johan rebel

I doubt any of the media have the resources to report them all, even if they wanted to.

Let's take a look at the headlines from the past 24 hours or so:

-Hawks bust alleged drug dealers with heroin, cocaine in Durban

-Woman allegedly dumps newborn down concrete pit toilet

-7-year-old drowns in West Rand farm dam

-Two security guards shot during Boksburg truck heist

-Model agency boss guilty of 32 sex-related charges

-One dead, six arrested in foiled cash-in-transit heist in Pta

-Man stabbed to death at Eastern Cape village tavern

-Trauma for family after KZN woman is doused with petrol and set alight

-Bela-Bela calm after mayor's car is torched in protest rampage

-Man pleads guilty to 800 charges, including child porn and rape

-4 killed in horror Carletonville crash

-Cousins sentenced to life in jail for stabbing relatives, putting them in boiling water

-Three killed in Argent accident

-Four die in head-on collision in Polokwane

-Boy, 2, dies after falling into open fire

-Tshwane metro cop back in court on murder charge

-One murder, five devastated families

-Judge laments lack of interest in 'mind-boggling' Ninini murder trial

Just another day in South Africa . . .

Johan

Adam1222

Most of those have nothing to do with the topic at hand. There were car accidents, drug busts protests, and tragic accidents involving kids in the US today as well. And yes violent crime too.
from the main page of today's Chicago Tribune alone:
- Suspect in custody after man found stabbed to death near Metra tracks west of Loop
-Few details after Amtrak police officer shoots man near Union Station
-Family's attorney says Forest Park fatal police shooting was unjustified
-Super Bowl sex trafficking sting yields more than 100 arrests in Cook County

I could make a similar list in most countries with large populations. Note those were the top stories in one paper in one city.


​​​​i also don't understand how if a country is so unsafe, one could avoid violent crime for years by walking fast and not liking people touching them.

There are plenty of areas in the US I am apprehensive walking around alone at night.

airsurfer

Use common sense.

As long as you avoid downtown Johannesburg and Khayelitsha, and some other townships unguided, it is generally safe.
The latest 4 years I traveled to SA in Gauteng+MP+Kruger in 2013 and Western Cape in 2014/5/6.

No safety issues.

You need a cellphone data plan ? Well, get a Vodafone, MTN or CellC simonly. About R300 ($21) with 2GB and 60...120 call minutes (upgradable even at any shop or even gas station) within ZA and both readily available at Vodafone / MTN / CellC shops at JNB or CPT. The employee will install and activate the sim card as well for you.

Most hotels and guesthouses have wifi but that is sometimes capped (you pay per data unit) and sometimes it requires vouchers with a cryptic login code which you have to enter EVERY time you lift the laptop lid or turn on the tablet / smartphone screen.

ShopAround

I'm reading through this thread as I'm considering a trip to Cape Town in December. I'm looking mostly at chain hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Westin) so I can use points and for just about every one, I find reviews indicating that the area doesn't seem safe at night.

I'm a woman who would be traveling alone. I'm also a lifelong native New Yorker and an experienced traveler, so it takes a lot to put me off. But I also don't want to feel like I can't walk back to my hotel by myself after dinner without feeling at risk.

Is Cape Town a city where a woman would generally not feel safe traveling solo?

cur

you'll be fine, just uber everywhere. i would walk home to oranjezicht from civic center and was fine, but i'd always have to look behind my back and look around for anti social sh-- like aggressive beggars crossing the street directly into my direction. it was way more stressful than walking in south bronx at night.

westin area is extremely dead at night and anyone would be silly to walk down lower long alone at night.

hilton area on buitengracht is close to lively area, walkable from bree but just spend the $2 on an uber.

no idea which marriotts you talking about, african pride on orange is a few blocks from where i used to live and very busy at night, but with the drunk hobo crowd on long st that are very f---ing annoying.

ShopAround

Thank you for your feedback, Cur, that's very helpful.

The hotels I was looking at are the Westin, Hilton and African Pride on Orange. Since you clearly know the city, any recommendation for which might be the best choice? I have no problem with ubering as needed.

cur

african pride by far.

but depends what you want

everything (food, nightlife, hikes, gardens) = african orange
mostly v&a = westin
also everything, right in bokaap, but no company's gardens nearby, but not as nice as previous 2 = hilton

sdsearch

In this thread in the Marriott forum:
the most recommended place for combination of safety, choices of Marriott points hotels, and places to go eat around there is in the V&A waterfront area. Since Marriott points is one things you're considering, I suggest you read that thread.

Cape Town, like NYC, is a city of many neighborhoods. In New York City, safety varies by neighborhood, right? Well, so it is in Cape Town, that it depends on the neighborhood too.

cur

i would concur with this.

i recommend places in town (nightlife, dining, urban stuff) and eschew v&a but that doesn't mean v&a isn't an ideal place for your taste(s)

v&a absolutely is safest compared to anywhere and i'd say town is twice as safe. but it's far removed from cape town but also cape town city centre is far removed from africa. it's up to what you want and expect from a place, particularly tolerance to beggars and ability to show intolerance to people trying to game you

and for all the master planned mall office complexes plaguing africa, v&a is done quite alright