Nobody seems to have information as to whether the supermarket was actually within the recommended Melrose "safe area"?

Some of the comments remind me that Belfast shuttle crew nightstops in the 70s involved changing into civvies before leaving in a taxi whose driver had to be photo id'ed before getting in. Limited areas of movement around the hotel.

I think that those of us who have lived in SA and enjoyed the country with White, Black, and Coulored colleagues, all of whom seemed to be pretty happy, are bemoaning the fact that the country with a longer legacy than the United States that we once lived in and loved, has essentially evaporated.
I’m happy to be politically correct, but I have friends there that are at daily risk of being killed (not just whites)
this is an international travesty

I have had family in the country since 1830. I lived there for a substantive part of my chidhood and went to school there. Family still live there. We visit them and school friends every couple of years.

Unfortunately, the country is following in the footsteps of every other African country. Although they have avoided civil war (thus far) the country will continue to slide down the scale. Tradgedy beyond words. Can anything be done about it? From outside the country - no. That is simple human nature, no country is changed for the better from outside. Can the people inside change it for the better? Not yet ...

For a like-for-like assessment of the safety in different countries, have a close look at that link above, then go onto the https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice website and see the updated assessments of other countries. Start with all South Africa's direct neighbours: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Compare the Safety and Security section in each with what you read about South Africa. Then look around the world a bit more: Canada, USA (someone tried comparing the USA with SA -- just look at the vastly different advice on the two here), Australia and New Zealand. Then scale up your caution for any necessary visits to South Africa accordingly. And if your visit is not necessary (e.g. not for work/business), probably best for your own safety to avoid going there. This poor guy that this Post is all about would have been massively traumatised. What he went through was not unusual (I know of people who have been through similar there, although not as extreme). Do you really need to put yourself at risk of the same?

My last visit there several years ago I was fetched by family from the airport (at night) and there was a discussion between them on the route that we were going to take 'home', was it to be on the motorway ('freeway') bypass or into town. I thought they might be wanting to show me something in town. No, it turned out that there had been a lot of hijackings on a 'remote' part of the motorway and that all the different police forces (national, municipal, traffic) had been finding excuses why it was not their 'jurisdiction'. We went through town... That was in the first half an hour in the country off the airport! Added to other crime concerns (high security fences around homes, steel gates on doors, etc., etc., etc.) during my short family visit, I have not been back and will not do so, simply due to the fact that I felt very, very unsafe there. I heard it put into context very well by one family member there: "South Africa is the only country where the good people are behind bars (all their household security) and the criminals are roaming the streets freely".

Sad. But true.

In the ‘70s I saw Flanders and Swann in a cabaret in Pretoria. Had a half of bottle of Stein (as a 16 y/o) and was convinced I had arrived.

Born and brought up there, left 40 years ago and never been back. Still have a sister there in dire circumstance, and cousins. Deeply saddened as to the state of the country, and cant see it getting any better. To most sensible people, we know the real reason !! , there isn't much more to say.

A friend of mine picked up a hire car at the airport in Johannesburg, on entering the carpark he was met by someone dressed similarly to the rental company staff. He was asked for the bay number of the car he was picking up which was entered into the person's mobile phone. On arrival at the car this person made a quick inspection for damage and left. Whilst driving away from the airport my mate noticed two things, firstly one of the rear tyres was going flat and secondly he was being followed.

Luckily he made it to a police station while the car was still driveable. Most people would have simply pulled over to change the wheel and been robbed or murdered.

If you mean was it outside the gates, yes that has been answered and yes it was but by the matter of a few hundred meters if that. Enough you might say but still truly shocking, especially when apparently some of the conversation in the vehicle revolved around whether they should kill him or not.

in ZABA pilot beaten/robbed
 

Rotten shame really. Those of us within a certain age group and languishing on airport Sby in the Queens building at thiefrow will remember that when SA advertised in the back of Flight Mag for pilots, a queue formed from Staines to Joburg.

Of course, blissfully naive , I have many instances where someone, somewhere, has stepped in and saved my rear-end.

Several Joburg nightstops under the belt, I rented a van & planned a crew trip to Sun City. Renter told me that if anyone tried to hijack the vehicle, just give them the keys.

On a further solo mission, I was being followed, too closely by a bunch of yobs. While I had the racing line, they took me on the inside . Of course I pursued,overtook, jammed on the brakes and gave a solo fingured victory salute. They followed, very closely for a couple of miles but because of my exceptional Top Gun ,combat evasion skills, they became increasingly thwarted but annoyed. I roared into the Hotel just in time as I sensed radar lock. Receptionist warned against duelling in SA.

Still blissfully happy in one of my fave destinations. After usual shopping adventure in the Mall, decided to walk back to the Hotel waving cheerily to the Crew happy to board the pre-booked Hotel bus.

I was quickly intercepted by a local. He was going the same way. We cheerily chatted. Parted company outside the Hotel after twenty minute stroll . He rendered a quick de-brief into how dangerous what I had just done was. I thought; What a bloody nische bloke.

Re-telling the tale to the gorgeous Receptionist, she looked like she was about to faint and suggested that I was lucky to still be alive.. Seriously.

I stopped looking at S Africa as a potential retirement site.

The habit, in the ‘80s and ‘90s of using white spray paint to outline the road kill from combi wrecks was endearing (inuring?), and made me damned sure to put my full face helmet on even for a jaunt up the Boer war trails in the Magaliesburg. Still managed to ride across to Walvis Bay with Jerry cans lashed to the back.

Its a wonder any of us survived…

How you can prefer Ghana to Botswana is beyond me.

The streets of Kigali (Rwanda) imho remains clean and nicely safe for some years...

Many happy memories after two tours totalling 9 years.