Google to stop routing users through S Africa township

The Google navigation apps Waze and Google Maps will stop directing road users through Cape Town's Nyanga township and surrounding areas amid rising insecurity, the company's South Africa head Alistair Mokoena said on Monday.

Last week, an American tourist was robbed and shot in the face in Nyanga after a navigation app directed him to drive through the township as it offered the most direct route to the city from the Cape Town International Airport.

In September, 40-year-old British surgeon Kar Hao Teoh was shot dead in the same township during a protest by taxi operators.

Local media say a few other people, mostly tourists, have been attacked or killed while driving through the township, some who were following the recommendations of navigation apps.

After Mr Teoh's killing, the British government warned citizens visiting South Africa to "be careful when following GPS navigation" and "avoid taking alternative routes away from main roads as this can often take you into less secure areas".

It added that "most violent crimes occur in townships on the outskirts of major cities or in isolated areas".