If you're traveling to Africa, you'll need to secure your Internet connection. While Internet in South Africa doesn't have many restrictions, allowing South African residents to access the online world for free, those arriving from overseas may find their Internet experience lacking.

Aside from general online restrictions, having your own  South African IP address  can assure your information security. You can secure your own IP address by using a VPN while traveling abroad. A high-quality VPN provides support around the world—so you're never without Internet security and accessibility.

Let's check out the 10 biggest reasons to use a VPN while traveling to South Africa. Whether you're going there for business or as a tourist, your online safety needs to come first.

Reason One: Access to South African Websites

No matter where you travel, it's always a good idea to make sure you can access the destination's own websites. Websites like News24.com and Timeslive.co.za might have important news you need to read. If you're going to South Africa on vacation, you'll likely need to access local destination websites to figure out locations, times and prices of events.

By using a VPN, your online location will appear to be in South Africa—unlocking region-specific websites otherwise closed off to foreigners. Fortunately, VPN connections are fast, secure and private—so you don't need to worry about losing connection to some of South Africa's most important websites.

Reason Two: Access to South African Online Services

There's a good chance you'll need to access some online services when traveling to South Africa. Whether booking appointments in town, booking hotel rooms or managing your passport—having immediate access to any local government's online portals is vital.

The Internet in South Africa is rapidly expanding, too. By 2020, experts believe approximately  71.4 percent  of the South African population will have access to the online world. As the area's Internet becomes more popular, more South African e-Government services are expected to pop up. Many traveling businesspeople already use these e-services to handle local employment opportunities, report equity statements and make long-lasting professional partnerships.

Reason Three: Access to South African TV Channels

Many television shows can be viewed online, but many destinations have exclusive television channels. Some popular African television channels, like e.tv, SABC 1 and SABC 2 aren't normally accessible to tourists. Fortunately, you can use a South African IP address to establish a local connection—unblocking these programs.

In most cases, you can simply stream your preferred South African television channel right to your device. By having full access to South African television, you'll be able to browse your area's local news networks, too. Between weather updates, local events and breaking news, the importance of local television access can't be understated.

Reason Four: Access to South African Internet Abroad

Even if you're not in South Africa currently, you can use a VPN to access its websites. In fact, you can browse South African websites and services no matter what country you're in. Simply set your VPN's location to one of the country's servers, and you'll have immediate access.

This is incredibly useful if you're planning a vacation. By having access to South African websites beforehand, you can check out your destination's hotspots, reviews and more. Why wait until you arrive to get the full experience? You'd be surprised how much can be planned, ahead of time, if you can get an insider's view of your vacation's potential.

Accessing South African websites outside the country is also useful for safety reasons. Before you travel, browse and take notes on any local or governmental websites you might need to access while on vacation. If you don't want to spend time deciding on entertainment options, you can browse some South African television programs to pre-establish your preferences.

Reason Five: Access to Local Deals

While it's possible to use a number of travel websites to find great deals to use while on vacation, some discounts might not be available outside the country. There are plenty of tours, restaurant discounts and special events to browse—and each can be examined before your flight lands.

Getting a good vacation package can make your trip exciting, but some of South Africa's finest deals exist in each destination's local websites. Between South Africa's expansive coastline, dramatic mountains and unique subtropical forests, you'll likely find unique discounts only available to regular exploration-lovers using online listings.

You can also browse South African news websites to get the latest scoop on destination reviews, whether you're planning on hiking, boating or checking out the local wildlife.

Reason Six: Safety from Phishing

Unfortunately, traveling abroad isn't always safe. Cybersecurity experts specialized in email management safety regularly forecast South Africa's digital threats. As of one company's third-annual report, South Africa's  cybercrime is rapidly increasing .

Specifically, cybercrime against individual Internet users is rising. Many of these attacks take form in emails—wherein malicious users impersonate trusted people or businesses. In doing so, they gain access to an email user's personal information with as little as an opened message.

