Cape Town Tourism, the city’s official Destination Marketing Organisation, is aware of the recent incidents where a US citizen was robbed and shot in the face in Nyanga. Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism says, “We extend our deepest sympathy to him for the ordeal and are relieved he is safe and receiving treatment.
“We are extremely concerned that the incident occurred and have engaged with local law
enforcement. Our ongoing mission remains a deep commitment to ensuring the safety of all visitors
to our shores. We have been in touch with the gentleman, and we are committed to ensuring he
receives the care and counselling he needs. We have a dedicated team to assist all visitors in destination as well as the Namola safety app for an immediate emergency response. We are also
redoubling our efforts to provide the critical resources people need to stay vigilant and travel wisely.
Our TravelWise section on our site provides up-to-date safety information and tips.
“We urge especial caution for visitors following a GPS. The TravelWise section outlines crime hotspot
zones to alert visitors about areas to avoid or enter with caution.”
Alderman James Vos adds, “On behalf of the City of Cape Town, I would like to offer the traveller my
deepest sympathies. The City government and our partners have worked hard to boost tourism to
Cape Town and we are looking forward to a bumper visitor season. Sadly, incidents such as this mar
our reputation and threaten to dissuade travellers from enjoying our great experiences.
I have communicated our various safety measures with diplomatic representatives based in the
metro to suggest that they share this information with incoming travellers from their countries. I am
also encouraged that our partner, Cape Town Tourism, has reaffirmed this information to its
extensive member database.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring our city is safe and welcoming for all visitors. Over the
festive period, we urge everyone to please remain vigilant and aware, and avoid high incident
areas,” says Duminy.
Cape Town Tourism is collaborating with local law enforcement and joining the leadership of the
Joint Association Member Meeting (JAMMS) in hosting an upcoming tourism safety summit. The
summit, scheduled for next week, will bring together essential public and private stakeholders,
including law enforcement and security agencies, to address critical security concerns and explore
opportunities for cooperative efforts in utilising its collective resources to advance proactive
security strategies.
Cape Town Tourism’s safety resources include:
- TravelWise: Our TravelWise platform includes a ‘safety in Cape Town’ section, which provides up-to-date safety information, practical tips and emergency contact numbers. We also distribute these safety tips in brochures and bookmarks, and Cape Town Tourism regularly does room drops at hotels in hotspot areas. SAPS and law enforcement also hand these tips out during visitor safety activations. The hotspots, however, change as criminals move to less patrolled areas. So these areas are constantly updated and communicated to our members regularly via social media channels and during quarterly visitor safety workshops with industry partners.
- The Namola App: Our safety response app pinpoints your location, gives you immediate access to an emergency operator, and ensures you receive the help you need, fast and efficiently. Download it for free, and if you ever need help, just open, and tap the app.
- The Band-Aid Programme: This programme helps anyone who may be in distress during their stay in Cape Town with replacing lost documents, counselling, assistance with finding emergency accommodation, assistance with laying a charge with SAPs, and contacting banks in the event of bank card fraud. The 24/7 Band-Aid contact number is 021 487 6552.
Duminy adds, “We encourage travellers to use these resources and contact our team for further
assistance.” Cape Town Tourism also remind visitors to:
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Ask your accommodation establishment or tour operator about areas that should be
avoided, especially at night - Keep valuables out of sight, especially jewellery, cell phones and cameras
- Save emergency numbers on your phone
- Don’t accept any assistance from anyone at an ATM
