HERE’S A SHORTCUT TO SAFETY TIPS
The US will no longer be issuing travel warnings and alerts about specific countries in times of crisis, but has begun using a tiered system that includes every country in the world. A US State Department official said that the former system often led to confusion, whereas the new one uses plain language and a consistent format to help people quickly find important security information before a trip. Under the new system, every country in the world has been assigned a ranking, from one to four, to indicate its level of security risk. Level one countries are considered the safest, where travellers are advised to “exercise normal precautions”. Level two means “exercise increased caution”; three means “reconsider travel” and four is “do not travel”.
For each country at level two or above, the advisory includes specific risk indicators, such as crime (C), terrorism (T), civil unrest (U), health (H), natural disaster (N) and timelimited event (E).
South Africa is at level two due to C. The site details the types of crimes that are common and advises travellers to avoid walking alone, especially after dark in central business districts; to drive with doors locked; and to avoid displaying valuables.
Each country page also has information on health conditions and vaccination requirements, transport, and local laws.
Search for the details on any country at travel.state.gov/destination.