Crime an Issue in South Africa, But Not as Bad as it Seems

Crime is one of the big issues facing South Africa as it prepares to host the World Cup. But despite its reputation as one of the world's most dangerous countries, the reality is much less widespread than most media reports suggest.

It's a complicated picture, says Johan Burger, senior researcher in the crime and justice programme at South Africa's Institute for Security Studies.

The first thing is that the South African murder rate is going down and not up.

"Contrary to what many people think, the murder rate, while still extremely high, is down by about 44% since 1995. That's a huge decrease."

The geographical and social spread of murder might also be relevant to visitors.

How dangerous is South Africa?
BBC
May 17, 201