I visited South Africa for the first time in February when I got married there. The trip began in stunning Cape Town cradled between the mountains and the sea. We were then married in the wine region of Franschhoek before continuing on down the garden route to Port Elizabeth, up to Johannesburg by plane and out to Sol Kerzner’s first masterpiece, Sun City, before heading home.

The first night there we ventured to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront for dinner at Belthazar, a very stylish steak restaurant that featured an extensive wine list. Mid-way through the first glass of wine while waiting for our table, all the lights went out. We originally thought it was isolated to the waterfront, but it affected a good part of downtown Cape Town!

Rolling blackouts had been initiated because government funds allocated for upgrades were diverted over the years. Exacerbating the problem, there is a shortage of skilled engineers and technicians to help with the situation. While rolling blackouts have been suspended for the time being, the peak winter months are approaching. Some speculate that a collapse of the grid similar to that experienced on the East Coast of the United States and Canada in 2003 could be experienced, with power not returning in some places for up to two weeks!

While preparing for the wedding, we had to visit the priest on the outskirts of Cape Town. We arrived at the house on what appeared to be a quiet suburban street. Each house was fortified with 6+ foot high walls, barbed wire and/or electrified wire and mechanical gates, a situation which is repeated throughout the suburbs of South Africa. After we finished the meeting I asked the priest, ’so is it as dangerous as everyone says?’. He told us that the threat of random violence to everyday South Africans was so real that he went to bed each night wondering if he would be attacked before dawn as some of his neighbours had been.

Tourists visiting the famed Table Mountain in Cape Town are already feeling the effects of both the power failures and the crime. Earlier in the year, tourists were stranded on table mountain for 5 hours during power failures. While we were there, one tourist was injured when they tried to leap from a stranded cable car. Tourists are also being targeted by criminals on Cable Mountain who have threatened tourists at gunpoint and robbed them.

Central Johannesburg, once a thriving economic centre, has become a virtual ghost town with violent crime and derelict buildings populated by squatters. Of course this is a sight most tourists never see as the centre of business activity and hotels have moved into suburbs such as Sandton. A recent article in Hotel Chatter highlights the security issues that Johannesburg faces.

In spite of the challenges facing the country, there has been no shortage of announcements related to the hospitality and leisure sectors in South Africa. Orion Hotels of SA recently announced an alliance with identically named Orion Hotels on Houston, Texas to jointly fund acquisition and development opportunities in the Americas. CII Holdings recently announced the development of a new five star “dry” hotel in the area of Bokaap in the heart of Cape Town, which will target a middle eastern clientele with superior service and prayer rooms. Earlier this month Hyatt announced that it would operate a hotel in George along the garden route for MAK Hotel Holdings, which will be a Hyatt Regency. There are many more examples. The increasing interest of foreign hotel operators in South Africa was highlighted in a recent article in ehotelier.com.

All that being said, our recent trip was a delight from beginning to end. The scenery was breathtaking. The wine was delicious. The people were an absolute delight. But looming just below the surface was a certain uneasiness. An unspoken threat.

With the 2010 World Cup fast approaching one can’t help but wonder how the country will cope with the influx of tourists. Many are expressing concerns over not only the country’s slow progress related to the construction of required stadiums, but also the ability of the country to keep the lights on and tourists safe. I for one am glad to have seen the country today because I fear what could happen to the tourist industry should the government be unable to resolve issues related to crime and infrastructure.