“Positively paranoid”: one expert’s blunt safety advice for women
· The South African
As South Africa continues grappling with the discovery of nine women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni, specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis addressed the country’s broader safety crisis directly.
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He spoke to RSG in a recent interview, offering blunt, practical advice rather than reassurance.
Bolhuis told RSG that women in South Africa need to be “positively paranoid.”
He used the phrase deliberately to describe the level of ongoing vigilance he believes is now necessary.
who Mike Bolhuis is
Bolhuis is a Pretoria-based specialist investigator.
He has over 40 years of experience in South Africa’s safety and security industry, running Specialised Security Services.
He works closely alongside SAPS and other security authorities.
He has also built a long public track record commenting on crime trends, with a particular focus on crimes against women, children and animals.
who he says is most at risk
Bolhuis was direct about who faces the greatest danger in South Africa today.
“Women, children, and older people are the biggest targets in South Africa,” he said.
He also pointed to a specific, often overlooked risk factor: visible wealth.
According to Bolhuis, “women of value,” those driving expensive cars or wearing expensive jewellery, can become deliberate targets.
He was equally blunt about the fact that no one is exempt from risk.
“Doesn’t matter if you live in a shack or you’re one of the Ruperts, you’re not safe,” he said.
why criminals are getting harder to outsmart
Bolhuis raised a warning that goes beyond physical safety alone.
“Criminals today are extremely smart, and they’re using technology to their advantage. We need to take note of this,” he said.
His advice: carry more than one tracking device on you if possible, both on your phone and in your car.
Criminal networks, he explained, have become sophisticated at using technology as a tool for crime.
It’s no longer something victims can rely on alone for protection.
why walking alone is now, in his words, a thing of the past
Bolhuis said the days of women walking alone, especially at night, are effectively taboo now. “It’s a thing of the past. It’s no longer safe,” he said.
He did draw a distinction, though.
Walking in an area you genuinely know to be safe, with visible security, is different from walking through or near known crime hotspots.
Extra caution is essential in those areas, regardless of the time of day.
his advice for staying safe
Speaking to RSG, Bolhuis offered a series of concrete, practical safety measures, particularly around ride-sharing services like Uber.
He recommended doing a quick background search on your driver before the trip, if possible.
If that’s not an option, he suggested a different approach.
Greet the driver calmly and professionally, then ask, due to the current crime rate, whether you can take a photo of them before getting in.
If they agree, that’s a good sign.
If they refuse and react angrily, Bolhuis’s advice was simple: don’t get in.
If necessary, walk or run away instead.
He also recommended carrying pepper spray and staying on the phone with someone for the duration of a ride or a walk.
Make sure friends or family know exactly where you’re going and who you’re travelling with, he added.
On self-defence classes, Bolhuis was supportive but added an important caveat.
An attacker may also have self-defence training, so classes shouldn’t be treated as a guaranteed solution on their own.
He encouraged people to research thoroughly, reading full articles rather than just headlines.
This, he said, helps people properly understand the risks they’re actually facing, rather than relying on assumptions.
his take on media coverage
Bolhuis also weighed in on how this story has been covered.
He said the media has done a genuinely good job raising awareness of the crisis.
He acknowledged that coverage can sometimes lean sensational. On balance, though, he believes the attention is warranted and useful.
It’s a genuinely sobering thing to hear a security expert speak this plainly, rather than offering comfortable reassurance.
“Positively paranoid” isn’t a phrase anyone wants to have to live by.
But Bolhuis clearly believes it reflects the reality many South African women are already navigating every day, one where, in his own words, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re not safe.
Do you think advice like this reflects the reality of daily life in South Africa right now?
Let us know in the comments below…