South Africa is only doing way, way better than most other sub-Saharan countries. And it's ONLY a lot safer than in the past.
The crime rate in South Africa remains higher than that in most of the other Sub Saharan African nations, and I am yet to observe any significant drop in the rates as of now. There is no denying that RSA is one of the wealthiest nations in the African continent. But that is solely due to the presence of the gold and platinum deposits, which have been extracted almost completely.
You believe the crime rate is higher? Or is it just that there's a semblance of a crime reporting system in place, where elsewhere, good luck.