“Nobody Will Say Give Me Your Phone”: Man Shares How Being Ugly Helps Avoid Johannesburg Crime

• A Johannesburg man jokingly explained how being unattractive protects him from getting robbed while walking freely with his phone in the city
• The content creator filmed himself walking on a Joburg street, claiming that criminals would rather target him for robbery than be victims themselves
• His humorous take on personal safety sparked debate among viewers about crime hotspots and which areas of Johannesburg are safe to walk in

A Johannesburg man has gone viral with his humorous theory about how being unattractive can be an advantage when it comes to avoiding crime in the city.

Content creator @luvo.xhiyani, who regularly shares personal content on his Facebook page, filmed himself walking confidently on a Joburg street in the second week of June. In the video, he jokingly explains his unique approach to staying safe in one of South Africa's most crime-prone cities.

In the video, @luvo.xhiyani can be heard saying:

"One thing I've realised about being ugly in Jozi is that it helps a lot, like look at me, I'm walking with my phone freely in Johannesburg. Nobody will come and say ey, cheeseboy, give me your phone no... mina, I'd rather do that to them. I'll say give me your phones..."

The content creator then bursts into laughter, enjoying his joke about how his appearance might make criminals think twice about targeting him. His theory suggests that instead of being a victim, he would be more likely to be the one doing the robbing.

Crime reality in Johannesburg

According to the City of Johannesburg's crime and safety report, the reality of crime in the city is quite complex. The South African Police Service regularly publishes statistics from 1,153 police stations across the country, including crimes reported by victims and those detected by police.

Crime trends in Johannesburg over the past 13 years show mixed results. Some positive developments include a 40% decrease in assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, a 60% reduction in sexual offences since 2008/09, and a 34% decline in non-violent property crimes over the last decade.

However, aggravated robbery rates have increased by 26% over the last five years, despite an overall decrease since 2005/06. This type of crime is exactly what the content creator was joking about in his video.

Watch the Facebook reel below:

Social media debates safety tips

The humorous video has sparked conversations among viewers about which areas of Johannesburg are safe and where people should be most careful.

@Khaya Khumalo warned:

"You're on the wrong side, my brother."

@Tshepo Jones Jw challenged:

"Go to MTN and do that cheese boy there."

@Hilton Elské joked:

"Bra you wearing Elesse, it's the new UZZI."

@Mfo Ka Pepsie defended:

"You people don't understand that MTN rank is probably the safest place in Joburg."

@Zibusiso Masuku offered another theory:

"That's not true, chief, it's the hat 😂"

@Thami Austin Rametse called him out:

"Go to CBD... You're on your way out of Braam... You think we are from Limpopo?"

Other stories about Johannesburg areas

• Briefly News recently reported on Khaya Dlanga's support for Helen Zille as Johannesburg Mayor, but the public's fierce reaction to his endorsement revealed something unexpected about political sentiment in the city.
• South Africans were amazed by Sandton's evolution over the years, though what makes this area "different from the rest of the country" surprised many who thought they knew the square mile well.
• Photos showing Rosebank's transformation over 15 years left people saying "architects are cooking," but the most dramatic change wasn't what anyone expected to see.

Source: Briefly News