Newspaper posters hang along the sides of Johannesburg’s roads, telling the latest horrifying news: babies raped and people slaughtered. Electric fences and armed-response signs surround many homes in the city. It’s no wonder that youngsters from other countries staying in the city’s backpackers’ hostels think they know all about South Africa’s crime rate.
While some tourists have a carefree time in pubs and enjoy tours through Soweto, others are afraid and become bogged down in safety precautions: don’t walk around in public with a cellphone, don’t travel in the minibuses and don’t go out alone at night.
The Mail & Guardian Online asked some backpackers staying in Johannesburg: Is Johannesburg the place to be or must tourists leave as soon as possible?
Stephan Winter (29), from Germany, has seen the newspaper posters and doesn’t like Johannesburg.
”I am travelling on my own and I am really afraid of Johannesburg. I heard about a guy from Israel who was robbed after a night out. They placed a knife to his throat and he had to undress. They took everything he had and left him naked in the streets. I want to leave Johannesburg as soon as possible and go to the Eastern Cape or something, and also visit places like Knysna and Oudtshoorn.”
In a survey conducted by South African Tourism last year, more than 75% of tourists said they had not had any bad experiences in South Africa. The hospitality and friendliness of South Africans received a high rating.
But Winter doesn’t agree.
”The people in the streets seem nice, but I’ve got difficulty trusting them,” he says. ”You hear the strangest stories.
”There is also nothing to do for me around here. I heard the Lion Park is like a zoo, and I don’t want to go to Soweto. I am not here to stare at poor people and take pictures of them. I am here for nature.”
In the same survey, 19,1% of tourists said their favourite aspect of South Africa was its scenic beauty.
”The risk of a tourist becoming a victim of crime in Johannesburg is minimal,” says Eddy Khosa, acting CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company. ”There is a safety strategy that the city is developing, and there is a closed-circuit television camera system that has been in effect in the city centre for quite some time, and is now been extended to areas such as Braamfontein and Ellis Park.
”There haven’t been any recent tourist-related incidents that have been reported, and the metro police are working hard to curb crime.”
With more than 6,5-million tourists visiting every year, tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in South Africa. Last year, the average tourist spent almost R2 000 a day. Most tourists are from Africa and the Middle East, with the Americas second, followed by Asia and Australia, and Europe coming in last.
Another backpacker, 24-year-old Guy Loyd, told the M&G Online: ”I’m here with friends. We just arrived in South Africa heading to the east-coast beaches to surf.
”Back in Massachusetts [United States], friends from university did tell me it is dangerous here, especially in Johannesburg. Everyone I spoke to seemed to know someone who got robbed here or heard a story about tourists getting murdered. That didn’t scare me … well, it did a bit, but I still wanted to come here. I just told myself I have to be more careful.”
Says Khosa: ”It’s our responsibility to manage perceptions on safety matters in Johannesburg. Tourist-related incidents that have occurred have been isolated cases.
”We do, however, advise our visitors to take the necessary precautions by offering safety tips which are placed in conference delegate packs and [that are] available at tourist centres.”
Martine Sybrandt (22), from The Netherlands, says her friends at home asked why she was not flying from Cape Town.
”When I booked my tickets, I didn’t really paid attention; I was just looking for the cheapest flights. When I arrived here, I stayed for the weekend and did a Soweto tour, went to Pilanesberg National Park and the Apartheid Museum. I have seen a lot.
”Now I am back here and I have two days until I go back to The Netherlands. I don’t really know what to go see and do these days. I thought about the Lion Park or just some shopping.
”I travel by taxi, which is expensive but it feels safe, and they drop you off at the right place. The backpackers’ [I am staying at] told me not to take the minibus taxis. Maybe it’s because I am blonde? But if they tell me not to do it, I just don’t. They probably know better than I do.”
For her, Johannesburg is the place to be.
”I actually like Johannesburg. I know there is a high crime rate, but if you are careful and know what you’re doing, there is not much to be afraid of. Life here is the same as life in any other big city.”