Traveling within South Africa with Firearms after hunting

[highcountrybulls]

Hi All I tried the search process but didn't find an answer to my query. My wife and I will be hunting in the Limpopo from 29th June to 7th July. We fly in to Jo'berg on the 29th where our PH will pick us up and drop us off. Our anniversary is on the 10th and so we'd like to hang around after our hunt for a few days to celebrate 20 years of her putting up with me. I'm not clear on what or if we'll have problems traveling from Jo'berg to Capetown, and then staying in Capetown for 3 or 4 days just relaxing and sightseeing and having our firearms in tow. Lori at Travel Express has done a fine job preparing a nice travel plan for us on Emirates through Dubai, I'm just looking for feedback before we book the flights on any problems that we may encounter trying to travel around SA with a case full of guns. Any advice or experience is greatly appreciated!

 

[Dewald]

As a South African I do not like traveling with firearms in busy areas. Leaving them in a car without a mounted safe in is regarded as negligence by our law, so you may have trouble when they get stolen.

Are you flying from JHB to CPT and back to JHB, or departing the country via JHB again? One suggestion would be storing them at Safari & Outdoor (either JHB branch or Stellenbosch) and picking them up prior to departure.

 

[JimP]

When we did our tour for a week after our hunts we stored our firearms with one of the PH's until we returned to retrieve them and fly out.

If we couldn't of stored them there we would of had problems carrying them around in our rental van even if we were touring with our outfitter.

If you are not going to fly out of Jberg to go home I would suggest you use your outfitters firearms and then not worry about them. There is no way that I would leave a firearm unsecured in a vehicle while I was either out shopping or staying in a bed and breakfast or hotel.

If you are flying to Capetown and then home I would suggest that you check with the hotel where you will be staying and see if they have a secure area to store them.

 

[highcountrybulls]

Thanks for the input, that is exactly the type of feedback I’m needing. Our proposed itinerary had us flying from Jo’berg to Capetown then departing from Capetown for the US. Storing the guns with our PH won’t work due to the distance from Capetown but I do appreciate the suggestions.

 

[Ryan]

Aside from 8 days hunting I travelled for 9 days across the Cape this past August and September flying out of Cape Town. Great travels, saw a lot. Anyway, although I'd have preferred my own firearm I used my outfitters and brought my own bow. A stolen bow is a nuisance, I can replace it. A stolen firearm is a nightmare not so easy to replace and you have to deal and explain a lot more to local law enforcement. Oh, and a firearm is a big No-No in national parks. They do check the car at the parks, usually leaving. Funny thing, my trunk/boot got checked at each park but never the back seat where my bow case was under a blanket. So, like others suggest, my suggestion is talk with your outfitter about their available firearms.

 

[Dewald]

Unless flying domestic with SAA from JHB to Cape Town you cannot take them on the plane. None of the other domestic carriers cater for firearms to be transported.

If you are adamant to use your own rifles, have your outfitter contact Safari and Outdoor, and find out what they will charge for storage. They could send them from their JHB branch to Stellenbosch, which is about 45minutes from the Airport in Cape Town and the original Safari store.

Alternatively Ram Couriers are the only licensed courier to move them in SA. They could send them from your outfitter to the closest gunshop to your hotel in Cape Town. Depending where your hotel or guest house is, it is likely City Guns.

The logistics are not impossible, but it would certainly save on admin to rent a rifle from your outfitter.

Ps. There is a Cape Town based gunshop owner on the forum. @Bruce I think. Perhaps he can help you with information.

 

[riflepermits.com]

@highcountrybulls If you are interested in our services please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

[JimP]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Right there is your answer^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[wesheltonj]

I toured for two weeks and had to store mine, it was not cheap. Send an e-mail to your hotel in Cape Town and see if they can store them for you while in Cape Town, it not you are going to have to find someone to store them for you. I see rifle permits posted he may have someone in Cape Town who can. Your flight between JNB and Cape Town will have to be on SAA or a subsidy or your guns will not fly.

 

[highcountrybulls]

Thanks all for the responses, very much appreciated!

We will be flying JNB to CPT on SAA so that is covered and will definitely look for a hotel that can store the firearms for us. Henry, thanks for the offer, I’ll reach out to you once our flights are ticketed. Lori @ TE is doing a great job of getting the trip arrangements put together to meet our requests.

We’re thinking of one day of touring the V&A waterfront, one day out to the wine country although it is pretty late in the season for that, and our third day of touring the cape. Any specific must see items while we’re in the area?

 

[Ryan]

Thanks all for the responses, very much appreciated!

We will be flying JNB to CPT on SAA so that is covered and will definitely look for a hotel that can store the firearms for us. Henry, thanks for the offer, I’ll reach out to you once our flights are ticketed. Lori @ TE is doing a great job of getting the trip arrangements put together to meet our requests.

We’re thinking of one day of touring the V&A waterfront, one day out to the wine country although it is pretty late in the season for that, and our third day of touring the cape. Any specific must see items while we’re in the area?

Table Mountain or Cape Point. I chose Cape Point for a day. Beautiful park. The penguins may be back at The Boulders when you pass through Simon's Town too.

 

[Dewald]

Do the drive from the city through Kalk bay, Muizenberg, Simonstown and around the back of the mountain past Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, Noordhoek beach and back.

Cape point is a beautiful reserve. Just don’t go there if you hunted Eland, as you might see a monster or two twice the size of your trophy...

Olympia Café in Kalkbay has wonderful seafood for lunch, a few stores from them is Quagga books where you often find 1st editions of the old Selous, Gordon Cumming, Cornwallis Harris, etc hunting books.

The South African National Museum in Cape Town by the Company Gardens used to be well worth a visit. I haven’t been there in a few years though.

 

[highcountrybulls]

Good stuff! Thanks again. We’ve booked everything and are really looking forward to the trip!