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Old Nov 16, 2015, 3:09 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: B747-437B
Guide to JNB (Oliver R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa)


Welcome to the guide to JNB.

If your have any further questions that have not been answered after reading through, please do not hesitate to ask.

Bear in mind that the minimum connection times given below are the shortest connections allowed for tickets on a single PNR. It would be advisable to leave more time than this, particularly if you are arriving during the busy morning period. If you are travelling on two separate PNRs, add on at least an extra hour to the MCTs to allow for whatever delays the Travel Gods may throw at you.

Do note that procedures can change so this guide may not be accurate. If you notice anything has changed or there are any errors, just let me know.


International-Domestic Connection

Minimum connection time: 90 minutes

Once you have deplaned, simply follow the crowd to the immigration hall.
After going through passport control, you will need to collect your luggage and pass through customs irrespective of whether your bags have been tagged through to your final destination.
Exit into the public area and proceed up to departures level by way of the escalators which are opposite and to the left. The escalator can take trolleys.
If your bags have already been tagged through to your destination and you have your boarding passes for the onward domestic flight, you can use fast bag drop.
Otherwise you will need to check-in as normal.
Alternatively, you can use the baggage re-check desks on the left before exiting to the public area (NOTE : These are permanently closed now - Oct 2022).
If you would prefer to avoid the porters and taxi touts in the arrivals halls, there are escalators to the left of these desks which will take you to level 1. From there you will need to go up one more level to reach domestic departures. (NOTE : These escalators are out of service now - Oct 2022).

The domestic terminal is designated as a separate terminal (Terminal B) but do not be confused by this. All the terminals at JNB are under one roof so you barely notice that you are transferring between them.


Domestic-International Connection

If you can interline baggage, you can check it through from your initial departure point to your international destination. Once you land at JNB walk out to exit (ignore signs to go downstairs to baggage reclaim), keep walking through the shops/past the food court, around the atrium and there is a security/emigration point on your front right.

Please see post #106 for an illustrated guide.
[although there is no need to go up the moving walkway and then back down again - just come out of the domestic exit and keep walking straight on that level, which will bring you to the security/emigration point]


International-International Connection

Minimum connection time: 60 minutes

This is where things become a little more tricky.

If you arrive at a jetway, you will see a corridor heading towards International Transfers on the left just before the escalators down to passport control.
If you arrive at a remote stand and are bussed to the terminal, you will see the escalators on the left heading up to International Transfers as you enter the building.
Both these paths are well signposted and there is usually a staff member shouting out "International transit" and waving a sign to direct passengers.
When you go down the corridor, there is a transit immigration point before the transfer desks. Typically the wait here is 1-3 minutes, very much quicker than 'normal' immigration.
Your passport will be stamped with a "TRANSIT" stamp here even though you do not enter the country, and you must ensure that you have the required blank pages otherwise you may not be permitted to continue your transit and instead sent back to your originating point.

A few meters beyond the immigration checkpoint is the main transit information area which have desks for all the international airlines and handling agents.
If your bags have already been tagged through to your final destination, ensure that you give your connecting airline the tag numbers at this time so that they can verify them in their system.
If the tag numbers are not re-verified, they will not be loaded without manual intervention. This is not required if connecting from SAA to SAA flights however.

If your bags have not been tagged through, you will need to find a member of staff in International Transfers from your arriving airline.
Ask them to get one of their baggage services staff to pull your bags off the belt manually and coordinate with staff from your onward airline to retag them to your final destination.

This is a rather convoluted process and can take a long time.

Therefore, if your bags cannot be tagged all the way through, it is advisable to pass through immigration, collect your bags at baggage reclaim and clear customs.
After you clear customs but before you exit to the public area (the exit is a set of sliding doors on your right), you will see a series of baggage re-check desks on your left.
Proceed to these desks since they often have smaller queues and have your bags re-tagged.
Then head up the escalators to your left (do not exit the main doors into the public area) which emerge on the departures level.
Turn right when facing the Vodacom store and the departures security checkpoint is right in front of you.

You can do the entire transit and enter/exit South Africa in less than 5 minutes if your bags come out quickly.

If time permits, the safest option is to clear customs and re-check your bags as described above rather than rely on the interlining system at JNB.

