(15 mins read)
Africa, though probably one of the most diverse continents in the world, is home to 54 countries and multiple independent territories, but many people, especially those who’ve never been to the continent often group the whole continent as one place.
Safety is a big concern especially when thinking about your next travel destination, you don’t want to have to worry about being a victim of any crime! this article will list all African countries and give you a basic rundown of what is happening in those countries and whether we think they are safe to travel to or not. You can then read more about these countries in our travel guides or look at our news section to stay informed with the latest goings-on within these countries.
Since the president was forced from power after mass protests in 2019, peace in Algeria hasn’t fully been restored. The UK government advises against all but essential travel there.
Angola is at the moment going through civil unrest, many are protesting against police brutality and the government’s handling of the country. Reports have been released stating that tens have been killed by the police during the protests in Lunda on their independence day (the 1st November) Right now, I would advise against traveling to Agnola unless you know someone there, have family there or it is necessary for you to go. Read our news articles to stay up to date on the latest news in Angola.
Though I would advise against traveling close to the Nigerian borders as Boko Haram is known to operate here, the capital Porto-Novo is okay to travel to as long as you travel with precaution. Entry and exit at border crossings are limited to “extreme necessity”.On May 12, the Government of Benin announced mandatory COVID-19 testing of all airline passengers arriving in Benin.
Botswana is a great beginner’s introduction to Africa. With so much to see and do here, I’d definitely recommend all wanting to travel to Africa to visit. On arriving in Botswana, you must present proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test performed no more than 72 hours prior to your departure. After arrival, you will have to remain in contact with the local health authority for a period of 14 days for self-monitoring. You will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms upon entry. If you show symptoms you will need to undertake mandatory testing and possible isolation or quarantine at your own cost. Keep up to date with the latest travel advice here
The UK and US governments advise against any travel to this country as street crime, bandits, and scams are common in Burkina Faso, and since 2015 the military has been struggling to contain Islamist violence, which has taken over parts of the country.
Burundi is harder to give a definite answer for as many tourists traveling through neighboring countries such as Rwanda stop by and say it is safe, but the country is volatile. There has been ongoing, sporadic violence and unrest since April 2015, in response to political developments. For this reason, I’d advise traveling to Burundi if you know a local i.e. on a guided tour or if you have friends and or family that live there.
The island of Cape Verde is not only home to beautiful beaches but has some of the lowest cases of Coronavirus on the whole continent. Click here to read more about this. Cape Verde is a safe African country. Though petty crime such as pickpocketing is common, if you keep your wits about you you will be fine here.
As of 2020, there has been a lot of civil unrest in Cameroon due to the Anglophone crisis, read here. Though the majority of protests and conflict is happening in the southeastern region, there have been reports of protests in the capital, Yaounde. I would advise traveling to Cameroon on a tour or if you have friends or family members in the country.
Poverty, war, corruption, and much more plague the central African republic. There are many humanitarian crises in the country and for that reason, I would advise against all travel here.
Chad is extremely dangerous due to the risk of terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and violent crime. Security in Chad is volatile with some hotspots being by the county’s borders with Libya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Comoros is a quiet west African country home to astounding islands, with mountains, beaches surrounded by oceans. Comoros is a great holiday destination.
Poverty, war, corruption, and much more plague the DRC. The movement #Congoisbleeding is trending to raise awareness of the different issues within the country (Read more about that here). For this reason, I would advise travel here unless you have booked yourself onto a reputable tour or have friends or family living in the country.
Poverty, war, corruption, and much more plague the Congo. There are many humanitarian crises in the country and for that reason, I would advise against all travel here.
Cote d’Ivoire is a fairly safe African country. Though they have been in the news due to reports of child trafficking; read more here. If you practice precautions within this country you shouldn’t encounter any problems traveling here.
Djibouti is a safe African country. Though petty crime such as pickpocketing is common, if you keep your wits about you you will be fine here. Djibouti was even included in the top places to visit in 2018 by the lonely planet.
