus each visit, the same conversation happens before I land. Family, friends, colleagues, all asking variations of the same question. Is it safe? Are you sure? Have you read the news? So let's start with the data, not the vibes. Johannesburg's homicide rate sits around 26 per 100,000 (2023, SAPS national crime statistics, StatsSA). Plus that puts it firmly in the world's higher-quintile crime cities. Robbery and carjacking statistics are also raised compared to most global capitals. And cape Town is actually higher in murder rate (driven by Cape Flats township clusters pushing past 70 per 100k in some sub-districts). Durban runs similar 30-ish numbers. So Joburg isn't an outlier within South Africa, but compared to London, Tokyo, Sydney? It's ...