Have a look at post #9 of this thread for pictures.

Originally posted by Ambassador BA304.

Luggage storage

This is taken from the whyjoburg.com web site (April 2016):

BagPort South Africa, the original company that provided a luggage storage service at OR Tambo International Airport, has changed its name.

It now operates as Ateck - from the same premises down the escalators at the main exit of Terminal A arrivals, on Basement Level 1, going towards the Parkade 2 (South).

Costs are : (NB : CASH ONLY! No Cards Accepted.)
0-5 hours: R70.00
6-12 hours: R80.00
12-24 hours: R90.00
24 hours or more: R90.00 per day.

Open 24 hours, every day of the year.

Contact details :
Tel : +27 (11) 390 2689
http://www.a-teck.co.za/or-tambo-airport-store-teck/
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JNB / Johannesburg Airport - Connections, Facilities, Layovers, etc.

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Old Jan 20, 2021, 8:51 am
  #976  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
Originally Posted by cheltzel
That is what I was hoping to hear. I have been trying to find a same day/next day option, or I will have to defer my return trip for a coupe of days. Can you respond with a couple of lab names? All the ones I get off internet searches are well over $200 USD and I suspect they are ripoffs.
https://www.ampath.co.za/covid-19-collection-sites

Corona Virus Info HUB - Lancet Laboratories

Both Lancet and Ampath offer good service. My experience with Lancet in Johannesburg has been delivery of results in the mobile app for samples collected in the morning by the same night, and hard copy result collection the next morning.
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Old Jan 20, 2021, 10:28 am
  #977  
 
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I noticed both the Ampath and Lancet travel testing pages specifically say results in 48 - 72 hours. I assume that they are trying to manage expectations.

Both have fairly convenient labs open 7 days a week. So we will rearrange our schedule so we can be in Johannesburg a good 48 hours before we board our flights to get results. Thanks!!
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Old Feb 22, 2021, 5:48 pm
  #978  
 
Join Date: May 2008
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Hello, wondering if I need a PCR test to transit JNB from Windhoek. We were flying on QR from WDH - DOH - SEA but now the flight goes through JNB.... We only need a rapid test to go back to the states and that's easy, but a PCR would be trickier. Thanks.
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Old May 4, 2021, 4:01 am
  #979  
 
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Connections during covid

If I land at 950am on QR from DOH can I make an 11:40am domestic connection on a separate PNR? Wondering if covid may have changed procedures for international to domestic, but it seems tight to me.
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Old May 4, 2021, 5:34 am
  #980  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Originally Posted by BA_Jfan
If I land at 950am on QR from DOH can I make an 11:40am domestic connection on a separate PNR? Wondering if covid may have changed procedures for international to domestic, but it seems tight to me.
There will be an initial queue for your PCR and health declaration to be checked so some extra delay could be expected, on separate PNRs I would recommend 3 hours at least irrespective of COVID.
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Old Jun 22, 2021, 2:39 am
  #981  
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Cape Town
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Talking

Originally Posted by liamfm
Hi,
I'm wondering, if I have a layover at JNB and am booked on a SAA flight am I required to clear customs just to make it to my next international flight?

For instance, if I wanted to travel from Botswana to Namibia via JNB on SAA would I need to get my passport stamped upon arrival at JNB?

I am going to be traveling quite a bit in Africa and would like to use JNB as a hub for many of my layovers, but I don't want to be taking up 2 pages each time I pass through.

I will not have any luggage.

Thanks in advance.
I don't believe you would need to clear customs while in transit to another country.
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Old Jul 15, 2021, 1:16 am
  #982  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Windhoek
Programs: Platinum with QR; Silver with LH, Gold with Accor, Hilton, Marriott, Radisson
Posts: 32
Hello Everyone,
Next Tuesday I will be arriving from DOH and connecting to WDH. I will have more than 5 hours to kill. Taking into account the current circumstances what options would you recommend? It would be great to be able to take a shower.
- To spend time in a lounge? Are any of them open?
- To book a hotel room? Any hotels nearby open?
Thanks in advance!
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Old Jul 15, 2021, 1:19 pm
  #983  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
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Originally Posted by Urbanity
Hello Everyone,
Next Tuesday I will be arriving from DOH and connecting to WDH. I will have more than 5 hours to kill. Taking into account the current circumstances what options would you recommend? It would be great to be able to take a shower.
- To spend time in a lounge? Are any of them open?
- To book a hotel room? Any hotels nearby open?
Thanks in advance!
The bidvest lounge in the international terminal is closed, other PP lounges may be open but who knows if showers will be available with the current lock down restrictions.
As for hotel, there is the City Lodge which is attached to the terminal and is therefore within walking distance but sounds like a bit of a stretch for a shower and max 2 hours nap.

