The warnings came after the South African Police Service released its latest crime statistics on Tuesday. Among the figures were that in 2017/18‚ there were 20‚336 murders‚ up from 19‚016 in 2016/17.

The US advisory continued: “Violent crime‚ such as armed robbery‚ rape‚ carjacking‚ mugging‚ and ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks on vehicles‚ is common. There is a higher risk of violent crime in the central business districts of major cities after dark.

“Demonstrations‚ protests‚ and strikes occur frequently. These can develop quickly without prior notification‚ often interrupting traffic‚ transportation‚ and other services; such events have the potential to turn violent.”