1. Fake e-hailing drivers at Cape Town International
Scammers brandishing fake ID cards pose as officially appointed airport drivers in the arrivals area of Cape Town International Airport. After the ride they present card machines and charge tourists exorbitant amounts in foreign currency — the Community Policing Forum cited reports of 500 to 1,000 euros per trip, with some cases reported up to 2,000 euros. Registered e-hailing drivers do not carry card machines, which is the key tell.
Warning signs
- A driver approaches you in arrivals claiming to be 'official airport transport' or your 'offline Uber'
- Flashing an ID badge rather than an in-app booking
- Payment demanded by portable card machine in euros, dollars, or pounds
- No ride visible in your Uber/Bolt app
How to avoid it
- Book only through the Uber or Bolt app and wait at the designated e-hailing pickup area
- Match the licence plate, car model, and driver photo to the app before getting in
- Pay through the app, never on a driver's card machine
- Alternatively pre-book a hotel shuttle or vetted private transfer
2. The 'walking permit' fake officials
People dressed to look like officials stop pedestrians in the CBD, near Green Point Park, or on the Sea Point Promenade and claim a special permit is required to walk in the area, sometimes adding that a road is closed for a visiting dignitary. They demand on-the-spot payment, historically by marching victims to a rigged ATM to steal PINs and clone cards, and more recently using portable card-cloning machines. No such permit exists anywhere in Cape Town.
Warning signs
- Anyone claiming you need a 'permit' to walk on a public street
- A story about a closed road or visiting official
- Demand for immediate card or ATM payment to 'issue' the permit
- Fluorescent vests or lanyards offered as proof of authority
How to avoid it
- Remember that walking permits do not exist — keep walking and do not engage
- Never accompany anyone to an ATM or pay by street card machine
- Ask real officers for their appointment certificate; police in South Africa must carry one
- Report approaches to the police on 10111
Sources
3. ATM 'helper' PIN theft and card cloning
A friendly stranger approaches while you use an ATM, claiming there is a trick to the machine or that it is malfunctioning, and 'helps' in order to see your PIN, swap your card, or note details for a skimming setup. The US State Department specifically warns of thieves in South Africa pretending to help with a 'broken' ATM, and notes skimmers have been found on machines at parking kiosks, malls, and office buildings.
Warning signs
- A stranger offering assistance at an ATM, however polite
- A machine that 'eats' cards or behaves oddly just as a helper appears
- Anyone standing close enough to see the keypad
- Loose or unusual fittings on the card slot
How to avoid it
- Use ATMs inside bank branches or major malls during business hours
- Firmly refuse all help, cancel the transaction, and move to another machine
- Cover the keypad fully and check the card slot for add-on devices
- Freeze the card in your banking app immediately if you suspect tampering
4. Baby formula and sob-story shop scam
Common in the CBD and Bo-Kaap: a distressed-looking person asks you to buy baby formula or nappies for their child from a nearby shop. After you leave, the goods are handed straight back to the shopkeeper and the cash profit is split, and the same item is 'sold' to the next tourist. Variants include elaborate hard-luck stories (illness, eviction, family rejection) that end in a request to shop for groceries.
Warning signs
- A stranger asking you to buy specific goods from a specific shop rather than giving money
- A polished, rehearsed-sounding personal story
- The same person working the same street on consecutive days
- Insistence on accompanying you into the shop
How to avoid it
- Politely decline and keep walking — do not enter a shop with a stranger
- If you want to help, give a small amount of cash directly instead of buying goods
- Do not get drawn into long street conversations with strangers who approach you
- Treat repeat or formulaic stories as confirmed cons
Sources
5. Airport road attacks on hired cars
UK authorities document an increase in violent, targeted attacks on vehicles travelling to and from Cape Town airport, including visitors driving hire cars. Vehicles forced off main routes onto roads past high-crime areas — often by GPS shortcuts such as Borcherd's Quarry Road toward Nyanga — are robbed at gunpoint or subjected to smash-and-grab at junctions.
Warning signs
- GPS routing you off the N2 onto smaller roads near the airport
- Slow-moving traffic on isolated stretches where cars can be boxed in
- Objects thrown toward the car to force a stop
- Unfamiliar rental car with visible luggage in the cabin
How to avoid it
- Stay on the M3 and N2 and use the airport approach road (exit 16), avoiding the R300 and Borcherd's Quarry Road
- Plan the route before leaving the rental lot and ignore GPS shortcuts through townships
- Keep doors locked, windows up, and luggage in the boot
- Consider an in-app Uber/Bolt or hotel shuttle instead of self-driving the airport leg
Sources
6. Unofficial 'guides' and trail robberies on Table Mountain
Locals posing as park guides offer to lead hikers on Table Mountain and then take them to a remote part of the trail where accomplices are waiting to rob them. UK authorities separately document violent attacks and muggings of hikers and foreign tourists in Table Mountain National Park, including on Lion's Head and Signal Hill, especially in quieter areas and at off-peak hours.
Warning signs
- An unofficial 'guide' offering services at the trailhead or car park
- No licence, uniform, or booking through a tour operator
- Suggestions to leave the busy marked trails
- Empty paths early in the morning or near dusk
How to avoid it
- Book guides only through licensed tour operators, never at the trailhead
- Stay on busy, marked trails and hike in groups of four or more
- Hike on popular days such as weekends rather than quiet weekday dawns
- Carry minimal valuables and save the Wilderness Search and Rescue number
Sources
Practical safety briefing
- Airport arrival: From Cape Town International, ignore anyone in arrivals claiming to be an official driver and book Uber or Bolt in-app to the designated e-hailing pickup; a ride to the city centre should cost roughly R200. If self-driving, use only the N2/M3 and the airport approach road — never GPS shortcuts via Nyanga.
- Trusted transport: Uber and Bolt booked in-app are the local standard; verify plate and driver before entering. The MyCiTi bus is considered reliable for the CBD and Atlantic Seaboard, and the Gautrain model applies only to Johannesburg — avoid minibus taxis entirely.
- Money & payments: Cape Town is largely card-friendly, so carry little cash; when you need rand, use ATMs inside bank branches or major malls and decline all 'help'. Never change money with street exchangers, and never pay anyone via a portable card machine on the street.
Official travel advisories
- US State Dept — Level 2; warns of ATM and credit-card skimming, thieves pretending to help at 'broken' ATMs, express-style kidnappings for cash withdrawals, and e-hailing verification rules for US government staff.
- UK FCDO — Documents Cape Town airport road attacks on hire-car visitors, e-hailing impersonator scams at airports, criminals posing as officials, ATM-area robbery, and muggings on Table Mountain trails.
Compiled from documented reports and government advisories. How we verify scams. Last verified July 2026.