Exploring SA's untapped serial killer tourism

WHEN discussing tourism in South Africa, typical imagery conjures up encounters with majestic wildlife at the Kruger National Park, sun-soaked beaches in Durban, or the iconic silhouette of Table Mountain framed against a sunset.

- STAFF REPORTER

LOUISA Jordaan. | Supplied

However, for Louisa Jordaan, a master's student at the University of Pretoria, the tourism landscape paints a far more sinister picture - one that revolves around serial killer tourism.

The emergence of a dark niche

Although it may sound like the premise of a gritty crime drama, serial killer tourism represents a burgeoning niche within the global travel landscape. This form of tourism is characterised by visits to locales associated with infamous serial killers, such as crime scenes, residences, courts, and even places where these criminals faced their demise.

While dark tourism, which encompasses various forms of grim travels, has found its footing in nations like the US and the UK, South Africa remains largely uncharted territory in this respect.

Surprisingly, as Jordaan points out, South Africa possesses the unfortunate distinction of having the third-highest number of serial killers globally, trailing only the US and the UK. "We have plenty of stories and sites that could attract visitors," she notes. "Yet the concept has never been developed here. I believe it's possible to establish a serial killer tourism attraction in South Africa."

Defining dark tourism