South Africa
Warnings and insurance
Western Cape travel disruption
Due to strong winds and heavy rain across the Western Cape, flights to and from Cape Town airportmay andbe illegalsubject drugsto anddelays, cannabiscancellations, lawsor (‘Safetydiversion to alternative airports. Travellers are advised to:
- monitor their flight status closely and
security’remainpage).in - stay away from flooded areas
- follow advice from local authorities
- allow for extra time when moving around
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
- see general advice for women travellers
- read our guide on disability and travel abroad
- see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
- read about safety for solo and independent travel
- see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
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Update history
2026-05-11 14:48
Addition of information about Western Cape travel disruption (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2026-03-31 16:58
Updated information about road attacks to and from Cape Town airport and illegal drugs and cannabis laws (‘Safety and security’ page).
2026-03-18 14:58
Updated information on fraud and scams, nightlife and dating, driving rules and pedestrian safety and Table Mountain National Park (‘Safety and security’ page).
2026-02-09 09:17
Removal of information about risks from flooding in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, including Kruger National Park (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2026-01-20 15:15
Updated information about risks from flooding in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, including Kruger National Park (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2026-01-15 16:23
New information about risks from flooding in Kruger National Park, and travel disruption (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2025-12-11 15:41
Addition of information about vehicle crime and air travel (‘Safety and security’ page).
2025-12-10 13:04
New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2025-11-20 16:14
Addition of information about South African National Parks advising on recommended routes for those travelling from Gqeberha to Addo Elephant Park (‘Safety and security’ page).
2025-11-18 13:57
New information on potential travel disruptions due to the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg on 21-23 November (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2025-09-30 14:29
Updated information on nightlife and dating, ATMs and money exchanges and criminal kidnap (‘Safety and security’ page).
2025-08-01 17:05
Removal of information on FlySafair pilot strike (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2025-07-21 16:36
FlySafair planned pilot strikes from 21 July until 3 August may cause disruption to internal and regional flights (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2025-06-23 17:10
Updated information on visa requirements (‘Entry Requirements’ page); nightlife and dating, airport crime, vehicle crime, illegal drugs and cannabis laws and driving rules and standards (‘Safety and security’ page).
2025-04-14 10:57
Updated information about what health risks you’ll face in South Africa, including Mpox (‘Health’ page).
2025-03-11 12:15
Updated information about Table Mountain National Park, wildfires in Cape Town and air travel (‘Safety and security’ page).
2025-02-03 16:36
Updated information on the South Africa-Mozambique border (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2025-01-22 16:14
Update on flight disruptions at Cape Town International Airport (‘Safety and security’ page)
2024-12-30 15:35
Addition of information on possible disruption to travel, including delays or closures at the border at short notice (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2024-12-11 12:39
Updated information on the political situation and new information on solo and women travellers (‘Safety and security’ page).
2024-08-16 09:52
New information on rehabilitation centres in South Africa (‘Health’ page).
2024-08-13 09:07
New information on the risks of resisting during a robbery (see ‘Protecting yourself and your belongings’), and on taking care around marine animals (see ‘Swimming safety’), and an update on the threat from terrorism (see ‘Terrorism in South Africa’).
2024-07-15 11:41
Removal of information about floods in Cape Town and surrounding areas (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-07-12 14:47
New information about floods in Cape Town and surrounding areas (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-07-10 14:55
New information about floods in Cape Town, Drakenstein and Stellenbosch on Thursday 11 July (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-06-25 15:17
This travel advice was reviewed for style and accuracy.
2024-01-04 15:12
Information on passport validity requirements (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2023-12-20 13:16
Updated information on terrorism, travelling to and from Cape Town International Airport and additional safety information on Table Mountain National Park, including Lion’s Head and Signal Hill (‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-11-23 16:10
Information on travelling to and from Cape Town International Airport (‘Safety and security’). Additional safety information on Table Mountain National Park, including Lion’s Head and Signal Hill (‘Safety and security’).
