Much has been said and written about security and other risks to persons visiting South Africa for the FIFA 2010 World Cup. While some level of concern is justified in view of the country's high levels of crime and a few other potential risks (which we consider in the following section), much of what has appeared in the international media is more a reflection of lack of knowledge of local conditions, or possible deliberate scare-mongering. In this feature, we provide generic personal safety and security advice for visitors. Kindly note that while this information is relevant to various risks in South Africa at the time of preparation, actual threats to personal safety and security will vary according to time, place and individual profile and it is advisable to obtain professional advice should you consider yourself to be at risk.

Broadly speaking, our client base is concerned about five major risk categories for the World Cup:

Terrorism

In today's world, the threat of terrorism applies to almost any large or prominent event and the 2010 World Cup tournament is no exception. Having said that, at this stage we consider the risk of a terrorist attack aimed at the tournament to be low, a view that has been repeatedly shared by Interpol and the South African authorities. A vague threat apparently issued by an Al Qaeda faction in North Africa to target particular matches appears to lack credibility or substance at this stage, but as with other risks it is advisable to ascertain the threat levels closer to the time.

Crime

While almost any South African would readily agree that the country's crime levels are unacceptably high and impact negatively on quality of life for South Africans of all backgrounds, the horror stories promoted in the tabloids (e.g. “Machete threat to England Fans!”) do not portray an accurate reflection of present risks. For one thing, actual levels of crime vary widely across different areas and between various parts or sectors within cities. As in any major city in the world, visitors should be aware of high risk and 'no go' areas, where the chances of being targeted are relatively higher than in safer areas. In South Africa, however, it is essential that vigilance is applied wherever one is or travels. The safety and security guidelines set out in this document are intended to provide some basic guidelines to assist in this regard.

Incidents, Outages and Disasters

South Africa has generally experienced few natural disasters and, for the most part, has a relatively modern and sophisticated disaster response capability (certainly relative to the rest of Africa). The electricity supply crisis of 2008 appears to have been resolved and the state operated supplier has repeatedly reassured local organisers of the World Cup that barring a catastrophic event the tournament will not be plagued by supple disruptions. Even so, every stadium has installed back-up electricity supply systems, as has most hotels, hospitals, etc.

At the present time, the most serious risk of significant or wide-scale disruption to the tournament could come from two sources. Firstly, the country is in the grips of so-called 'service delivery protests', referring to a series of protests that have been taking place throughout many of South Africa's poorer township areas where basic services such as electricity and sanitation remain problematic or in some cases almost non-existent. Although these protests often turn violent, they are unlikely to impact materially on the World Cup as they tend to be limited to areas where tourists and visitors seldom venture. As one example, the popular heritage spots in Soweto have to date been unaffected by these protests. It is however essential that visitors obtain up-to-date information should they wish to visit one of the township areas.

The second source of possible disruption relates to threats by some of South Africa's trade unions to embark on industrial action ahead of or during the World Cup. Should this happen, it is unlikely to have a direct impact on scheduled matches but conceivably it could affect visitors should strike action be embarked on, for instance, by bus operators or workers in the hospitality sector. We do not however consider this to be a high risk as beneath the posturing there does appear to be a genuine commitment on the part of all South Africa's key political players – including the trade unions – to ensure a successful tournament. Nonetheless, it would be advisable to have contingency plans in place in event of disruptions to public transport or in other sectors.

Infrastructure

Will South Africa's infrastructure cope with the demands of the World Cup? This has been a key question even before the country was awarded the rights to host the tournament and while the event organisers remain insistent that the answer to this question is in the affirmative, there remains considerable room for doubt. Firstly, key infrastructure projects – such as the high-speed Gautrain rail connection – are either behind schedule or simply will not be complete in time for the tournament. Secondly, Johannesburg's mass transit project remains bedeviled by disputes with the powerful taxi sector resulting in buses requiring police escorts to ensure their safety. Thirdly, experiments with various transport systems during the 2009 Confederations Cup proved problematic at best and utterly disorganised at worst. We remain skeptical about the extent to which the important lessons that emerged from these experiments have been learned and absorbed. For example, the Johannesburg  organisers are reportedly set on having one lane of the city's freeways leading to the impressive Soccer City stadium reserved for officials, dignitaries, team buses etc., but there appears to be no back-up plan in event that the freeway has to be closed for one or other reason on match-day. There is little that visitors can do to manage these risks, apart from using private operators and ensuring that itineraries allow for possible delays and disruptions in getting to and from venues.

Health Risks

Contrary to common perceptions, health risks in South Africa are moderate and can be effectively managed by taking the necessary precautions and exercising basic common sense. While the standard of state hospitals is variable, the country's private medical facilities and emergency services rival the best in the world. It is safe to drink tap water in most, if not all, cities and towns while eating at established restaurants and buying food from supermarkets carries very little risk. While an appropriate degree of caution is advised, it is therefore not necessary to bring pre-packed food and brush one's teeth with bottled water. If however in doubt, always drink bottled water. Most health risks in the country relate to rural areas, where sanitation and health facilities are not of the same standard as in the cities.

In rural areas, outbreaks of Cholera are periodic. However with access to basic sanitation such as running water and flush toilets, visitors are unlikely to contract Cholera. Nevertheless, should one develop diarrhea in an area where Cholera has been reported, medical attention should be urgently sought. Bilharzia, although relatively easily treated, is a risk associated with water sports in South Africa. Rabies occurs throughout southern Africa. Visitors should seek medical attention if bitten or scratched by a domestic or wild animal. Malaria is endemic in parts of South Africa, including the Kruger National Park. The Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces as well as northern Kwazulu-Natal are considered high risk Malaria areas. Travellers to these areas should take the necessary precautions which include administering antimalarial prophylactics and sleeping under a mosquito net.  Any reputable travel clinic should be able to provide more specific information on Malaria risk areas. Sun stroke, especially between November and March, is a very real risk. Visitors should wear protective clothing and sun screen and avoid lying in the sun between 10am and 2pm.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infections of any country. Safe sex should be strictly practiced and it is strongly advisable to avoid high risk sexual behavior such as paying for sex. The country is currently dealing with outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever and Measles. Both these outbreaks are relatively isolated although in the case of Rift Valley Fever, a number of deaths in the Orange Free State and the Western Cape have been recorded. Unless coming into contact with animals such as cattle and horses, the risk of contracting Rift Valley Fever is however low. Since last year there have been over one hundred deaths in South Africa caused by Swine Fever (H1N1). The outbreak has however been successfully managed and healthy adults most often recover without treatment. The South African authorities have retained temperature screening at airports and other points-of-entry and suspected H1N1 cases are currently placed in isolation.

Travellers arriving from Yellow Fever infected countries require a certificate of vaccination while Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Diphtheria vaccinations are recommended.

Part 2 to follow next week.