US warns tourists against using GPS in South Africa as dispute between couple attacked in Nyanga and Google continues

Potential tourists from the US are now being warned about the dangers of using GPS navigation systems in South Africa. But for an American couple currently embroiled in a legal battle with Google, the warning came too late. Last year, they were attacked in Nyanga while following directions from Google Maps.

While on holiday in South Africa in October, Jason and Katharine Zoladtz were kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint in Nyanga. They had been led there by Google Maps. The attack was brutal; a brick thrown through the window of their rental car shattered Jason’s jaw.

The couple were on their way to the airport to exchange their rental car for a more robust vehicle ahead of a planned safari. After the attack, Jason was knocked unconscious and was cared for by a police officer who took them to a local hospital. Complications with their travel insurance followed and with no means of making payments after the attack, Jason had to wait for hours before he could undergo surgery.

The incident involving the Zoladtz couple is one of several recent attacks in the area. Notably, US tourist Walter Fischel was shot there under similar circumstances. He had used Google Maps to navigate just weeks after the Zoladtz family’s ordeal.

An article in the Daily Maverick reveals that over 200 criminal incidents have been recorded along a stretch of the N2 and R300 highways near the site of the attack. As a result, a travel advisory has now appeared on the US State Department website warning against the use of GPS in South Africa. The advisory states:

“Using GPS navigation can lead to unsafe routes. GPS navigation may suggest shortcuts through townships as the fastest preferred route, but can lead to an increased risk of crime. There have been incidents where tourists travelling in Cape Town using GPS navigation apps have been directed through residential areas with high rates of violent crime.”

The warning also recommends a safer route from Cape Town Airport to the city.

In response to these incidents, Google met with Cape Town authorities and decided to change the routing in Maps to avoid Nyanga for safety reasons. Google also promised to work with the city to change routing around high-crime areas.

After the attack, the Zoladtz couple returned to the US and sued Google in January for negligence. They argue that Google’s decision to reroute traffic after the incident was an admission of its duty to prevent foreseeable harm to its users. They claim that both South African and US authorities had previously warned Google about the high crime rate in the region, but no preventive measures were taken.

In April, Google asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing that there was no legal basis to hold the company responsible for the attack. While Google expressed its sympathy to the couple, it insisted that the perpetrators were to blame.

Google also objected to calls to stop mapping routes through high-crime areas, arguing that such a policy would lead to unfair exclusion of these zones.

The court was scheduled to rule on the dismissal in May, but after the couple’s legal team made some changes to the language of Google’s responsibilities, Google filed a revised motion to dismiss. The court is now expected to rule in November.