Purchase .303 / shotgun ammo in Botswana and/or South Africa as a tourist

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

I am trying to research what regulations apply for the following scenario in Botswana and/or South Africa:

- I will be travelling as a tourist to Botswana and South Africa as a tourist WITHOUT my .303 and 12 bore shotgun (i.e. I have NO intention to hunt in these countries!)
- I am a licensed firearms holder in my country of residence. On the firearms license, I am allowed to own/possess max. 200 rounds of ammo for the specific calibre.
- I am holder of an ammo importation license of these two specific calibres for my country of residence.

Since ammo is extremely expensive in my country of residence, I was hoping to purchase this ammo in either Botswana or South Africa and take with me home.

As far as I can tell, I would need a temporary export permit that is obtainable at a local police station in South Africa (I believe SAPS form 520 covers this). Is my understanding correct? Has anyone purchased ammo as a tourist and taken the ammo back with them to their country of residence?

For Botswana, I am not so sure but I believe their laws are similar to South Africa.

Appreciate your insights /opinions / references! Thanks.

 

[Sarg]

I'm sure your plan will not work bud, in SA you can only buy ammunition for a firearm/caliber that is licensed to you & show it when buying that ammunition, it is not a easy thing for a foreigner to do.

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Thanks Sarg for quick response.

So if I understand your statement correctly, apart from the mandatory paper-work, showing the firearm is a prerequisite for a foreigner in SA BEFORE ammo can be purchased?

 

[Sarg]

No bud, I believe there will be no way for you as a Foreigner to buy ammunition in SA, Botos is also hard or impossible for you to.

A licensed South African resident has to show the license of the firearm in the caliber of which that is in his name, each firearm has its own plastic license in their name .

I think you need a better plan, I also don't think ammunition is cheap in SA but it maybe cheaper than where you are, we don't know that as you didn't tell us !

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Ok, so I guess the SAPS 520 as export/temporary export permit is only available to SA citizens, not to foreigners.

So much for the ease of trade in the SADC region - am a resident in Zimbabwe.
FIrearms control is equally strict in Zimbabwe. Maybe I was too naive in thinking that SA and Bots would accept Zimbabwean licenses on equal terms..

Then what alternatives are available? Are there legitimate/licensed ammo dealers that can export to the country of residence (via specialized transport service)? Am thinking this would not be economical...

 

[mark-hunter]

I wonder which country are you from, if considering buying ammo in Africa, as simpler option?!

 

[IvW]

Zim.

 

[Foxi]

Hello in this forum

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Hello Foxi, thanks for the welcome.

PS: wir sind Landsmänner - sollte die Information in Ihrem Profil stimmen, dass Sie sich gerade in Deutschland aufhalten Let me switch back to English...

Hoping I will eventually come across someone that found a solution for a similar scenario...

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I do think
If you import your weapon on a temp import permit and then need ammo while here you could purchase ammo for that particular weapon as described on the temp license. You actually have to bring tje weapon into SA in order to get the temp import permit

I am sure if you were to import ammo to zim you would incur fairly high taxes and duty hence the high prices of ammo there from dealers

 

[leslie hetrick]

oh, how glad i am to live in the USA, just saying./

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Tally-Ho: while I recognize that dealers in Zim also need to earn a living, a retail price of 10USD/round versus avg. retail price of 1USD/round abroad is ridiculous.

I have checke with ZIMRA (revenue authority in Zim): duties on ammo is 15%, then of course additional 15% VAT. Given my yearly quantities per rifle, within a few years we are talking about five figure USD price difference...Needless to say that that money can be put to better use...

Prices just need to be reasonable in Zim. But they cannot be as the overall economy is dysfunctional across various sectors...But that's a different topic.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I do not know what caliber and brand of ammo that you are looking at, .303? If you can find Federal Premium .375 H&H expect to pay $400.00 a box.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

oh, how glad i am to live in the USA, just saying./

Yes your system makes us all very jealous

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Thank you all.
It seems I may have to follow-up directly in SA and Bots.

 

[R.M.C.]

Welcome to the forum!! Like others suggested, maybe you can take your guns with you and somehow get away with it. Good luck!!

 

[Sika98k]

I imagine that to purchase ammunition you will need a firearms license. Thus you would need to temporarily import your firearms at a border crossing.
Certainly in my experience in Namibia I had to produce my temporary visitors permit to buy a box of ammunition.

 

[sureshot375]

This is the saddest thing I’ve read in a while. At any given point in time I probably have 200 rounds of ammo rolling around under the seat of my truck.

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

Thanks gentlemen. Will try my luck face to face with SARS & Co.
Will keep the forum posted on the outcome for any sad soul in the same position

 

[NeedHelp4Ammo]

...SAPS & Co - of course...