Travel

As promised here is the follow on from our Tips to travelling to in South Africa. If you missed part one, view it here!

When travelling anywhere around the world making sure you catch your flight is everyone’s number one priority. Umdende Hunting Safaris along with Renate Meyer- at Amakhosi Travel have put together with some useful tips and vital information that will help your travelling experience be one of a kind.

There is a Minimum connection time of 60 minutes, but please remember your check in time is 3 hours for international flights. Below is different instants when you arrive at OR Tambo international.

  1. If you arrive at a jet way, you will see a corridor heading towards International Transfers on the left just before the escalators down to passport control.
  2. If you arrive at a remote stand and are bused to the terminal, you will see the escalators on the left heading up to International Transfers as you enter the building.

Both these paths are well signposted and there is usually a staff member shouting out “International transit” and waving a sign to direct passengers.

When you go down the corridor, there is a transit immigration point before the transfer desks. Typically the wait here is 1-3 minutes, very much quicker than ‘normal’ immigration.

If your bags have already been tagged through to your final destination, ensure that you give your connecting airline the tag numbers at this time so that they can verify them in their system. If the tag numbers are not re-verified, they will not be loaded without manual intervention. If your bags have not been tagged through, you will need to find a member of staff in International Transfers from your arriving airline. Ask them to get one of their baggage services staff to pull your bags off the belt manually and coordinate with staff from your onward airline to re-tag them to your final destination. This is a rather convoluted process and can take a long time. Therefore, if your bags cannot be tagged all the way through, it is advisable to pass through immigration, collect your bags at baggage reclaim and clear customs.

After you clear customs but before you exit to the public area (the exit is a set of sliding doors on your right), you will see a series of baggage re-check desks on your left. Proceed to these desks since they often have smaller queues and have your bags re-tagged.

Then head up the escalators to your left (do not exit the main doors into the public area) which emerge on the departures level.

Turn right when facing the Vodacom store and the departures security checkpoint is right in front of you.

International-Domestic Connection at OR Tambo International Airport

There is a Minimum connection time: 90 minutes, please remember you have check in time is 60 minutes. Below is different instants when you arrive at OR Tambo international.

  1. Once you have deplaned, simply follow the crowd to the immigration hall.
  2. After going through passport control, you will need to collect your luggage and pass through customs irrespective of whether your bags have been tagged through to your final destination.
    Exit into the public area and proceed up to departures level by way of the escalators which are opposite and to the left. The escalator can take trolleys.
  3. If your bags have already been tagged through to your destination and you have your boarding passes for the onward domestic flight, you can use fast bag drop.Otherwise you will need to check-in as normal.
  4. Alternatively, you can use the baggage re-check desks on the left before exiting to the public area.
    If you would prefer to avoid the porters and taxi touts in the arrivals halls, there are escalators to the left of these desks which will take you to level 1. From there you will need to go up one more level to reach domestic departures.

The domestic terminal is designated as a separate terminal (Terminal B) but do not be confused by this. All the terminals at JNB are under one roof so you barely notice that you are transferring between them.

Domestic-International Connection at OR Tambo International Airport

If you can interline baggage- (meaning interline ticketing and interline booking, is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers traveling on itineraries that require multiple flights on multiple airlines). You can check it through from your initial departure point to your international destination. Once you land at JNB walk out to exit (ignore signs to go downstairs to baggage reclaim), keep walking through the shops/past the food court, around the atrium and there is a security/emigration point on your front right.

Baggage storage at OR Tambo International Airport

If you are travelling from South Africa to a boarding country or if you are travelling within South Africa and do not want to take all your luggage with you, you can store it at the Johnnesburg airport.
Ateck – company that provides luggage storage service at OR Tambo International Airport from the same premises down the escalators at the main exit of Terminal A arrivals, on Basement Level 1, going towards the Parkade 2 (South).

Costs are: (CASH ONLY! No Cards Accepted)
0-5 hours R70.00
6-12 hours R80.00
12-24 hours R90.00
24 hours or more R90.00 per day

Open 24 hours, every day of the year.

Contact details
Tel: +27 (0)11 390-2318

Electricity in South Africa

South Africa electricity supply is 220/230 volts AC 50 HZ.

Most plugs are 15 amp 3-prong or 5 amp 2-prong, with round pins. If an adaptor is called for, this is IMPORTANT to bring one with you, although they can be purchased locally.

Most hotel rooms have 110 volt outlets for electric shavers and appliances. Please check with your Outfitter or hotel what electricity supply they have.

Clothing Refer to our blog Packing for your African Safari.

Once again Umdende Hunting Safaris highly recommend Renate Meyer as the best agent to book your tickets with. She will make sure you have a good seat and a ticket worth your money. We use her all the time and have become great friends with her. You can contact Renate via email on Amakhosi: rm@amakhositravel.com