2023-11-10 12:12
Information on ‘smash and grab’ attacks on vehicles (‘Safety and security’ page).Information on the less secure areas around international airports in Johannesburg and Cape Town (‘Safety and security’ page).Additional information on asking for a life-jacket when participating in water sports (‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-11-06 15:44
Information on outdoor activities and adventure tourism (‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-08-14 15:04
Removal of information about Cape Town minibus taxi strikes (‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-08-11 14:24
Information on checking for disruption before travelling, sticking to major routes and taking care not to divert into less secure areas (‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-08-07 14:40
Information about current strikes affecting Cape Town, which have the potential to turn violent and may impact multiple areas including journeys to and from the airport (See ‘Political situation’ on the ‘Safety and security’ page).
2023-08-07 07:52
“Additional information about current strikes affecting Cape Town, which have the potential to turn violent and may impact multiple areas including journeys to and from the airport (see Safety and security page)”
2023-08-05 12:52
Latest update: Information about current strikes affecting Cape Town, which have the potential to turn violent and may impact multiple areas including journeys to and from the airport (see “Safety and security” page).
2023-08-04 17:57
Information about current strikes affecting Cape Town, including general safety and travel to/from the airport
2023-07-17 16:09
Information about the cross border travel between South Africa and Mozambique and passport requirements for entry (‘Entry requirements’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2023-06-22 12:14
Information about the global terrorism risks to British nationals abroad on all FCDO travel advice pages
2023-06-05 14:13
This travel advice has been updated to make it easier to read and understand.
2023-06-01 15:29
Information on cholera outbreak in Guateng (‘Health’ page).
2023-05-09 12:56
Removal of information about the planned protest on Monday 20 March and additions to Safety and security (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2023-03-16 15:16
Addition of information about the planned protest on Monday 20 March (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2023-03-02 10:02
Addition of information about critical infrastructure and removal of information about Tropical storm Freddy (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and Security’ pages).
2023-02-24 11:20
Addition of information about Tropical storm Freddy (‘Summary’ page).
2023-02-14 11:16
Updates to safety and security text (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2022-12-23 14:30
Updates to safety and security and removal of COVID-19 restrictions text (‘Summary’, ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Safety and security’, ‘Terrorism’, ‘Entry requirements” and ‘Health’ pages).
2022-10-31 11:05
Removed information on a United States government security alert issued for the 29-30 October 2022 (‘Summary’ and ‘Terrorism’ pages).
2022-10-27 16:47
Updated with information of the likelihood of terrorist attacks in South Africa (‘Summary page’) and (‘Terrorism Page’)
2022-10-26 16:55
Updated information about a possible terrorist attack in the Sandton area of Johannesburg (‘Summary’ and ’Terrorism’ pages).
2022-10-26 16:37
New information about a possible terrorist attack in the Sandton area of Johannesburg (‘Summary’ and ’Terrorism’ pages).
2022-10-18 10:19
New information about the risks of crime in South Africa (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and Security’ pages).
2022-08-04 13:10
New information about the risks of violent crime in South Africa (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and Security’ pages).
2022-07-29 15:28
Updated information on crime (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2022-07-22 16:09
New information about power outages, vehicle crime and acceptance of UK Emergency Passports in South Africa (‘Local Laws and Customs’, ‘Safety and Security’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages)
2022-06-24 15:40
Updated information on the easing of local restrictions in South Africa and the lifting of COVID-19 entry requirements (‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages)
2022-06-15 10:31
Addition of information on water restrictions (‘Local laws and customs’ page). Updated information on providing proof of vaccination status and checking expiry of tourist visas (‘Entry requirements’ page)
2022-05-13 16:00
Updated information on entry requirements (‘Entry requirements’ page)
2022-04-13 15:32
Addition of information on heavy rain and flooding in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and advice for those travelling in the area (‘Summary’ page)
2022-03-29 15:26
More information on coronavirus restrictions in South Africa and entry requirements (‘Entry requirements’ pages)
2022-03-25 16:41
Updated information on coronavirus restrictions in South Africa and entry requirements (‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Entry requirements’ pages)
2022-02-22 12:08
Full review and update to information on safety and security in South Africa (‘Safety and security’ page)