UK Updates South Africa Travel Advice: New Crime and Taxi Warnings

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its official South Africa travel advice on 11 June 2026, adding new guidance on e-hailing and taxi safety, revised crime location warnings, and updated information on risks in and around Kruger National Park.

The updated advice comes as South Africa enters its winter high season, when visitor numbers to Cape Town, the Garden Route, and Kruger National Park traditionally peak. The FCDO describes South Africa as open for tourism but urges British nationals to exercise vigilance in specific urban and peri-urban areas.

What Has Changed

The June 11 update introduces several material additions for travellers:

E-hailing and taxis: The FCDO now explicitly warns against using unmetered or informal taxis. We recommend that travellers use only reputable e-hailing apps such as Uber or Bolt, confirm the driver’s identity and plate number before entering the vehicle, and share their trip details with a contact. Taxi-related robberies, including the practice of “kidnap rides,” have been flagged as an elevated risk in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Crime hotspots: The guidance includes updated references to specific high-risk locations across Johannesburg and Cape Town, including the CBD areas of both cities after dark, certain townships unless accompanied by an experienced local guide, and arterial motorway routes where smash-and-grab incidents occur.

Kruger National Park: The updated advice notes isolated armed robbery incidents on roads leading to and from the park, recommending that visitors travel in convoy after dark and avoid unlit fuel stops. We strongly advise travellers heading to Kruger to review the latest security situation before departure.

Broader Advisory Landscape

Canada and New Zealand issued similar caution-level advisories for South Africa earlier in 2026, citing crime, road safety, and the ongoing risk of unscheduled power outages (load shedding), though the latter has reduced significantly compared with 2024 and 2025.

The US State Department maintains South Africa at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), which has been unchanged. None of the advisories currently in force recommend against travel to South Africa; they advise heightened personal security awareness rather than avoidance.

The FCDO update published on 11 June 2026 is available at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa. The situation is described as stable but developing, and we will continue to monitor for any further changes. Travellers should review our South Africa safety guide before departure and take out comprehensive travel insurance for South Africa — particularly important given the FCDO’s updated language on crime risk.