High crime rates deter would-be tourists from visiting South Africa, according to a recently released survey cited by the South Africa Tourism Services Association. According to the survey, 120 overseas operators would “send at least 50 percent more people to South Africa” were it not for high crime rates. Despite these discouraging results, tourism statistics for South Africa paint a more optimistic picture. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, the African continent displayed the largest growth in tourism of any region, with South Africa posting “excellent results” for 2006.
While South Africa’s crime problem has not had a particularly noticeable effect on the country’s tourism sector yet, fears are that this may be a possibility. Along with Iraq and Colombia, South Africa ranks among the world’s most dangerous countries and has the second-highest murder rate. This latest debate on crime in South Africa, as it relates to tourism, has underscored the complexity of the issue; looking beyond the effects crime may have on the tourism industry and examining the political ramifications of this recent scourge is critical, as well.
Recent Debates on Crime and Tourism
While President Thabo Mbeki had dismissed crime woes as hyperbolic, his recent State of the Union finally addressed the gravity of the country’s problem. During the address, he acknowledged that South Africans live in fear and labeled the rising problem “ugly and repulsive.” High-profile debates on the
nature of the crime problem and tourism have centered on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa (Previous Report).
Recently, the new US Ambassador to South Africa Eric Bost warned of the negative impact current safety concerns would have on the 2010 Games. In a Reuters report, Ambassador Bost stated, “Who is going to be interested in spending a significant amount of money coming here…when you’re concerned about…getting hurt?”
Crime has been a prevalent business concern, as well. A Grant Thornton survey found that 84 percent of medium to large businesses in South Africa had employees who had been affected by crime. Although recent concerns about crime have been tied to tourist issues, there are two key issues raised by the country’s increasingly violent crime problem.
Beyond Tourism: Post-Apartheid Tensions and Personalized Safety
In addition to the economic setbacks fostered by higher crime rates, South African crime has also acquired both regional and domestic political dimensions. Undercurrents of racism and xenophobia have colored debates on crime. A recent African Union report highlighted the xenophobic nature of the South African government’s approach to crime that is marked by a tendency to blame criminal incidents on foreigners. In particular, crimes of drug dealing, armed robbery, and burglary are often attributed to immigrants from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Furthermore, crime issues have agitated post-Apartheid tensions. Defense Minister Mosjuoa Lekota has accused wealthy white citizens of using South Africa’s crime levels as a pretext for emigrating from the country’s black-majority government.
In an attempt to address public safety concerns, South Africans are turning to alternative means for personal security, tasking private security firms to provide safety in lieu of traditional police officials. In turn, companies are taking over certain protection functions traditionally under the purview of police officers. Greater respect and reliance on security firms is symptomatic of the public’s growing lack of confidence in the police. Moreover, ordinary citizens are drawing greater attention to the inadequacy of government anti-crime measures. For example, one group—South Africans Unite Against Crime—has planned protest marches in Cape Town in March. In the days before President Mbeki’s State of the Union address, tens of thousands of South Africans signed Internet petitions urging the President to deal with crime more effectively. Personal security continues to gain traction as a salient political issue.
Looking Ahead
Despite growing concerns about the effects of crime on tourism, there is scant evidence to suggest that growing levels of violence are negatively impacting South Africa’s economic potential. South Africa experienced a good year for tourism in 2006; furthermore, the country revealed its first ever budget surplus. Nevertheless, growing crime has the potential to impede South African progress. High-profile events, such as the World Cup, are contingent on safe conditions. If the situation continues to worsen, this is likely to be reflected in tourism statistics. Additionally, while examining the interplay between crime and tourism is important, it is essential that other issues, such as regional relations and domestic security, impacted by crime not be neglected.
