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Before she left, Pani Bottle dug deep into South Africa\u2019s security landscape. She even asked an AI to compare it to Mexico and Brazil. The response was stark\u2014South Africa came back as far more dangerous, to the point that the AI said Mexico would seem like paradise\u2014and it warned against walking at night and flagged risks like armed robbery and carjacking.<\/p>\n
After learning that acquaintances had been robbed in broad daylight\u2014one even had their pants torn during the attack\u2014she agonized over the decision and ultimately hired armed guards and a private car service for $800 a day (approximately 1,066,667 KRW). It was the only way she felt she could visit places she wouldn\u2019t risk going to alone.<\/p>\n
Her journey began in Soweto, South Africa\u2019s most famous township and an important historic site. Tourists come to see Nelson Mandela\u2019s former home, but the area still struggles with security.<\/p>\n
Escorted by armed guards, Pani Bottle toured around Mandela\u2019s house and sampled local dishes like akpi (pig\u2019s trotters) and a spinach dish. The guard explained that crime in Johannesburg averages about 62 incidents a day and said weak law enforcement has allowed the private security industry to expand unusually fast.<\/p>\n
The next stop was the Hwamaimai Market in the city center. The market brimmed with odd items used in traditional witchcraft and with handmade shoes made from repaired tires, offering a vivid snapshot of local life.<\/p>\n
Pani Bottle was stunned by a cooking technique that splashes gasoline on meat to create a charred flavor, but she said the scene felt electric and she did her best to embrace the local culture. The guard\u2019s practical advice\u2014keep extra distance from the car ahead to avoid smash-and-grab thefts\u2014captured the city\u2019s tense day-to-day reality.<\/p>\n
The highlight of the trip was a visit to Ponte Tower, a landmark with a turbulent past.<\/p>\n
Once a luxury high-rise for affluent white residents, the tower deteriorated after the end of apartheid, becoming a center for illegal squatting and crime. Today it\u2019s been refurbished enough to host guided tours.<\/p>\n
\n Pani Bottle took in the city from the 51st floor and explored the tower\u2019s massive central communal space known as the core, marveling at its scale. She said, \u201cIt feels unreal,\u201d calling the tower\u2019s history\u2014abandoned, then reborn as a tour destination\u2014astonishing.<\/p>\n Her final stop was a neighborhood of extreme poverty, filled with dumps and dilapidated homes. The stark contrast with an affluent area just 10 minutes away drove home South Africa\u2019s severe wealth gap.<\/p>\n She said that in her home country such underdeveloped areas are the exception, but in South Africa it felt like the opposite, and she expressed sadness at the harsh conditions in predominantly Black neighborhoods. The guard said this is the real South Africa and that he wanted to show it honestly.<\/p>\n Pani Bottle wrapped up the trip with a final meal at the relatively secure Nelson Mandela Square before heading to the airport.<\/p>\n She admitted that hiring armed guards\u2014at significant expense\u2014felt like her best compromise between critics who called traveling to a dangerous place irresponsible and those who accused her of overcaution. She added that, despite the danger and inequality, South Africa has a great climate and real potential, and she hopes improved security will make it easier for more Korean travelers to visit comfortably in the future.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr\/image\/2026\/03\/CP-2023-0235\/image-2ed80a85-3fed-4dc5-91fb-421791e458e1.webp\")
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