Many cybercriminals don't operate alone, either. They tend to work in well-structured syndicates specialized in seeming authentic. By becoming experts in email and WhatsApp, they effectively target tourists who frequently rely on constant connectivity online. They're so effective, in fact, that 88 percent of large South African organizations have encountered phishing events in the past 12 months.

While phishing, alone, can expose an Internet-users personal information, some extreme cybercrime incidents have involved the use of ransomware. Ransomware gains access to a user's personal information, encrypting it to make it inaccessible. To access it again, the data's owner must pay a ransom to the cybercriminal.

Reason Seven: Safety on Your Mobile Device

Even if you'll be using your mobile device to browse the Internet in South Africa, you might still be at risk. In the past year, mobile-related cyber attacks in South Africa have become more prevalent than computer-based attacks. This  17-percent increase  is mostly due to high-risk targets using mobile devices more often: South African businesses.

Because businesses tend to have the most valuable data, they're often prime victims for malicious Internet users. As such, more hackers in South Africa have adopted tactics focused on exploiting mobile devices for financial, personal and network-related data.

Unfortunately, South Africa is among the many countries which lack cybersecurity awareness. Many South African facilities aren't even aware how exposed they are to cyber risks. Because of this, malicious Internet users don't seem to be letting up on attacks.

In most cases, however, a reliable VPN can keep you protected online. A VPN can even be used on your smartphone, keeping your browsing identity anonymous whenever you need to access South African websites, online services, apps or location-based features. Not only does a VPN protect your identity—it also offers top-tier encryption to assure maximum security during your browsing session.

Reason Eight: Safety from Malware

South Africa is also at major risk of malware attacks. In 2019's first quarter, malware attacks in the country increased by an astounding 22 percent—equating to about 13,800 cyber attacks every day. Some high-skilled hackers are even attacking industrial control systems—putting entire companies at risk. Dam control facilities, electricity facilities and water treatment facilities aren't immune to cybercrime—and, certainly, neither are tourists.

While businesses are working on upgrading their cybersecurity architectures, those who've made South Africa their travel destination are staying safe by using VPN protection. In general, an Internet user is much safer when their sensitive data is secure at all hours. A VPN encrypts all Internet traffic sent  to  and  from  your device, blocking trackers, ads, phishing and malware attempts alike.

So, even if you're not running a business in South Africa, you can make sure you're as protected as possible in the event of a cybercrime attempt.

Reason Nine: Safety in Public Networks

You'd never leave your passport exposed in your hotel room, but your device's Wi-Fi connection can put you at just as much of a risk. Unsecured Wi-Fi networks might expose data which makes your various online accounts vulnerable—making identity theft a reality.

It's a good idea to use a VPN when checking in to any hotel you visit. Likewise, use VPN coverage whenever accessing an airport's free, time-limited Internet connections. If you encountered any unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot, assume that all data transmitted, or received, is unprotected.

Anyone using the same network as you can spy on your actions, or even personal information, if they know how to. As a rule of thumb: Use a VPN when accessing any website which holds your sensitive information while traveling abroad, such as transactional sites or financial institutions.

Reason Ten: Safety in Business Networks

As stated above, South African businesses have a particularly high cybercrime risk. While the South African Banking Risk Information Center has made major advancements in cybersecurity, many industries beyond the country's financial sector still face danger.

If you're traveling to South Africa, be wary of using any Wi-Fi service provided by a business you encounter. Even a small retail outlet's Internet can be targeted by cybercriminals—and every customer using their Wi-Fi might become an additional target.

Without a trusted VPN to encrypt your connection, any and all information sent or received over a business network's provided Wi-Fi can be vulnerable. This includes social media login credentials, credit card numbers and bank account information.

So, before you set off on your next travel adventure, consider getting a secure South African IP address beforehand. You'll have instant access to the country's best websites and services, making your vacation much more enjoyable. Any vacation is more relaxing when there's full Internet access—especially when it's anonymous and secure.