I'm going to be transiting thru JNB a few times in about 2 months and have read about the fairly rampant pilfering from luggage there. One suggestion has been to use zipper straps to prevent thieves from being able to heal the zipper after they split the zipper. One example I have found is:

http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com...rap-p-201.html

I just tested the ballpoint method on all my main luggage (B&R, Eagle Creek, and High Sierra) and all were easily split and healed.

Has anyone used a device like this? Any comments on it? It seems like it it might still have a flaw in that the zipper can still move a bit so the would be thief could still split the sipper a bit, reach in, dig around, and then heal the small split.

I would really rather not have to go and get hardside luggage just for this trip (I like our rolling duffels for the capacity the offer), but that seems to be the only suggestion to truly prevent this problem.