What You Should Avoid	What You Should Do
Do not venture into unknown areas on your own or in small groups (less than 10), particularly at night. Note that some areas that may appear safe during the day can become more dangerous at night.	Draw on sources of local knowledge to identify where high-risk or 'no go' areas of town are and avoid those areas where possible. As a general rule, large malls and tourist areas (e.g. the Cape Town Waterfront, Sandton City, Montecasino complex) are generally safe.
Under no circumstances should you accept lifts from persons/operators whose credentials have not been established, or who you do not know. Note that hitch-hiking in South Africa is a high-risk activity. Similarly, avoid offering lifts to persons who are not known to you as this could expose you to significant security risks.	If moving around on one's own (i.e. outside of an organised group or party), obtain advice from experienced security personnel and plan routes to avoid potential high-risk areas.
Do not reveal details of where you are staying or your planned movements to persons who you do not know and trust.	Ensure that somebody familiar to you is aware of your intended movements and routes and can activate an alarm if you fail to arrive at a specific destination within a reasonable period of time.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash with you. Similarly, it is advisable to limit the amount of cash drawn from banks and automatic tellers.	Most hotel in South Africa have room safes for secure storage of cash and other valuables.
Do not display high-value jewelry, watches or other accessories.	Have a set of emergency contact numbers pre-programed into your mobile phone, as well as a separate list in hard copy format, in event of emergency.
Do not accept offers of help from strangers to operate automatic cash machines. This is a common trick used by con artists in South Africa to obtain your PIN or other details.	Ensure that all details of high value/insured items (serial numbers, dates of purchase, etc) are recorded and kept in a safe place ahead of traveling. This is essential for both reporting of theft incidents and subsequent insurance claims.
Do not divulge personal/family details to strangers, as such details could be used to target you for fraud or other crimes.	If purchasing expensive items in a local store, do not provide details of where you are staying if these are requested. If the store insists that this is required for one or other reason, insist on speaking to a manager.
Do not fall victim to so-called '419 scams', which typically involve offers of significant benefits in return for a 'small' up-front payment to facilitate the benefit. The simple rule that 'if it seems to good to be true it probably is' should apply here. This applies also to World Cup tickets that may be touted.	Ensure that you have certified copies of passports and other travel/identity documents in a safe place, in event that your original documents are lost or stolen.
Do not attempt to carry or conceal illegal or unlicensed firearms. This is a serious offense in South Africa and could result in criminal charges.	Likewise, ensure that if you have hired private security guards or close protection officers that the firearms that they use are properly licensed and registered. In terms of the law, these firearms should be registered to the company or individual who is the client, not to the company or individual providing the service.
Avoid large gatherings that are obviously not social or related to the World Cup, such as protests or demonstrations.	Be security conscious in places where large groups are gathered, including public viewing areas and areas where fans are gathered.
Do not make use of public taxis (mini-buses) in South Africa, as many are unroadworthy or driven by unlicensed and often reckless drivers.	Should you require private transport, request the services of a recommended and registered provider from your hotel concierge or security consultant.

As commented previously, South Africa does have high levels of crime. The degree of risk that one is exposed to is however determined not only by precisely where one is in the country, but also the extent to which one implements simple measures to enhance personal safety and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime. Situational awareness is a key aspect of this: being aware of one's surroundings and potential threats that may emerge in your immediate environment. In particular, one should be attentive and responsive to suspicious behaviour on the part of others around you. Very few crimes are genuinely impulsive or 'spur of the moment' and in the vast majority of cases there is some degree of planning on the part of the assailants. This planning phase provides the best opportunity for one to identify suspicious behaviour and take appropriate measures to avoid a potential threat. Important guidelines in this regard are as follows:

• Be alert to vehicles that may be following you;

• Be vigilant at intersections, traffic lights and other potential risk areas;

• Statistically, most vehicle hijackings occur when drivers are arriving at their point of destination;

• There have been several incidents in which persons appear to have been followed to their destinations after arriving at airports;

• In other cases, victims have been followed from shopping malls, particularly after purchasing expensive items or drawing or displaying large amounts of cash;

• In public areas during the World Cup, be alert to persons who are obviously out-of-place or acting suspiciously, e.g. wearing exceptionally bulky clothing, acting exceptionally nervously or agitated, etc.;

• In crowded or busy areas, be particularly alert to 'decoy' behaviours such as fights, arguments, being bumped, etc. that are intended to distract your attention.

Guidelines In Event of Being Targeted

In event that one is targeted by criminals, the following guidelines should be noted as steps that could significantly impact on the degree of risk that you are exposed to:

• Be compliant. Your life is infinitely more valuable than your possessions and any attempt to resist giving criminals the possessions that they are demanding is likely to lead to a violent reaction on their part.

• Avoid making direct eye contact. Criminals believe that persons who stare at them may be attempting to remember their physical details to provide a description to police authorities and may react to this.

• Be honest. As tempting as it may be to try and pretend that one has forgotten the PIN code to one's ATM card or the code to a safe, this is unlikely to deter hardened criminals. In extreme cases, it could result in the victim being tortured to extract the information.

• Do not initiate sudden movements. This could be interpreted as a sign that you are reaching for a weapon or alert system. All movements should be slow and precise.

• Remain calm. This may be difficult to do when one's life is in danger, but both aggressiveness and panic on your part could make a bad situation significantly worse.

• If you have an opportunity, let the criminals know that you are a foreign citizen enjoying the World Cup. This is a means of communicating that you are unlikely to be armed or pose a threat to them.

Reporting of Incidents

If you are the victim of a crime, you will need to report it to police authorities in event that:

• You consider it to be a social responsibility;

• You hope that the perpetrators will be caught and brought to justice; or

• You intend to claim from insurance.

If you have been physically injured in the incident, your immediate priority should be to receive medical attention. Many visitors will have a pre-appointed emergency medical contractor for such contingencies. If not, we recommend that you make use of a private emergency medical service, such as ER24 or Life. Some police stations are able to draw on the services of trained trauma counselors should you require. Alternatively, private hospitals can also provide this service.

If you are intending to submit a claim for insurance purposes, you will require what is known as a CAS number. This should be provided to you at the police station where you report the incident. You will be asked to make a short statement and the incident will then be recorded and logged with a CAS number. Depending upon how busy the police station is, this process can take between 30 minutes and more than 2 hours.

It is advisable to report serious incidents to your embassy or consulate.