Cape Town and Johannesburg sit under the same national warning, because the United States (US) State Department, the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Government of Canada each publish one advisory for all of South Africa. The UK FCDO is the only one of the three to name either city in advice for visitors, flagging attacks on journeys to and from Cape Town airport, wildfires in Cape Town, and robbers who follow arrivals from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. None of the three governments advises against travel to either city, and the panels above show today’s level for each.
At Safe to Go, we re-check these advisories every day. What we see travelers misread most often is the national level, when the useful detail sits in a few named places. Most of the advice covers both cities equally, so the comparison comes down to the handful of passages that differ.
Where the Warnings Sit in Cape Town and Johannesburg
The UK FCDO names Cape Town and Johannesburg in passages aimed at visitors, while the US State Department and Canada write warnings that cover South Africa as a whole. Both cities therefore share every countrywide line.
For Cape Town, the UK FCDO reports an increase in violent crime and targeted attacks on journeys to and from Cape Town airport. Those incidents include visitors driving hired cars. The UK FCDO also warns that wildfires can happen in Cape Town and in Table Mountain National Park during hot, dry weather.
For Johannesburg, the UK FCDO warns that criminals have followed people from OR Tambo International Airport to their destinations and then robbed them, often at gunpoint. Its transport advice also names the Gautrain, which links Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo.
The US State Department names Cape Town once, in a rule for its own staff. US government employees working in South Africa need special authorization to visit many informal settlements (townships) in and around Cape Town. When they go, US mission staff must use fully armored vehicles, and visits are limited to 10:00 to 15:00 on weekdays.
That rule covers US staff and does not apply to tourists. The US warning that violent crime is more common in the downtown areas of big cities, especially after dark, is written for all of South Africa and names no city.
Canada’s advisory sets one level for the whole country. Its latest change added information on El Niño to the natural disasters and climate section.
Counted by named warnings for visitors, Cape Town carries more: the airport road attacks and the wildfire warning. The US rule on townships around Cape Town is a staff rule, not a tourist restriction. Johannesburg is named for one crime pattern, the follow-home robberies from OR Tambo.
Cape Town vs Johannesburg Advisory Comparison
Most rows below read the same for Cape Town and Johannesburg, because all three governments advise at country level. The rows that differ are the airport, wildfire and transport lines, and those are the ones to match against your own route.
Neither column shows an area the UK FCDO advises against, and the live panels above carry each government’s current level.
| Question | Cape Town | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| What the UK FCDO warns about | Targeted attacks to and from Cape Town airport; wildfires | Robbers following people from OR Tambo airport |
| What the US State Department highlights | Countrywide crime, terrorism, unrest and kidnapping; staff rule on townships around Cape Town | Countrywide crime, terrorism, unrest and kidnapping; no city line |
| What Canada says | One countrywide advisory; El Niño information added | Same countrywide advisory |
| Regions named in warnings | Cape Town airport roads; Table Mountain National Park | OR Tambo International Airport |
| Risks named for ordinary visitors | Attacks on hired-car drivers; wildfire; countrywide crime | Follow-home robbery from the airport; countrywide crime |
| Transport advice (UK FCDO) | MyCiTi bus in the central business district and Atlantic Seaboard; hotel airport shuttles; app-confirmed e-hailing | Gautrain to Pretoria and OR Tambo; hotel airport shuttles |
| Township visits for tourists | Only with a responsible, reliable tour guide | Only with a responsible, reliable tour guide |
| Areas the UK FCDO advises against | None | None |
Crime, Airport and Wildfire Precautions for Cape Town and Johannesburg
Both cities fall under the UK FCDO’s countrywide crime warning, which lists violent muggings, snatching of jewellery and valuables, carjacking, smash-and-grab attacks on vehicles, house robbery, rape and sexual assault, and murder. The US State Department names robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging and smash-and-grab attacks in its own summary.
The UK FCDO says most violent crime occurs in townships, informal settlements and other high-density areas, and in some city centres and isolated areas. The threat is higher after dark. There have been violent incidents involving tourists at popular tourist locations, and while security staff usually work in the main tourist areas, the UK FCDO notes that policing is limited.
For personal safety in either city, the UK FCDO tells visitors not to display valuables or leave them in a car, and not to walk around after dark. It advises staying alert, being wary of people who approach you, removing expensive-looking jewellery and travelling with friends where possible. Make sure someone knows your plans, and know that resisting a robbery can lead to a violent response, including the use of weapons.
The UK FCDO also advises avoiding isolated beaches, picnic spots and local transport hubs. Do not walk alone in remote areas or on deserted beaches, especially when it is dark.
Cape Town carries one hazard that the UK FCDO text does not give Johannesburg: wildfire in hot, dry weather, including in Table Mountain National Park. Follow evacuation orders if asked. If you see a wildfire, move away from vegetation and smoke, and if you are in a building or car and judge it safe to stay, close all vents and windows.
