Crime in South Africa is a major problem no better illustrated by the fact that according to South Africa's Medical Research Council over one in four South African males have admitted to carrying out a rape with over half of those admitting to multiple attacks. Disturbingly, 75% state that they first offended whilst they were a teenager.

Equally disturbing is that a child is raped in South Africa every three minutes, around 200,000 children every year. This high incidence level is often attributed to the fact that many South African boys see females as 'fair game' with the crime being seen as a form of male bonding when carried out in groups. The report referred to above indicated that 62% of boys don't equate rape with violence whilst a third believe girls enjoy it.

Its bizarre to report that a girl in South Africa has one in three chance of finishing school, but a one in two chance of being raped. And the authorities don't want to know, preferring the crime to go unreported, but when it is, the victim often finds herself ostracised. Of course, its not just girls, but one in ten males also reports sexual assault by other males. But its not just sexual crime that casts a shadow over South Africa. Murders (nineteen police officers were murdered in one province alone in 28 weeks), woundings, armed robberies, muggings, car jackings and other thefts are also endemic. The situation is so bad that South Africa's crime intelligence chief has recently been arrested for murder.

Many of these crimes occur in urban areas around hotels and shopping centres but also on trains and other forms of public transport. Private passengers are equally at risk with their cars being smashed and grabbed or the driver being followed home and robbed as they leave their car on their way into their home. South African crime also includes regular bombings of ATM machines. To put it in perspective, though, over 90% of tourists who attended the World Cup in 2010 reported a crime free experience with only 4% reporting they would not return to the country, preferring to explore new destinations and most crimes are carried out within specified locations.

Foreign embassies merely ask that visitors to South Africa pay particular care around ATMs and don't venture at night outside acknowledged commercial centres of activity. The following table shows the South African crime rate over the past three years with the latest figures available up to March 2010.

Source: South African Police Service