Regardless of which travel agency you booked your air travel with,I wanted to pass this information along to the AR members. I think you will find Optima's price and service outstanding.
The company employees 160 people between the two locations.The company operates in Joberg and Cape Town.
This is the service I use for my clients.

They have clearance to go to the planes and meet you, clear you and your firearms through customs. I like them for my clients that are in-transit and need to be sure that firearms and luggage make it to the next flight ,especially Zambia and Moz.


Johan is working with me for The S.C.I. Detroit Chapter Disabled Vet Hunt that the Detroit Chapter is sponsoring to Windhoek, Namibia this fall.
The veteran is wheelchair bound and Johan is going to make sure all goes well for the airport transfers.

Listed below is the web site and e-mail to contact Johan.

I told Johan that there are several AR members who will be traveling to Joberg or utilizing the airport for in-transit destinations. If you decide to use his services, tell him you are an AR member.


Optima Handling


Johan Coetzer
johan.optima@worldonline.co.za


Web site : www.optimahandling.co.za

The price of the service is $35.00 US per person. To make a booking for the assistance vipassist@optimahandling.co.za prior to the arrival of your clients:

Passenger/s initials and Surname
Date, flight and time of scheduled arrival
onto which flight your clients have to connect onto.

Please allow for enough time when you make your bookings, so that he can prepare for the arrival . This ensures that you will get the best assistance possible.

With caution, let me recount yesterday's visit to my very experienced and knowledgeable travel agent here in DC.

She had a copy of an 11-page form that she understands the South African authorities will be using for all firearms imports includng those "in transit" (phrase I failed to seek a definition for). Processing time at JHB Int'l airport will lengthen, she believes.

My hunting trip is scheduled for 6 August and will include several days seeing old friends in the RSA before going on to Namibia. I go yearly and lived in South Africa from 1983-86. Government forms hold no terror for me. The changes in regulation and procedures will likely, in any case, be sorted out by then.

For those on a shorter fuse, suggest you have your own travel agents check status, and consider the sort of service that Kathi has posted above (in which I have no interest one way or the other).
Regards, Tim

Kathi:

I guess your thumbs up means that Richard Saloon and son got to Namibia just fine? Heard from them... ??

Judge G,

They left on Wed... arrived today all went well