Egypt’s one of Africa’s most popular tourist destinations and with vast amounts of history, it’s no hard to see why. As far as safety, petty crime is common, especially around tourist attractions. I would advise those wanting to go to practice caution whilst there.
Equatorial Guinea is a beautiful country, which has a lot to offer if you give it a chance. Compared with other countries in the region, the level of violent crime in Equatorial Guinea is low. I’d still advise traveling here with either a person from the country or a booking yourself onto some tours in the country. Read some travel advice here
Due to the Ethiopian conflict, Eritrea has born some of the brunt of it. though the country itself isn’t in any conflict it has become a little volatile and I advise against traveling but if you do, you should be wary at all times.
Generally speaking, Eswatini is very safe to visit. It’s a great vacation spot and has one of Africa’s lowest death toll from corona, read here, it’s a great option as the next tourist destination.
Ethiopia is currently going through an ethnic war (Read more about it here) and I would advise anyone wanting to go to Ethiopia to avoid being in the capital as protests and clashes between police and protestors are common.
Gabon generally is quite safe and we recommend visiting as most visits by British nationals are trouble-free. However, there have been incidents of robbery, armed attacks, and rape in the past. You should always take sensible personal security precautions and maintain a high level of vigilance in public places. Raed the full governmental advice here.
Currently, The Gambia is doing really well, the government has remarkably handled the COVID pandemic really well and recently reopened their borders inviting tourists to once again enjoy all the country has to offer. Read more about this here
In the past few years, Ghana has been gaining traction as a popular African travel destination. It is safe to travel to but it is good to practice caution when visiting as petty crime is quite common.
There have been reports of a rise in crime levels. You should take sensible precautions, and avoid carrying valuables in public. If you plan on traveling to Guinea and read about our stories in Guinea here
Foreigners are generally a target for criminals for pickpocketing, petty theft, and minor assaults. We advise against traveling here at the moment but if you must then we recommend you practice caution and read about our stories in Guinea-Bissau here
Kenya is a popular tourist destination and with massive amounts of attractions in the country is not hard to see why. Petty crime does occur and those looking to travel are advised to practice caution. Make sure you check the government’s safety advice before considering traveling here.
Lesotho is without a doubt one of the least dangerous countries in South Africa. However, petty crime is prevalent. There is often an increase in criminal activity, especially property crimes, leading up to the holiday season. Take extra care and be vigilant during this period. We recommend checking the government’s advice before traveling here.
Liberia is currently going through two pandemics; both COVID and gender-based violence are a big problem in the country (Read more about this here). Aside from this crime and poverty are rife in the country and I would advise against traveling here especially if you are a woman.
Since the fall of Gadaffi, Libya is still is unstable with more rebel groups forming. I advise against traveling to the country at all.
Madagascar is relatively safe and can be enjoyed when caution is practiced. It’s important to be vigilant in the capital Antananarivo, particularly in markets and busy areas, and especially vigilant at night. Read more travel advice here
If you are eager to discover Africa as it is, Malawi is the perfect place for you. We definitely recommend visiting this country as most visits to Malawi are trouble-free, but you should take sensible precautions to protect yourself from muggers and bag-snatchers. Read the full government advice here.
The UK government advises against all but essential travel here as the risks of crime and terrorism are really high. Incidents like really violent crimes and robberies happen on a daily basis here.
The UK government advises against all but essential travel here as the risks of crime is really high. Read the full government advice here.
Mauritius is often described as heaven on earth and is a great place for tourists. the risks here are low and with one of the lowest case of covid deaths in the world; read here, Mauritius is a must-visit country.
Morocco is a popular African tourist destination and with so many attractions in the country, it’s not hard to see why. Generally, Morocco is quite safe but tourists must be careful as pickpockets often target tourists. Read our stories of traveling in Morocco here.
