Is 2hrs 5 min enough time to transit JNB on the way to ELS in mid May?

Just transited through Joburg twice in the last 10 days, going and coming from Lusaka then back to Paris. 2 hours was fine for me, but I didn't have any firearms or ammunition, it was a work trip.

Thanks for the reply. I did the same trip to Lusaka through JNB last year and it worked just fine. Understand that would be enough time with my bags checked through to a final destination other than South Africa; and staying in the international terminal.

However, in this instance I’ll be traveling with weapons and going from the international to a domestic South African terminal (ELS).

Any thoughts anybody? It has been a few years since the last time I attempted to transit through JNB to another RSA airport on the same day. I’ll be traveling in mid-May with weapons.

Since you will be ending your trip in RSA I'm pretty sure that you will have to claim your guns and go through the SAPS firearm clearance in Joberg. You never know how long that can take and 2 hours is cutting it very close in my opinion.

If you can't get a later flight to your final destination I'd recommend you use the services of one of firms that arrange for pre approved permits for your guns.

In my view, it will be tight. Last time I hunted RSA a couple of years ago, I arrived in J'berg and had to catch a connection to Port Elizabeth. My personal "rule of thumb" is anytime I've got to transit an airport with firearms, or a change in carrier I always give a 4 hour minimum.

Pretty sure you will have to claim your firearms and at the main SAPS International weapons arrival/departure office and do the SAPS 520 Form dance, on the main floor to get your firearms into RSA and recheck them in on your internal SAA connection flight.

The SAA check-in rep made me take the ammo out of my checked bag and re-check as a separate piece of luggage. I had to go to a separate counter and pay an extra $90 US baggage fee for he locked ammo box. Tried to argue the extra fee - no luck. Put it on my CC and then explained to CC Co when I got back and had it taken off.

Then, an SAA rep walked with me to a separate SAPS office in the opposite corner of the terminal to check the rifle case and ammo box to Port Elizabeth. All the extra BS took me just about 2.5 hours.

Then, since your are outside the "security zone", you'll have to go back through the screening line and get to your gate. 2 hours might be tight.

Most important is to be sure the carrier your taking from JNB to ELS will carrier firearms. Make sure it it actually SAA and NOT an SAA subsidiary.

Will be same process coming back - had to claim at the "other" SAPS office and then check in with SAA again and clear firearms out through the International SAPS office.

We had a 3.5 hr layover in Joberg last October but plane trouble in London caused us to miss our connecting flight by minutes. Missed a day of our Moz hunt because of it. This was the first time I didn't stay a night in Joberg while transmitting. I won't ever do it again. 2.5 hours should be fine if everything goes smoothly, but that doesn't always happen. Book a night at AfricaSky, relax and get over a bit of jet lag. It will make the whole trip more enjoyable.

Arrow slinger,

You will be cutting it close. I am not sure you will make it.

I suggest that you use a rifle service, and pay extra to be first in line.

on one of my trips, i almost missed my connection, you are working with 2 hours 5 min and i had 4.5 hours. wow thinking that should be all the time that i need.

There are different rifle service groups that work jo berg and one group will be first and so on. and some days the office is packed to capacity and out the door with hunters wanting to get their equipment. so with your limited time you would need to be in the first group, and wanting a small group of hunters to be checked.

it never fails to amaze me that hunters will have their paper work filled out and sent to a rifle service and then they bring a differen rifle and not up date there rifle service. Now let me tell you that brings things to a stop for every one. i have seen this happen 2 times. one time it happen before me and the other was the same time while i was being checked.

most days there may be 4 or 5 SAPS officers working the counter, while 1 is checking, so you just do not know what time it will take.

Now after you leave the SAPS check walk across the floor go up the elevator to check in with the airline, then hike to re check your rifle, produce your paper work and rifle for show and tell, then you go through screening and hike to your gate. now your hoping that they do not ask about your ammo, and they ask you to produce the container to be weighed. now that has happen to me also.

Yup, 2 hours 5 minutes will not get you to your gate on time.

do not forget that airplanes do leave early or late from Joberg, i have had both happen. The early is the difficult part on short time.

I would say definitely not enough time. Not sure even a meet and greet could get you through. And if you arrive even 30 minutes late.......