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Cedric, thanks for the extra cautionary advice! I think I will make it a point to travel with someone else on my next trip to Africa.

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I have been living in Africa for most my life, I have travelled the continent extensively, and I can speak a number of the languages, some fluent, and some, enough to have a basic conversation. I am also a hounary chief in Malawi. I understand the culture.

I always say, that in Africa there are two things you do NOT want to be. A woman, and a domestic animal.
Woman in Africa have no rights. There are a lot of exceptions but as a rule, woman do not have rights, and are often treated badly. Men consider it their right to have sex with their wive or wives. Every night. When a wife has her peroid, the men often go to the local bar, and get a prostitute. In most of the tribes, dry sex is the norm. Often baby-powder is used to dry the woman’s vagina. Condoms are seen as the white man’s way to eradicate Africans, and the general consensus among a lot of men is that one cannot eat a sweet with the wrapper! (hence the huge AIDS pandemic) When sex to a man is denied, they will have it violently. In South Africa, ONE IN FOUR women are raped! And most of the cases goes unreported. As far as some of the other African countries are concerned, rape is not considered a crime, if the woman is married to her husband, and he is the rapist, or if a woman is single!

To dress in an unprovocative way, especially in rural villages is very, very important. It is considered disrespectfull to wear shorts, or short skirts, and in a lot of cases trousers are taboo.
Recently, in Umlazi, just outside Durban, women wearing trousers were attacked and stripped of their clothes in public. Afterwards they got raped…

White woman are often considered as trophies, and gives men social status among their peers. They will do anything to get in to your pants. If you are alone, things can often end in tears. To carry a camera in visible view, and to try and take a photo of the attackers is a very bad idea. Firstly, your camera will attract the attention of possible muggers, and secondly, to take a photo of attackers will just invite more violence. They do not want any evidance and will kill you if they think that you would be able to point them out at a later stage.

I know this is a rather dark picture I am scetching here, and that there are a lot of single woman that has travelled in Africa without any hassles. You were lucky. I have also seen the evil side, and on two occaisions had to send the belongings of an unfortunate backpacker to distraught parents in Holland and England. I have met numerous single woman who had been raped, or nearly raped.
To travel alone in Africa is not a good idea.
If you are alone, and want to go to a local bar, wich can be a lot of fun, get a few people at the hostel to join you. NEVER go to a local bar alone. NEVER walk around alone after dark, especially in big cities. Buy your own drinks, stick to beer that you can open yourself. The barman is often in cahoots with the perpetrators, and he can spike drinks.
Do not go to deserted areas alone, and avoid overcrowded areas.
Use your common sense and if you feel uneasy, get out. Fast. Trust our instinct. Use your voice, loudly!

I know this is a rather dark and gloomy picture, and that most people have a great time in Africa, and meet the most amazing people on the planet. Unfortunately, I have seen too many tragedies as well.
Abale, simelani!
“Friends, take care!”

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Cheers to Emily and everyone who is commenting for getting the conversation going, and asking “why”.

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