Johannesburg

South Africa · Africa

22Safety indexHigher concern

U.S. State DeptLevel 2 · Increased caution

Global Affairs CanadaLevel 2 · Increased caution

UK FCDOLevel 1 · Normal precautions

Smartraveller (AU)Level 2 · Increased caution

5/5metric categories covered

Open comparison

-26.20°, 28.05°

Regional locator · ring ≈ the figure's geographic unit

The safety picture

A plain-language read of the sourced figures below

Johannesburg is one of the lowest-scoring cities in our index, at 22 out of 100, with only about 2% of the cities we score ranking below it.

Its homicide rate is 43.7 per 100,000, roughly 27 times the median for the cities we track. That rate covers the wider metro area and we calculated it from a count and a population, so any single neighbourhood could sit well above or below it. Robbery is recorded at 518.3 per 100,000, also a metro figure and police-recorded, so the true level runs higher. The four governments do not agree. The US, Canada, and Australia each set South Africa at increased caution, while the UK keeps it at its lowest level. Advisories flag pickpocketing and scams. Resident sentiment matches the hard numbers: in survey results, 37% said they feel safe walking alone at night, though that figure is national.

Safety dimensions

Larger area = more concern

Violent crime87

Robbery & theft94

Travel advisory33

The radar shows the three sourced, comparable risk measures (homicide, robbery, the strictest travel-advisory level). Tourist petty-crime signals are a different kind of measure — how often advisories mention them — so they are shown as rows under Tourist-specific incidents, not as radar axes.

Homicide / general violence

Intentional homicides (per 100,000)

43.7/100k

Figure is for City of Johannesburg (metro area), wider than Johannesburg itself.

Rate computed by project-atlas: 2099 (count, 2025) ÷ 4803262 population (Statistics South Africa — Census 2022, 2022) × 100k.

Primary source: South African Police Service (SAPS) — Crime Statistics, 2025/2026 (April 2025 – March 2026)

Where this sits on the scaleExtreme

01·3·8·20·40 /100k

Among tracked citiessafer than 5% of tracked cities

43.7/100k

0/100k safest101.2/100k

Robbery (police-recorded)

Robbery (per 100,000)

518.3/100k

Police-recorded robbery undercounts true incidence — a meaningful share of robberies go unreported. Read this as recorded robbery (SAPS "Robbery with aggravating circumstances" + "Common robbery"), not total robbery.

Figure is for City of Johannesburg (metro area), wider than Johannesburg itself.

Rate computed by project-atlas: 24896 (count, 2025) ÷ 4803262 population (Statistics South Africa — Census 2022, 2022) × 100k.

Primary source: South African Police Service (SAPS) — Crime Statistics, 2025/2026 (April 2025 – March 2026)

Where this sits on the scaleSevere

040·120·250·400·600 /100k

Among tracked citiessafer than 6% of tracked cities

518.3/100k

0.4/100k safest3097.8/100k

Travel advisories

U.S. State Department

U.S. State DeptLevel 2 · Increased caution

Primary source: U.S. Department of State — South Africa Travel Advisory

Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs CanadaLevel 2 · Increased caution

Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Africa Travel Advice and Advisories

UK FCDO

UK FCDOLevel 1 · Normal precautions

Primary source: UK FCDO — South Africa travel advice

Smartraveller (Australia)

Smartraveller (AU)Level 2 · Increased caution

Primary source: Australian Government (DFAT Smartraveller) — South Africa travel advice

Perceived safety

How safe people say they feel, from official population surveys — a separate signal, not part of the Safety Index.

Feel safe walking alone at night

National survey

37%feel safe

37% of people surveyed · South Africa · 2022

Survey figure is for South Africa (country), wider than Johannesburg itself.

Primary source: UN SDG 16.1.4 — feel safe walking alone at night (UNODC)

Tourist-specific incidents

How often government travel advisories mention each — a source-consensus signal, not a risk rate.

Pickpocketing & petty theft in travel advisories

3 of 3 advisories mention this

project-atlas count: 3 of 3 reviewed government advisories mention this. A source-consensus signal, not a measured risk rate.

Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Africa travel advice (Safety and security)

Scams & fraud in travel advisories

3 of 3 advisories mention this

project-atlas count: 3 of 3 reviewed government advisories mention this. A source-consensus signal, not a measured risk rate.

Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Africa travel advice (Safety and security)