Current Crime hot spots to Avoid on Table Mountain
No responsible hiking guide would knowingly lead a group into dangerous areas. But even when avoiding known or suspected crime hot spots, there's no absolute guarantee of safety on the mountain.
However, most of Table Mountain's hiking areas are not crime hot spots.
CHECK SANPARKS and TMNP websites or X feeds as part of your pre-hike routine.
TABLE MOUNTAIN VISITOR SAFETY UPDATES:
21 May 2025
Table Mountain Crime Stats are worse than ever.
47 attacks have occurred from January 1st to May 16th 2025, affecting 78 victims in total.
This according to a report from Friends of Table Mountain, which highlights the particular danger to women mountain users.
This is the highest number of violent crimes on Table Mountain ever recorded in the first five months of any year.
If current trends continue, 2025 could see over 200 attacks, breaking the previous record of 151 attacks set in 2023.
This despite renewed efforts to co-ordinate mountain security, and the presense of uniformed city police patrols on the trails.
In my experience as a regular hiker and guide on Table Mountain I've barely ever seen a Table Mountain National Park ranger patrolling the trails. (I'm being generous with that 'barely.') This ongoing absence supports the concerns raised by civic groups working to improve and visitor safety - namely, that TMNP continues to fall short of its stated commitments to collaborate and coordinator effectively on crime prevention measures. Despite of assurances of co-oporation, the park's custodial authority appears not to be following through on agreements it claims to support.
Security on the mountain is something I try to keep on top of.
It’s the one good reason I keep going back to facebook.
I’d rather not post further specific updates here. No need to inspire any mountain baddies.
However when planning your hike first check for recently published specifics: this crime map is super useful.
June 2024:
Note on the current situation can be found on the Friends of Table Mountain fb page.
check link to map below for regular updates.
25 Jan 2024: The end of Tafelberg Road to the Blockhouse area is Hot.
No hiking guide would knowingly go into risky territory. But even if you avoid the obvious, or even vaguely possible hot-spots, safety is never guaranteed.
However, some of the nicest hiking routes in Table Mountain National Park are still statistically safe.
NOTES ON A TABLE MOUNTAIN CRIME FATALITY
21 Dec 2023
A crime free mountain can't just be turned on and off
A start's been made. But how sustainable?
07h30 - 21 December 2023, standing in beautiful weather at the trailhead to India Venster, was a City of Cape Town police officer. To a regular on the mountain this is an interesting development. The mountain, I thought, was the jurisdiction of SANParks rangers. But seeing as I have never seen rangers patrol on foot on any part of the mountain except in cars and on the roads at the lower perimeter of the park, I said thanks, and the officer replied politely back, seemingly as bemused as I was.
This is not to suggest that SANParks is inactive. There’d been a SANPark helicopter last evening scouring Signal Hill’s Sea Point flank. Last week some breakthrough arrests were reported. But is all this too late to avoid a holiday visitor stay-away?
Yesterday the Cape of Good Hope Reserve was almost empty. (As of today -23/12/24 - with strong wind fanning fire, it is closed.)
Off-peak crime is fueling negative publicity that could keep drive visitors away from Table Mountain National Park.
If crime, wind and fire have caused a drop in revenue takings, will the funds be there for the much needed crime fighting effort to continue into the off-peak season?
16 Dec'23
TABLE MOUNTAIN PICKPOCKETS ...
14 Dec
Two sets of arrests in the last week:
8 December
Reports of more proactive steps being taken in terms of visible policing.
This morning at the upper cable station a SANParks official was briefing what seemed to be a group of SAPS
5 December
CRIME UNUSUAL: ROBBERY ON THE HIGHER REACHES OF THE MOUNTAIN
27 November '23
At sunset on Signal Hill keep vigilant. Groups of unlikely pickpockets are at work.
Generally avoid Lion's Head at sunset and sun-rise, and the dark hours in between. Keep to its popular main routes.
2/11/23
An early-morning robbery committed on Lion's Head: Park Rangers and K9 unit on patrol were confronted by an armed individual who emerged from the bushes, pointed, and cocked his gun at them, and fled. Later it was determined the ammunition was blank shells. Lions head summit was briefly closed for user safety.
However, Table Mountain's hiking areas are not all crime hot spots. Check any local knowledge.
Latest here (on a google hot-spot map)
Facebook pages like Table Mountain Watch and Friends of Table Mountain also have news.
more to follow ...