South African Airport Information

© Roger de la Harpe
King Shaka International Airport in Durban.
Being of international standard, all South African airports have rental car companies operating at the airport, but you should book your car with a Siyabona Africa consultant at the time of making your hotel reservation.

International Airports

The usual facilities such as banks and FX bureaux de change, restaurants and bars, shops are plentiful. Other services such as mobile phone rental, wi-fi-internet access and medical clinic are also available. OR Tambo International also hosts a prayer room for Moslem travellers. Duty-free shops are available at all International airports. Short- and long-term parking is available at all airports.

Luggage Porters

Use only accredited porters. They are identifiable by their uniforms: bright orange and navy blue, and they carry permits. The earnings of the luggage porters come exclusively from tips. They should receive R 5 per piece of luggage.

VAT Refund

Reclaim your Value-added Tax of 14% for merchandise bought in South Africa. Before checking in at International Departures, get your bills and invoices stamped at SA Customs.

O R Tambo International

Africa's busiest airport serves approximately 17 million passengers each year. To cope with the volume of people needing in-transit, or short business trip accommodation in Johannesburg, a number of hotels have sprung up in and around the Johannesburg airport terminal complex.

The airport is approximately 22km east of Johannesburg. Drive time to Johannesburg and Sandton can take up to an hour, if there are no incidents.

Why not take the Gautrain Express direct to Sandton, and collect your rental car there. A bus service departs regularly for the city centre. Shuttle buses and taxis are available, and hotel shuttle buses depart every 15 minutes from a bus terminal behind the Airport Sun International hotel.

Advice about Taxi Cabs

Firstly, pay attention to the appearance and condition of the vehicle. If it does not look decent. Avoid it!
  • There should be a 'TAXI' sign light on the roof of the cab.
  • Accredited operators display company logo's on the doors of the cab.
  • Their rates are prominently displayed on the doors of the cab.
  • If you do not see these, pass it by.
  • Even if these are visible, check to see if there is a fare meter. There are some scoundrels and chancers.

Hotel Driving Distances from O R Tambo

  • Africa Centre Airport Hotel -10 mins
  • Airport Grand Hotel - 5 mins
  • City Lodge Johannesburg Intl - 10 mins
  • D Oreale Grande Hotel - 10 mins
  • Garden Court O.R. Tambo - 5 mins
  • Metcourt Suites - 5 mins
  • Mondior Concorde Hotel - 10 mins

In Walking Distance from O R Tambo

  • Inter Continental Hotel - 1 mins
  • Southern Sun O.R. Tambo - 3 mins

Conferencing at OR Tambo International Airport

It is also possible to rent conference facilities at OR Tambo. This means that delegates can fly in to Johannesburg, attend their conference, and fly out without having to travel or check into a hotel.

The Premier Conference Centre in the Domestic Terminal is modern and stylish with three 10-seater rooms, a 12-seater room and a 14-seater room. A seminar facility can accommodate between 25 and 50 delegates, and the conference room has a capacity of 60 or 120 depending on seating layout.

VIP Hospitality

A VIP lounge is available for those travelers needing some peace and quiet before their flight. Johannesburg International Airport Lounges offer free drinks, alcohol, snacks and newspapers. Get comfortable. Relax. You can enjoy these facilities no matter which airline or class you fly.

The new five level central terminal building combines the check-in process for both International and Domestic passengers - with 120 check-in counters, 20 self service check-in machines and a consolidated security screening point.

Not only has the check-in facilities been enhanced, but the number of shops and restaurants etc. has almost doubled, up to 74 from 44 with brands such as Ocean Basket, Woolworths, Steers and Spur.

The fully automated, R103 million baggage sorting system handles 50 pieces of baggage a minute, or 3000 bags per hour. The entire road network upgrade project due for completion, March 2010, will speed up ground traffic movement at the airport, with the new drop off zone situated right in front of the terminal building.

Cape Town International airport is situated 20km from Cape Town, making for a 30 minute drive. Most hotels operate courtesy buses, otherwise the next best bet is the use of a taxi service. A 24 hour backpacker bus is available hourly to many hostels. Vodacom mobile has a shop in the International Arrivals hall where you can buy a local SIM card for your mobile phone.

Durban King Shaka International Airport

Durban hosts several many international events & conferences annually and the airport has a reputation for handling delegates professionally and efficiently. Local and foreign tourists heading to Durbans golden beaches also arrive by air. Durban International Airport services over 2.5-million passenger a year and is situated 16 kilometres from downtown Durban.

King Shaka International Airport, located at La Mercy, approximately 35 kilometers from the city centre, it replaces the existing Durban International Airport. The King Shaka airports outdoor piazza offers restaurants, pubs and coffee shops plus an indoor food court, banking hall and specialty stores with parking spaces for 6,500 vehicles and 10 car hire concessions.

With 10,000 sq m of cargo space at the dedicated terminal, there is the capacity to handle 100,000 tons of cargo per year. The remaining 850 hectares are dedicated to support zones for future development of offices, business parks, restaurants, conference facilities and hotels.

King Shaka International is part of the Dube Tradeport, which will eventually consist of a trade zone linked to the airport's air freight facilities. Nearby offices and transit accommodation for tourists will support the airport, as well as an integrated agricultural export zone and an IT platform.

Tshwane (Pretoria) Wonderboom Airport

Wonderboom is the second busiest airport in South Africa with an aircraft movement every 45 seconds.The upgraded and improved infrastructure at the airport includes arrivals and departure halls, a porte cochere with kiosks and a public transport facility developed for tour buses and mini-bus taxis. Another new feature is the aircraft parking facility where scheduled flights will be operated under an independent airline, Interlink Airlines. These flights will be going to Durban, Cape Town, Polokwane as well as other parts of the country.

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport

Being the arrival point for visitors flying in to Nelspruit or Kruger Park, the facilities are befitting of the destination: a beautiful, thatched bushveld-style complex. A game lodge look ambience with a breathtaking view overlooking Primkop dam and environment. The airport is 25km from Nelspruit and White River.Kruger Mpumalanga International is the air gateway to Mpumalanga and offers easy acces to other attractions in the Mpumalanga area such as Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve - the 3rd largest canyon in the world. The town of White River and the city of Nelspruit have excellent infrastructure with world-class hotels and 5-star country lodges.

Port Elizabeth International Airport

The Airport is situated just about west of the Central Business District and 3km southwest of Algoa Bay, travel time to the city is short indeed. Port Elizabeth is South Africa's second oldest city and also the commercial capital of the Eastern Cape, and is part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro which also includes the Uitenhage and Despatch.

Bloemfontein Airport

Located just 10km from the Bloemfontein city central, there are no nightmare drives. Besides all the usual services, there is also a VIP lounge, a business lounge and a conference room. Bloemfontein Airport handles only Domestic flights and most of the annual 250 000 passengers are Business Travellers, making the airport Gateway to the Free State Province.

South African Airport Hotels

Find airport hotels in Johannesburg, airport hotels in Durban or Pretoria. There is also a wide range of Cape Town airport hotels to choose ...more
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