{"id":43116,"date":"2022-05-19T01:20:04","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T23:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=43116"},"modified":"2026-10-14T12:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:53:41","slug":"staying-safe-in-gauteng-tips-for-visitors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/staying-safe-in-gauteng-tips-for-visitors\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Safe in Gauteng: Practical Tips for Visitors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gauteng is a busy, big-city province, and like any large city region it has crime. Most visits go smoothly, and a few simple habits make a real difference. These are the tips worth following from the moment you land.<\/p><div id=\"gaute-436164530\" class=\"gaute-after-paragraph-1 gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Save these numbers first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>112<\/strong>: any emergency, from a cellphone on any network<\/li><li><strong>10111<\/strong>: police emergencies (SAPS, 24 hours)<\/li><li><strong>10177<\/strong>: ambulance and emergency medical services<\/li><li><strong>+27 (0)11 085 2101<\/strong>: Gauteng Tourism Authority<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have private medical cover or travel insurance, save your insurer&#8217;s emergency line too, and keep your bank&#8217;s card-stop number handy in case a card is lost or swallowed by an ATM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At the airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lock your bags and keep valuables out of unlocked side pockets. Some airports offer bag wrapping if you want extra protection.<\/li><li>Do not leave luggage unattended, even for a moment.<\/li><li>Be wary of staged &#8220;accidents&#8221; where someone bumps into you. They can be a distraction while someone else takes your things.<\/li><li>Ignore touts offering transport in the arrivals hall. Use an official taxi, an e-hailing app, a transfer arranged by your accommodation or the Gautrain, which runs between OR Tambo, Sandton, Johannesburg and Pretoria.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At your accommodation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Keep your room locked and use the safe for passports, cash and devices.<\/li><li>Check who is at the door before you open it, and hand luggage only to staff you can identify. Ask for a receipt for anything you store.<\/li><li>Ask reception which areas to avoid and how best to get around. Local staff usually know the current picture better than any guidebook.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Out and about<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Plan your route before you leave. If you get lost, stop at a petrol station or a busy public place to check directions rather than on a quiet street.<\/li><li>Carry only the cash you need, and keep phones, cameras and jewellery out of sight.<\/li><li>Keep wallets in an inside pocket and bags zipped and in front of you.<\/li><li>Stick to well-lit, busy areas at night, and go out in a group where you can.<\/li><li>Book tours and outings through your accommodation or an established tour operator.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4157921415\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">On the road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Keep doors locked and windows up, especially at traffic lights, which South Africans call &#8220;robots&#8221;, and in parking garages.<\/li><li>Put bags and valuables in the boot before you set off, not on the seat.<\/li><li>Leave space between you and the car in front so that you can pull away if you need to, and be alert at intersections and on highway on- and off-ramps.<\/li><li>Do not pick up hitchhikers or accept lifts from strangers.<\/li><li>Park in well-lit, secure areas at night.<\/li><li>If you are involved in a minor collision and feel unsafe, signal to the other driver to follow you to the nearest police station or a busy, well-lit place before you get out.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the roads and intersections where hijackings are most often reported, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/gauteng-hijacking-hotspots-2026\/\">Gauteng hijacking hotspots<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">At banks and ATMs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Use ATMs inside malls or banks where possible.<\/li><li>Refuse help from strangers while you are using an ATM, however friendly they seem.<\/li><li>Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN.<\/li><li>Put your cash away before you leave the machine or counter, and check that you are not being followed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If something goes wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Call 10111 or 112 in an emergency. If you are a victim of crime, report it at the nearest police station and ask for a case number. You will need it for insurance claims and for replacing a lost or stolen passport.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gauteng is a busy, big-city province, and like any large city region it has crime. Most visits go smoothly, and a few simple habits make a real difference. These are the tips worth following from the moment you land. Save these numbers first 112: any emergency, from a cellphone on any network 10111: police emergencies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"Staying Safe in Gauteng: Practical Tips for Visitors","rank_math_description":"Simple safety habits for visitors to Gauteng: at the airport, your hotel, on the road and at ATMs, plus the emergency numbers to save before you go.","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[11570],"class_list":["post-43116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-visit-gauteng"],"authors":[{"term_id":11570,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"gauteng-staff-writer","display_name":"Gauteng Staff Writer","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8087b6cbb961de62a23e4755a5539c52ec6a12ea806223b6c00811341f31997?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g","job_title":"","description":"We are passionate about celebrating Gauteng\u2019s vibrancy, helping residents and visitors navigate the province, and keeping our community up to date with everything happening around them."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43116"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43151,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43116\/revisions\/43151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43116"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=43116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}