Thanks to the response to my earlier question, I now have plenty of options for clearance travelling through SA. However I will be entering and leaving Namibia through Upington in SA. Is this likely to be a difficult process? Do I need to apply in advance?

My trip in April from Uppington was handled at the border crossing without advance arrangements. It didn't take too long. Immigration, Customs, and rifle importation were three stops and it took about 60 minutes. Going back to Uppington went more quickly as the Namibians were not interested except to retrieve their permit, and the SA side just verified my SAPS I'd obtained upon arrival in Joburg. That took all together about 10 minutes.
I think the efficiency of the process was more a matter of WHICH border crossing we used. The inbound one was really small and had limited business hours and didn't seem to be too familiar with the rules, but our PH helped them through it! The departure one was a major crossing point and they had their S**t in one sock.
One last point: Be dang sure of your flight times! Our tickets said one thing and the itinerary said something else! We hadn't noticed that, so on departure day had to be up VERY early in order to drive farther to the larger crossing point with longer business hours, and make it to Uppington in time. Checkin there went pretty well and 45 minutes is all we had.
Gary

Takes all of 5 mts. You complete the firearms form when you enter Namibia, then they check the serial nos. and off you go. Atleast that was my experience at Windhoek airport. When you are leaving you do the same thing in reverse!

Thanks guys. Thats great info.

Fergus_Bailey,
try to download from this address, you can also compile it at home
Namibian Gun form

more confortable

Last year, I downloaded the import form from this site, turned up in Windhoek and was treated to some fine melodrama. The officer in charge of clearing firearms waited until everyone without a gun had cleared customs and all of the female customs agents had gathered around before he made his appearance. He glided regally across the floor and solemly unlocked the door to a small room. There were two of us waiting for him and I was first in line, with the form filled out in advance. Because of this, and probably because I spoke English, I became The Good Visitor. The guy behind me spoke only Italian, hadn't filled out the form in advance and was carrying a Blazer. He became The Bad Visitor. I was ushered through quickly, cassually and with good humour, all the while being held up as an example of Virtue. The Bad Visitor was getting the full unhappy government agent routine. The officer dismissed me with a smile and a nod, then set about really working The Bad Visitor over the coals. As I slipped past The Bad Visitor, I whispered "Bon chance" (French and Italian are almost the same right?). I'm not sure it helped. When I left the terminal a few minutes later, The Bad Visitor's companion was leaning on the wall outside the custom's office, staring at the ceiling.

Cheers,
Dean

It often happen that Italians do not speak a second language, or it is spoken at a scholastic/base level, not fluently and sometime with exaggerated errors. Probably a lot of them hope in the understanding of the people.
Luckily I normally receive compliments for my English, but I still have to decide if they are becasue I speak English or because I speak it well. I hope for the second reason.

For sure I know that in an Asian country like Kirghistan or near there an Italian organizator teached the dialect of his town to the local hunter and trackers, because for him was more easy to work ..... for me is incredible, I always learned some word for greetings or thanking as a way to show repect for the hosts.

In Italian is "Buona Fortuna" = "Bon Chance" (French)