Most visits to Mozambique are trouble-free, but street crime, sometimes involving knives and firearms, is common in Maputo and increasing in other cities and tourist destinations. As long as you practice precautions here you will enjoy visiting Mozambique. We advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Namibia is relatively safe to visit. we do recommend visiting as long as you practice precautions here you will enjoy visiting Mozambique. We advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Niger is currently one of the most dangerous countries in Africa and the UK government advises against all travel here as crime, Thefts, robberies, residential break-ins, and other more serious crimes can occur at any time. We do no advice raveling to Niger.
Nigeria is currently going through civil unrest; read about it here the threat of Boko Haram is still very real especially in the north, where the UK Government advises against travel. the southern regions are categorized as all but essential travel. We advise traveling to the country if you have friends or family living there.
Rwanda is a safe African country to visit and there have been no reports of serious crime in Rwanda recently, though petty crime still occurs so be sure to remain vigilant. Rwanda’s bordering countries such as Congo and Burundi are still quite dangerous so be wary when traveling close to the borders.
Crime rates are generally low in Sao Tome and Principe and we do advise traveling to this island as it also has one of the lowest covid related deaths in the world.
Senegal is a great African country to visit and one of the safest in West Africa. Read our stories here and our ultimate guide. We advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Seychelles is home to some of the world’s best beaches and is an incredible holiday destination. We do though advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Most visits to Sierra Leone are incident-free. Sierra Leone is safe to travel to and we recommend visiting as long as you practice caution. Click here to read what these are. Read our stories and our ultimate guide here.
The UK government advises against all travel to Somalia as the country is unstable, both petty crime and serious crime are pretty high. We do not recommend traveling here.
South Africa is a popular African tourist destination and with amazing wildlife and nature, it’s not hard to see why. However, the country is very dangerous. South Africa has a high level of crime, including rape and murder. Though the risk of violent crime to visitors traveling to the main tourist destinations is generally low, we advise only traveling here if you have friends or relatives or a tour in the country. We also advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
The UK government advises against all travel to South Sudan as the country is unstable, both petty crime and serious crime are pretty high. We do not recommend traveling here.
The UK government advises against all but essential travel to Sudan as the country is very volatile especially in the south where all travel is not advised.. We do not recommend traveling here alone or without a guide or friends/ family living in the country. We also advise you to read up on your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
From a general perspective, Tanzania is a fairly safe place for tourists. The chances to have a bad experience if your visit is an organized safari are few. Although most visits to Tanzania are trouble-free, in bigger cities like Dar-es-Salaam and Arusha, both petty and serious crimes are at a much higher rate. We advise you to read our ultimate guide and your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
In Togo, violent crime, theft, and pick-pocketing are common. We do not recommend traveling here alone or without a guide or friends/ family living in the country. If you plan on going to Togo you should be especially cautious in Lomé along the beach and in the markets. read your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Tunisia is a country with mesmerizing beaches, beautiful weather, and delicious delicacies. It used to be a popular African holiday destination but due to the terrorist attacks in 2017, not many tourists have returned. Since then, Incidents of mugging, pickpocketing, bag-snatching, and petty theft have been on the rise. we recommend traveling here with others and reading our ultimate guide and your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
At the moment the streets of Kampala (The capital of Uganda) have erupted with protests as the government has recently jailed the leader of the opposition party. Read about this here. There are also tensions and conflicts reported on the borders close to Congo so I wouldn’t advise traveling to Uganda unless you have family there.
Zambia is a pretty safe south African country. Statistically speaking, you’re more likely to encounter a road accident than to get robbed. Being robbed in Zambia is quite unlikely, despite the fact that it’s a poor country. Travel in major cities, as well as the major game parks, is generally safe. However, serious crimes can and do occur so we recommend reading your government’s travel advice before booking your trip. (UK travel advice)
Zimbabwe is dealing with many crisis’ click here to read more. Since the overthrow of Mugabe, the country has only gotten worse and crime rates have soared. We do not advise traveling to this country.
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Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic blog. Much thanks again. Awesome. Dana Alvie Alf