A popular joke in Johannesburg is that Cape Town has earned its title of South Africa's “Mother City” because it takes at least nine months to get anything done there. Capetonians usually take this sort of jibe in good humor, pointing out that the 'laid back' approach that has come to define Cape Town is an integral part of the City's charm and has earned it a reputation for being one of the most relaxed, beautiful & popular tourist destinations in the country, if not the world.

Add the City's world class tourist spots – including Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Robben Island, Cape Point and the wine farms in Stellenbosch & Franschoek a short drive away – and Cape Town will undoubtedly be high on the agenda for many FIFA 2010 WorldCup™ visitors. It is important however to remain vigilant and follow the safety guidelines that we have set out in several other feature articles on this site, because even though generally speaking Cape Town has lower rates of crime than Johannesburg, there are still crime risks in Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula & the Western Cape Province, similar to that which you would find in other large Tourist destinations in developing countries around the world.

At the outset, however, we would like to suggest that prospective visitors do not get too caught up in the unfortunate, sensationalist articles that are appearing in the media as the FIFA World Cup™ draws nearer. The reality is that the vast majority of visitors to the City are never exposed to its criminal elements, and adhering to simple but effective guidelines should ensure that you have a trouble-free visit.

The primary gateway to the City of Cape Town is the recently upgraded Cape Town International Airport, serviced by a modern highway that takes you right into the City and the Waterfront areas. Both the airport and the highway will be well policed during the Tournament. The focal point of the World Cup in Cape Town will be the City of Cape Town Stadium or Green Point Stadium as it is more commonly known by locals. Specially designed and purpose built for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™, the stadium is located on a stretch of land flanked on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and on the other side by the suburb of Green Point and the slopes of Table Mountain. The 70,000 seater venue is a 10-15 minute drive (depending upon traffic conditions) from the City centre, the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront complex and the greater Sea Point area, positioning it firmly within the 'tourist belt' that stretches from the Waterfront along the Atlantic seaboard. One potential challenge however is that access routes to the stadium, which are busy at the best of times & notwithstanding the internationally bench-marked traffic management plan that has been planned for the 2010 Tournament, could still be congested on high stadium capacity match days. It remains to be seen if the City's Park-and-Ride & Park-& Walk facilities will be properly utilised by local fans who are accustomed to driving themselves to events in the City.

The stadium itself has been designed to not only meet but to exceed international best practice safety and security infrastructure requirements. Of interest here is that Patrick Ronan, an internationally recognised venue and event security expert and brand ambassador for Pasco's TravelSafe division, was closely involved in the planning and implementation of the safety & security risk management security infrastructure for the stadium and it’s precinct and is also advising the City of Cape Town on its security plans for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™ event. Ronan is particularly impressed with the Stadium, believing that in terms of safety design and infrastructure it ranks, together with certain of the other 2010 stadium development projects, as among the most modern, spectator friendly and safe stadiums currently in use in the world today. It is now up to the South African Local Organising Committee for the World Cup to ensure that the Stadium is adequately staffed by trained and experienced event security personnel.

Within easy walking distance from the Stadium & having parking for 11 000 motor vehicles. the real 2010 pre-match & post-match “buzz” will be around the City's impressive V&A Waterfront complex. Complete with world class hotels, restaurants, clubs and shops, the Waterfront is a city within a city. Unfortunately, this also places it on the list of potential target for extremists who might seek to use the event to target certain participating nations or to leverage their international profile. The 1998 bombing of the US franchised Planet Hollywood restaurant at the Waterfront is still vividly remembered by Capetonians and in this light Waterfront visible security was surprisingly low-key during the Final Draw event for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hosted in Cape Town during December 2009. However, it is highly likely that visible security it will be stepped up at the Waterfront for the main event and barring a possible but highly unlikely act of a nationality specific targeted act of terrorism of one or other form the Waterfront is generally a safe and secure place for visitors, day and night.

It is also generally safe to visit the clubs and restaurants that stretch in an arc from the Waterfront through Green Point and Sea Point along the Atlantic seaboard. At night, however, it is not advisable to walk the streets alone or in small groups. The city center, although possessing some vibrant nightspots, is generally unsafe at night, particularly as one moves further away from the Waterfront / Cape Town International Convention Center towards the Gardens area of Cape Town. This current situation must, however, be counter-balanced by the fact that during the 2010 Tournament, the South African Police Services will deploy a targeted policing strategy to secure the tourist/visitor accommodation, entertainment and night-life zones within the City.

The so-called “Cape Flats”, referring to a geographically flat low income mixed residential area situated some distance by car to the south-east of the City that became home to tens of thousands of persons of colour who were forcibly removed from other areas of the City during the country's apartheid years, should not be thought of as a tourist attraction. Social conditions in many of the suburbs on the Flats remain poor and this, together with high levels of unemployment, has created an environment that is rife for gangsterism and other serious criminal activities. Violent clashes between rival gangs is a common occurrence, particularly over weekends, and it is strongly advised that visitors avoid these areas.

Cape Town Fact File

• Site of the first colonial settlement in southern Africa

• Capital of the Western Cape Province

• Hosts the Parliament of South Africa for 6 months of the year

• Population around 4 million

• A winter rainfall area

• Home to the world famous Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Point Nature Reserve, the Robben Island Museum and of course the Constantia wine estates and the nearby winelands of the Stellenbosch, Paarl & Franschoek regions.