Tourists won’t follow in Meghan and Harry’s footsteps

It is understandable that Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane hopes there will be a surge in tourism following the Royal Tour of South Africa by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan. Sadly, though, she is being somewhat optimistic … and let me explain why.

Firstly, although it is true that the royal couple are 21st century tech-hip and they have huge numbers of followers on Instagram where they will post their pics; and that millions more will follow their every move; the reality is that most will not even notice the beautiful South African background. They will be far more interested in the “little chap”, Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie.

It is also highly doubtful that any of those following the couple will have zero knowledge of this country – as the minister implies. Most importantly, though, is the fact that, even as Harry and Meghan walk freely on our streets (accompanied by their bodyguards, naturally), the British media have been having a field day with the recent attack in Hluleka reserve in the Eastern Cape, in which a young mother (also pregnant with her second child) was stabbed to death and her husband also severely stabbed. That human tragedy – fortunately their two-year-old son was unharmed – strikes a chord with the UK tabloid press.

And the message they convey to their readers is that South Africa is a violent place. Is that fair? I hesitate to say no, because even though I can tell overseas visitors that things are not nearly as they seem from thousands of kilometres away, I cannot guarantee they will be safe.

Think about how you travel in South Africa now. You lock all your doors when you drive anywhere. You put your valuables in the car boot or under the seat. You avoid the “seedy” parts of town. Even when you’re away on holiday – in the Kruger National Park, say, you are still on guard. You lock your car. You lock your chalet doors at night and, if there is inadequate protection, close the windows. You take your valuables with you when you go on a game drive.

In many parts of the country, hiking is no longer safe, unless you are in a large group – and even then, you are still prey for armed gangs well aware you have fancy watches and cellphones on you. Day hikers in world-renowned places like the Table Mountain National Park have to worry about being mugged, rape or even murdered. Tell me I am exaggerating.

Tell me you would be happy to tell your overseas visitors to go to these places alone. And, as I hear you saying “Crime happens everywhere, especially where you have poor people”, let me reply: No it doesn’t.

A woman colleague of mine visited Mozambique last year and came back gobsmacked that she could walk the streets late at night in a small northern town and that the rape rate in that country (overall much poorer than South Africa) is fractions of what ours is.

Then, of course, we have our traffic cops, who often park just outside the exits to O R Tambo International Airport, looking for obviously rented cars and foreigners who they can shake down for a bribe.

Let’s not even talk about our immigration control officials at the same airport who can be rude and bully people. True, that is not a unique South African characteristic (it’s the default of many border control officers the world over) – but we don’t do much in the way of rolling out the welcome mat for visitors.

And when our visitors do hit the road to see our beautiful country, they jump directly into the lawless place that is our highways and byways. So, a country which has about 18 000 murders a year also has a further 18 000 or so slaughtered in traffic accidents.

In our favour is the fact that our rand is hovering around junk status and foreign currency still goes a long way here (although rising prices in SA mean the gap is closing). Mind you, this country is still an expensive destination when it comes to the cost of getting here – because we’re such a long way from Europe, the US and Asia. It’s going to take a lot more than a few posts by Harry and Meghan to make this place really appealing, I’m afraid, minister …

Brendan Seery

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