The department of tourism has called for the establishment of a specialised policing unit dedicated to tourist protection following a spate of murders and robberies of foreign visitors in recent years.
This is one of the top priorities in a white paper released this week that notes high crime levels are hobbling both international and domestic tourism.
The white paper, released by tourism minister Patricia de Lille, spells out the economic potential of foreign tourists, noting that arrivals have rebounded since the pandemic, with 8.4-million tourists recorded last year — still considerably fewer than in 2019, when 10.2-million visited the country.
“South Africa’s image has been negatively impacted by crime involving tourists ... Crime-related concerns negatively impact the desire to visit South Africa by international tourists and are a deterrent [for] self-drive domestic tourists,” the document says.
Current law enforcement responses did not provide for prompt resolution of crimes against tourists.
The white paper called for an “intelligence-based tourist safety programme” and collaboration between law enforcement agencies, private security players, the justice system and local communities.
It proposed that “in partnership with law enforcement agencies at all levels ... the establishment of a specialised police unit with the capacity for focused preventive measures and the swift resolution of incidents involving tourists” should be investigated.
Attacks on tourists in South Africa have often made international headlines. Last month four tourists — two Dutch and two German — were hijacked and robbed in two separate incidents in Mpumalanga.
German tourist Jörg Schnarr was shot dead in the same province in 2022 when gunmen ambushed the minibus in which he, his wife and two other tourists were driving on their way to the Kruger National Park.
Last year Kar Hao Teoh, a British surgeon, was shot dead in front of his mother, his wife and their son when they were diverted into Nyanga to avoid road blockades during a taxi strike in Cape Town.
On Valentine’s Day last year, Nick Frischke, 22, from Germany, went missing while on a hike near Hout Bay. His fate is still unknown, though four people are on trial on charges of robbing him.
We are looking at hiring private security companies in certain areas to boost security while working with police
— Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa
Department of tourism spokesperson Tasneem Carrim said the department was already working with law enforcement agencies to ensure safer tourism environments.
Last year, it made available R174.2m to launch a project for 2,300 “tourism monitors” to be deployed to assist police across all nine provinces, including SANParks destinations.
“Tourism monitors are deployed to work with the local authorities and tourism establishments to provide customer care services, first aid and promote public safety practices,” she said.
The department also launched an app in collaboration with the private sector, known as Secura Traveller. It connects tourists to a network of emergency assistance, sending their location to first responders.
Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, said the private sector had partnered with the tourism department to identify crime hotspots across the country and implement additional safety measures.
“We are looking at hiring private security companies in certain areas to boost security while working with police. We are also leveraging technology by using number plate recognition software in some places,” he said.
Tshivhengwa said a specialised policing unit would be a significant step forward if it happened, but police faced resource constraints.
Other interventions proposed in the white paper include regulating short-term rentals in the face of the explosion of Airbnb properties. The accommodation platform lists more than 23,000 properties operating in Cape Town alone.
“In 2023, hosts on Airbnb welcomed more than 700,000 guest arrivals to Cape Town who contributed an estimated R14.4bn annually to GDP,” an Airbnb report said.
The white paper, citing international practice, calls among other things for limits on the number of nights a year that owners can rent out their properties.
At a media briefing on Friday, De Lille said: “We have received complaints about these rentals, there have been some red lights, particularly in Cape Town, but we are engaging with the city to ensure that there are regulations to follow.”
According to the white paper, complaints included loud and uncontrolled guests, subletting without permission from body corporates, and the flooding of supply by individuals listing multiple properties.
Tourism bodies have applauded the publication of the white paper.
The Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) said the drafting process had been consultative and collaborative.
“It’s been nearly 30 years since the last tourism white paper,” said Fedhasa chair Rosemary Anderson. “The industry now needs to throw its support behind the initiatives laid out in the document, including the development of enhanced standards, so that we can ensure the safety and wellbeing of guests and visitors across South Africa.”
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