By Simon Nare
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has moved swiftly to allay fears for visitors and tourists from the United States that could have been triggered by a travel advisory from that country, which warns them about the dangers when vacationing in South Africa.
In an updated travel advisory posted on 27 May 2025, the US Consulate in South Africa downgraded the country to level 2, which stipulated visitors should exercise increased caution as violent crime including robbery, rape, carjacking and muggings were common.
It further warned that violent crimes were common in big cities and kidnappers targeted US citizens and other foreign nationals to steal money, and although rare, in some instances foreign nationals are kidnapped and ransoms demanded from their families.
“Captors often force victims to withdraw cash or give online account passwords before they are let go. There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks
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