Each city’s named crime warning involves its airport, and the UK FCDO gives one set of airport precautions for the whole country:
- Be careful in and around the airport, and go through public areas quickly.
- Use main roads to and from the airport and avoid isolated areas.
- Arrange for your hotel or tour operator to meet you if possible.
- Go to your connecting flight quickly if you are in transit.
- Keep valuables in your carry-on luggage and consider vacuum-wrapping luggage.
- Avoid dropping off a rental car at night.
Terrorism, Protest and Kidnapping Warnings Covering Cape Town and Johannesburg
The terrorism, unrest and kidnapping warnings apply to Cape Town and Johannesburg equally, because none of them names a city. The UK FCDO says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in South Africa, mainly through lone actors who may have been inspired by groups including Daesh.
Those attacks could be indiscriminate and could target tourist sites, shopping centres, high profile events and crowded places. The UK FCDO adds that the conflict in Israel and Palestine has raised tensions, and that attacks could target Jewish or Muslim communities or the interests of Israel and its allies. Its advice is to stay aware of your surroundings, keep up with local media and follow local authorities.
On unrest, the US State Department says demonstrations, protests and strikes occur frequently. They can start suddenly, interrupt traffic and transport, and turn violent. The UK FCDO reports an increase in xenophobic and anti-immigration marches and violence, mainly targeting African immigrants and people perceived to be African immigrants.
The UK FCDO tells visitors to avoid protests, especially in city centres and townships, and never to cross a protester roadblock, since that could provoke a violent reaction. If you meet a protest unexpectedly, leave as soon as it is safe to do so and stay on main roads where possible. The UK FCDO also warns that map directions may send you through less secure areas.
Kidnapping is one of the four reasons the US State Department gives for its advice. Kidnappers target US citizens and other foreign travelers to steal money, and captors often force victims to withdraw cash or hand over online account passwords before letting them go. Ransom demands to families are rare, according to the same summary.
How the US, UK and Canadian Advisories Compare for Cape Town and Johannesburg
All three governments ask for caution across South Africa, and none advises against travel to Cape Town or Johannesburg. The US State Department and the UK FCDO also agree on the main risk types: violent crime, terrorism, and protests that can turn violent.
The detail is where they part ways. The UK FCDO is the only government that names each city for visitors, with the airport road and wildfire passages for Cape Town and the follow-home robbery passage for Johannesburg. The US State Department names Cape Town only in its staff rule, and it adds kidnapping as a named reason for its advice.
Canada sets one level for the whole country, and its latest change concerns El Niño in the climate section. When the three differ on detail, we lean on the strictest text for the area you are visiting. Our methodology explains how we weigh the three advisories.
Who Should Plan Differently in Cape Town or Johannesburg
This comparison is not for US government employees working in South Africa, because their travel to many townships around Cape Town follows the staff rules the State Department sets for them. It is also not a plan for anyone who wants to visit a township alone: in either city, the UK FCDO says to go only with a responsible and reliable tour guide.
In Cape Town, the official text speaks most directly to two trips. A visitor who plans to collect a hired car at Cape Town airport faces the UK FCDO’s report of targeted attacks to and from the airport, so use main roads and avoid dropping the car off at night. A trip built around Table Mountain National Park in hot, dry weather needs a plan for following wildfire evacuation orders.
In Johannesburg, the trip the warnings speak to most directly is an arrival at OR Tambo with no pickup arranged. Alongside the follow-home robbery warning, the UK FCDO advises having your hotel or tour operator meet you if possible and using main roads. If that pickup cannot be arranged, the UK FCDO transport advice names the Gautrain and airport shuttle buses run through internationally recognised hotels.
In both cities, a trip that depends on walking around after dark runs against the UK FCDO’s plain advice not to do so. Our South Africa country guide covers that countrywide advice in more depth.
How to Weigh Cape Town vs Johannesburg for Your Own Trip
Decide by the area and arrival route you will use, because the national advisory is identical for both cities. Our city guides, Is Cape Town safe? and Is Johannesburg safe?, give each city’s full picture before you work through the steps below.
The answer would change if any of the three governments changed its level for South Africa or named an area of Cape Town or Johannesburg to avoid. A new UK FCDO passage on either city would also shift the comparison, so look at the latest advisory changes in the week you fly.
- Mark where you land and where you will sleep, then match them to the named passages: the airport roads for Cape Town, OR Tambo arrivals for Johannesburg.
- Read the airport, crime and transport sections of the UK FCDO advice for South Africa, and sign up there for its email updates.
- Read the US State Department advisory for its crime, terrorism, unrest and kidnapping summary.
- Read the natural disasters and climate section of Canada’s advisory, including the El Niño update.
- Before you book, arrange an airport pickup through your hotel or tour operator for whichever city you land in, as the UK FCDO advises.