NOTE - This article has been updated to clarify details about the SECURA Traveller app.

The City of Cape Town is working closely with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the car-rental agencies at Cape Town International Airport to ensure solutions are found to ensure tourists’ safety in the Mother City.

So said Cape Town Tourism CEO, Enver Duminy, speaking to radio station, Cape Talk’s Africa Melane following news over the past weekend that a US tourist was shot (he is currently recovering in hospital) in Nyanga after his Apple iPhone GPS directed him through the township to get to Simon’s Town.

Duminy added that he and the City of Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, had also met with the MD of Google South Africa to discuss ways of ensuring tourists’ safety while also identifying hot spot areas where tourists could avoid high crime areas.

“Unfortunately, you can programme the shortest route on a GPS and it is not always the safest,” said Duminy.

Tourists’ safety a priority

Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, has prioritised the issue of tourism safety in collaboration with various public- and private-sector stakeholders – including the Ministry of Police as well as the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), FEDHASA, Barsa, SATOVITO, and SATSA. In May this year, she reviewed the county’s National Tourism Safety Strategy.

“This strategy includes a call to the tourism industry leaders as well as South Africa’s security cluster to collaborate and contribute to bolstering tourism safety and acting fast against acts of criminality that affect the sector’s potential,” said De Lille.

She also established the National Tourism Safety Forum – which comprises a range of stakeholders including the police, the National Department of Tourism, Tourism MECs and the private sector – which meets regularly to discuss progress concerning this plan.

Furthermore, the Department of Tourism has earmarked R174.5 million (€8.7m) to train over 2 300 tourism safety monitors in South Africa during this financial year.

The monitors will be deployed to all provinces before the peak summer season starts, to safeguard top tourist attractions and national parks.

 “We acknowledge the legitimate concerns that have arisen due to unfortunate incidents involving tourists. We want to provide unequivocal assurance to the public, domestic travellers, and those planning visits to our country in the near future that we are vigorously advancing our efforts to enhance safety for all,” said De Lille.

Tourism safety solutions

Cape Town Tourism assisted the 55-year-old tourist from Connecticut through its Travelwise programme, which assists tourists should an incident threaten their safety. The man expressed gratitude to all involved for their kind and helpful assistance.

Regarding safety in Cape Town, the Travelwise programme advises on its website: “Cape Town is a major, modern cosmopolitan South African city. As such, we would advise travellers to exercise the same level of vigilance they would exercise when visiting any major city in the world.

“This includes ensuring you follow basic safety tips such as keeping emergency numbers on hand, avoiding carrying large sums of cash and keeping your valuables safe at all times.”

Similarly, the US Travel Advisory – which currently has South Africa on a Security Threat Level 2 – cautions that “violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks on vehicles, is common”.  

The Advisory stresses that tourists should avoid visiting informal settlement areas unless they are with someone familiar with the area (i.e. a tourist guide).

Tourists are also advised to enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme (STEP), a free service to allow US citizens travelling and living abroad to enrol their trip with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate.

Those enrolled in STEP will receive updated safety information while travelling.             

SECURA Traveller app

The private sector has also rolled out the SECURA Traveller app, which is solely dedicated to tourist safety nationally, and which operators can use.

André du Toit, who chairs SATSA's Safety & Security Committee and sits on the TBCSA Safety & Security Committee and the National Tourism Safety Forum, explained: "We created the SECURA Traveller app and linked it to SATSA’s Traveller Support programme several months ago. Subsequently we are pleased to have the Minster's endorsement and are rolling it out to other associations including FEDHASA and SAVRALA and we are in discussions with ACSA, Cape Town Tourism and Mpumalanga Tourism to link to their own Traveller / Victim Support programmes. It is also linked with the newly established National Tourism Operations Centre and 24/7 Tourism Hotline which is a joint initiative between TBCSA and Business Against Crime SA.

"The SECURA Traveller app is most effective when in the hands of all individuals in tourism, so we encourage guides, drivers and travellers (download it via www.securatraveller.co.za )and for all tourism stakeholders to make it available via their own channels. Toolkits are being developed for this purpose and will soon be shared via associations."

The app provides peace of mind for travellers by connecting them to over 280 private response companies and over 50 emergency medical response companies nationwide, as well as the Traveller Support teams who provide empathy and expert assistance in times of need.