Crime in Johannesburg, Actual or Myth

Hello there.
I have lived in South Africa and yes the crime is a curse. There are safer cities than others. For instance, Johannesburg is mayhem.
The thing is, if you don't do anything stupid (like letting a phone on your car, or leave windows open, or go to wack neighbourhoods, etc), you can easily live without EVER being confronted to danger. I've lived in Jo'burg for 3 full years, enjoyed all of my time there and was NEVER in danger, never had a problem. People can be hijacked in the first week there as well spend ten/twenty/thirty years without feeling unsafe.
And the reason why people still move there ? For the incredible chances there are, for the amazing way of life. If it was in the projects, I could go back anytime :-)

new york is actually quite tame, and has been for much of the last decade. detroit and atlanta are better comparisons; as is miami.

Crime is worse in some areas, like inner city and business districts where there is a lot of people.

Most "middle class" people drive everywhere in their cars, and so you keep your doors locked all the time. When you park, you tend to keep an eye out for any approaching strangers. At home you keep all your doors locked at all times and all windows have burglar bars. Almost all suburban homes have alarm systems with armed response. I live in a townhouse complex in a middle class area. We can walk safely inside and around the complex. We have shops a mile away but I'm too scared to walk there. You feel a bit safer at malls because there are cameras and car guards.

I have been mugged once in peak hour traffic, while people drove past me (I had broken down). And my bag has been stolen from next to my leg in a lecture at university. At school (I am a teacher), a kid's cellphone goes "missing" at least once a month. My best friends car was stolen from outside her hairdresser. At lunch at a restaurant, my colleague's bag was stolen while we were all sitting there. My mom's cellphone was on the restaurant table, and someone just grabbed it and ran away. My mother in law's shopping was stolen out of her trolley when she was looking in a different shop.

so... what do you think?

oh, but the weather is great!