My fiancee and I are planning on doing the tourist thing around Port Elizabeth RSA after my hunt. My booking agent told me that RSA has really strict firearms storage laws. It sounds like firearms must be stored in a police approved safe any time that I'm not hunting. Does anyone have any experience in RSA with a rifle before or after your hunt?

Unfortunately one of the places we plan on staying doesn't have firearms storage. Another place, Addo Elephant park, only has rifle storage at the main camp and no one has access to the safe on the weekends.

Last year there was a couple in camp that went and did some sight seeing at Kruger after their hunt. As far as I know they carried their firearms with them. I do not know about your situation but make sure your SAPS permit dates cover the entire time of your trip not just the hunting time or you may run into problems when leaving at the airport.

If you stay at the Beach Hotel in PE (great place) I'm sure they'd store them in the safe while you sight-saw.

mtf

Every hotel I have stayed at insisted that the rifles to be stored in their safe. I believe they are required to do that now.

You can carry them with you wherever you go but that presents other risks when leaving the vehicle alone. I have driven all around with rifle cases in the vehicle and was very nervous everytime we left the vehicle, esp. in the cities.
It may make more sense to pay a little more to stay in one of the bigger hotels with a gun safe. The Beach Hotel is nice but $pendy, The Protea Hotels are somewhat more reasonable, there are several others as well. Driving to Addo will not be too inconvenient from there either.

[I believe that there are some private facilities around Addo as well that might work, can your outfitter help with contacts? See Grahamstown area info here or maybe Schotia Safaris]

Les

I can second the Beach Hotel in P.E. we stayed there for three days after our hunt and they will store your guns in thier safe.

They are currently undergoing a bit of construction but they are centrally located right next door to the Boardwalk dinning and shopping center and across the street from the beach.

Regards,

Mario

See also the specials at the Protea Hotel Marine which is in the same area near the Casino. A membership in their Loyalty card "ProKard" might be justified, depending on how many days you stay.

Les

The Road Lodge is also a decent hotel, situated facing the pier that reaches out into the bay. They require firearms to be locked in their safe and provide you with a receipt. We stayed there for five days in October 2007 and enjoyed our time. We arrived during a rolling power outage and the manager greeted us with, "Welcome to darkest Africa." We didn't get to swim on this trip however. The headline in the local paper read, "Iceberg Spotted Off Cape." It stayed pretty cold during our stay.


But the cold didn't stop the locals from surfing or fishing.



The Road Lodge is situated beside a convenience store in case you have a snack attack and it is directly across the street from the Blue Waters Cafe which offers EXCELLENT dining!


The Road Lodge is a very short walk to the Boardwalk which has lots of shopping, restaurants, a movie theater and a nice casino.


The Road Lodge is also a short walk from beach side curio sales. There are lots of vendors willing to negotiate price to make a sale.


I’d stay there again.