"Could Have Been Worse": American Woman Recounts Ordeal of Being Robbed 3 Times in Cape Town

• American expat Salah Vie shared a candid video after her phone was snatched at a Cape Town event
• The theft was her third robbery since moving to South Africa, following a smashed car window and stolen skydiving gear
• Despite the string of incidents, Salah said crime was the only downside of living in a country she still loves deeply

An American woman living in Cape Town went viral after filming a candid video recounting her third robbery in South Africa. Salah Vie, who posts on Instagram as @salahviebrooks, shared the clip on 7 November 2026 with a tone that swung between dry humour and genuine frustration.

Her phone was stolen the previous night at First Thursdays, the popular monthly event in Cape Town's city centre. She described how two men approached her and invited her to dance, and how she could actually feel them going through her belongings before it was too late. By the time she looked down, her phone was gone.

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Third time in Cape Town

This was not her first brush with crime in the city. The first incident happened after AfrikaBurn, when her car windows were smashed and everything inside was taken. The second time, her skydiving gear was stolen, though she credited a friend for coming to her rescue on that occasion.

She was candid about where the blame lay this time. Acknowledging she had let her guard down, she said:

"It was totally my fault."

Despite being able to track the phone's location, she said recovering it was not realistic and chose to let it go. What bothered her more was the practical fallout: she did not know her iCloud password, her Instagram login, or her TikTok credentials, having relied on her iPhone's saved passwords for everything.

"The most beautiful country in the world"

What struck viewers was how Salah refused to let the experience define her feelings about South Africa. She was clear that crime was the only real downside of her life there, and that she recognised how differently the experience lands depending on your circumstances. She said:

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"It's a very privileged place to stand from as a tourist."

She acknowledged there is much more that locals contend with daily.

She closed the video on a bright note, saying she was grateful to be safe and that the loss was material.

"It's just a phone. It could have been much worse."

View the Instagram video below:

South Africans and her followers on the page had plenty to say:

@eric_vazquez_:

"The way you always keep your vibration so high and positive is inspiring. Sorry about the phone"

@akua_sobekwa_:

"You said it best: 'you got to be on it' - a lesson all South Africans unfortunately have to know. You have to be sharp, and when you leave the house just have that in mind ALWAYS. Other than that, I love my country ❤"

@maze622:

"Stay safe, sunshine. Hopefully it's the last time"

@alex.unbound:

"Another friend had his wallet and phone stolen as well 🥴"

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More Briefly News stories on Cape Town

• Harry Jaggard’s Bellville settlement video, framed as exposing Cape Town’s hidden realities, sparked backlash over privacy, dignity and poverty tourism online.
• A Cape Town woman filmed an aggressive taxi driver striking her car window during a road confrontation, sparking outrage and renewed concerns over road safety.
• A group of young South African tourists lost clothing, IDs and bank cards in a Cape Town car break-in on 6 October, and TikTok users reacted online.

Source: Briefly News