While Cape Town is a beautiful and vibrant city, certain areas can be risky to walk through alone after dark.
For your safety, it’s important to be aware of these hotspots where crime rates tend to be higher at night.
Here are five hotspots in Cape Town you should avoid walking alone at night due to safety concerns:
1. The City Bowl (Central Business District)
While the City Bowl is bustling during the day, certain areas can become risky after dark, especially around Long Street and the surrounding alleyways. These areas can attract criminals, and muggings or assaults have been reported. The lack of street lighting and a larger presence of night-time revelers makes it a risky area to navigate alone at night.
2. Green Point and the Waterfront Area
While the V&A Waterfront is generally safe and popular with tourists, the surrounding areas like Green Point and the more isolated parts of the Waterfront can be dangerous after dark. Muggings and robberies are more common in less crowded areas, especially near the less lit streets and quieter spots near the harbor.
3. Bo-Kaap
The Bo-Kaap neighborhood, with its iconic colorful houses, is popular during the day but can be risky at night due to its more isolated streets. The area has experienced an increase in crime, and some parts can be unsafe when walking alone, particularly in the darker, quieter areas away from the main tourist routes.
4. Civic Centre Area
The area around the Civic Centre, especially near the train station and the surrounding parking lots, can become quite dangerous after dark. It’s often sparsely populated at night, making it a hotspot for criminal activity, including muggings and assaults.
5. Salt River and Woodstock
While these areas are experiencing urban renewal and gentrification, some parts of Salt River and Woodstock can still be unsafe at night. Certain streets, especially near the train tracks, are known for gang activity, drug use, and muggings, so it’s advisable to avoid walking alone in these neighborhoods after dark.
