Over the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not I would describe Cape Town as safe. The hype surrounding Cape Town has not gone unnoticed by my circle of friends, and since I am the ‘Cape Town expert’ in my circle, I was naturally asked frequently whether Cape Town was safe. Most of the time, I probably gave a very general answer, saying that you have to follow basic rules, but that it is very safe during the day in tourist areas because the police and sufficient security personnel are present. However, I would probably have advised against going for a walk in the evening. I have to say that it also depends on what kind of crime people are afraid of. The likelihood of being shot because you get caught between two gangs is non-existent in tourist areas, but the theft of your mobile phone is all the more likely if you are not careful. Personally, nothing has ever happened to me, nor to the vast majority of tourists. So it doesn't seem to be that unsafe?

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