The World Cup and South Africa - an exercise in overcoming nerves

The World Cup is only 8 months away - and in response, South Africa has invested a massive amount in new stadia, transport infrastructure and communications improvements. All this is great, but the fact remains that the overwhelming international perception of South Africa is that it's generally unsafe, with crime rife and pervasive, and all visitors and locals (read: white) most at risk.

Is this the truth? It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the fact that crime is a major cancer in what is otherwise an incredibly beautiful country - but those who have never been there should be fed a more transparent, qualified and quantified picture. The fact is that crime affects mainly the poor, and in the poorerest areas (read mainly non-white). The city centres are increasingly safer, with higher numbers of police and security staff focused on these urban areas. In fact, I can't think of a time when I felt more safe in central Cape Town than at the beginning of this year (certainly safer than I feel walking around Tottenham or even King's Cross.)

So, if you were thinking of going to South Africa, before, during or after the World Cup, don't let a scaremongering international (and mainly pessimistic local) press put you off. The more people go there, the more the local tourism industry, and growing number of business owners will demand of the national government to tackle the problem. You just need to be sensible about where you are, and who you're with. You wouldn't walk around Moss Side or Tottenham High Street late at night on your own, and it's the same anywhere else.

And believe me, the rewards South Africa and its people offer to tourists far outweigh the perceived risk - it is a beautiful country with the most animated and engaging people.