Also keep in mind that with the riots etc. between now and Tuesday a lot can change, the slow lounge (which I assume you won't be able to access) was closed for a day or so, not sure about the others.
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Old Jul 16, 2021, 1:35 pm
  #984  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Windhoek
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Originally Posted by Ditto
The bidvest lounge in the international terminal is closed, other PP lounges may be open but who knows if showers will be available with the current lock down restrictions.
As for hotel, there is the City Lodge which is attached to the terminal and is therefore within walking distance but sounds like a bit of a stretch for a shower and max 2 hours nap.

Also keep in mind that with the riots etc. between now and Tuesday a lot can change, the slow lounge (which I assume you won't be able to access) was closed for a day or so, not sure about the others.
Thanks a lot
Urbanity is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2021, 10:21 am
  #985  
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
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Is the information on re-checking luggage still current, that there's a specific desk after customs but before entering the public area? I have to transfer on Monday with approximately 3h layover and will need to re-check luggage – couldn't be avoided due to a tight timeline. Is it still recommended to pass through customs, or should I try the airside process?
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Old Aug 16, 2021, 11:48 am
  #986  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,410
It would help knowing which airlines you fly and whether your itinerary is int'l to int'l or to/from domestic.
Either way 3 hours is probably more than enough even if you have to go through immigration twice and carry your luggage to the check-in counters.
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Old Aug 16, 2021, 11:21 pm
  #987  
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Programs: TK*G
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Originally Posted by Ditto
It would help knowing which airlines you fly and whether your itinerary is int'l to int'l or to/from domestic.
Either way 3 hours is probably more than enough even if you have to go through immigration twice and carry your luggage to the check-in counters.
Ah apologies, it's international-international, ZRH-JNB on Swiss, JNB-BLZ on Ethiopian aka Malawian. Swiss and Ethiopian are both Star Alliance and Malawian is this weird wholly-owned subsidiary with an ET code, so it wound up a bit confusing.
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Old Aug 16, 2021, 11:43 pm
  #988  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: CPT,AMS
Posts: 4,410
Originally Posted by mikemosz
Ah apologies, it's international-international, ZRH-JNB on Swiss, JNB-BLZ on Ethiopian aka Malawian. Swiss and Ethiopian are both Star Alliance and Malawian is this weird wholly-owned subsidiary with an ET code, so it wound up a bit confusing.
For Int-Int, if your bags aren't checked through then you will need to collect them and re-check at the check-in counter, the counters as you exit customs are only for domestic re-check (I suppose you could have gotten away for int'l destinations served by the same airlines, but ET doesn't fly domestic in ZA so they don't have a counter there), you'd have to ensure you comply with all entry requirements to ZA (visa/covid etc.)
If your bags are checked through then you should be able to stay air side as long as you can get your BP in advance, I'm unsure how well that works these days on separate bookings.
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Old Aug 24, 2021, 2:10 am
  #989  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Windhoek
Programs: Platinum with QR; Silver with LH, Gold with Accor, Hilton, Marriott, Radisson
Posts: 32
Hello,

I would be happy to get some advice on the selection of a product to fly out of JNB in mid October. I have 3 options in C class to choose from:
1. TK on A330
2. LH on B747
3. LX on A340

What would you choose ?
Thanks!
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Old Sep 21, 2021, 5:29 pm
  #990  
Was sydakllon
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Posts: 709
I'm looking at flying BA (Comair) Cape Town-Johannesburg-Victoria Falls all on one ticket. There's a connection of 1h40m - will this be enough time to come off domestic and transfer to the international?
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