South Africa - entry restrictions and rules [merged thread]
Mar 9, 2022, 9:25 am
#1501
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: AA-EXP, LATAM Gold+, BA-Blues
Posts: 720
I'm getting ready for a trip to South Africa (from Brazil, with transit in LHR), and I note the gov.za FAQ mentions:
The exact wording of this - "not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa" has me wondering: is the 72-hour limit really measured from the departure time of the first international flight in my itinerary (GRU-LHR, @16h10)? Or is it from the departure time of the first ticketed flight that same day (SJP-GRU, @ 9h55)?
The reason it matters is that, in the small town where I am presently, labs only take samples until 13h00 each day. Consequently, supplying a test sample no-later than 72 hours before the departure my domestic flight would give maximum time for the (slow) lab to process the test & provide results. If the time of the international flight governs, the effective time for that processing would be reduced considerably. And the fact that my flight is on a Tuesday only further complicates things, since sample would need to be collected over the weekend.
Flight is only on 22-March - so hopefully, by then, new rules will be in force. But if for any reason that's not the case, I'll need to be prepared to travel to another city to supply the sample at a different lab.
Any idea how these current rules are parsed in practice (by British Airways and/or LATAM, in particular)?
What are the requirements for the 72 hour PCR test for COVID-19?
Travellers intending to visit the country will be expected to produce a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that is not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa; and be presented before travelling to South Africa.
Travellers intending to visit the country will be expected to produce a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that is not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa; and be presented before travelling to South Africa.
The reason it matters is that, in the small town where I am presently, labs only take samples until 13h00 each day. Consequently, supplying a test sample no-later than 72 hours before the departure my domestic flight would give maximum time for the (slow) lab to process the test & provide results. If the time of the international flight governs, the effective time for that processing would be reduced considerably. And the fact that my flight is on a Tuesday only further complicates things, since sample would need to be collected over the weekend.
Flight is only on 22-March - so hopefully, by then, new rules will be in force. But if for any reason that's not the case, I'll need to be prepared to travel to another city to supply the sample at a different lab.
Any idea how these current rules are parsed in practice (by British Airways and/or LATAM, in particular)?
Mar 9, 2022, 2:28 pm
#1502
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: N/A
Programs: N/A
Posts: 823
I'm getting ready for a trip to South Africa (from Brazil, with transit in LHR), and I note the gov.za FAQ mentions:
The exact wording of this - "not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa" has me wondering: is the 72-hour limit really measured from the departure time of the first international flight in my itinerary (GRU-LHR, @16h10)? Or is it from the departure time of the first ticketed flight that same day (SJP-GRU, @ 9h55)?
The reason it matters is that, in the small town where I am presently, labs only take samples until 13h00 each day. Consequently, supplying a test sample no-later than 72 hours before the departure my domestic flight would give maximum time for the (slow) lab to process the test & provide results. If the time of the international flight governs, the effective time for that processing would be reduced considerably. And the fact that my flight is on a Tuesday only further complicates things, since sample would need to be collected over the weekend.
Flight is only on 22-March - so hopefully, by then, new rules will be in force. But if for any reason that's not the case, I'll need to be prepared to travel to another city to supply the sample at a different lab.
Any idea how these current rules are parsed in practice (by British Airways and/or LATAM, in particular)?
The exact wording of this - "not older than 72 hours from the time of departure from the country of origin to South Africa" has me wondering: is the 72-hour limit really measured from the departure time of the first international flight in my itinerary (GRU-LHR, @16h10)? Or is it from the departure time of the first ticketed flight that same day (SJP-GRU, @ 9h55)?
The reason it matters is that, in the small town where I am presently, labs only take samples until 13h00 each day. Consequently, supplying a test sample no-later than 72 hours before the departure my domestic flight would give maximum time for the (slow) lab to process the test & provide results. If the time of the international flight governs, the effective time for that processing would be reduced considerably. And the fact that my flight is on a Tuesday only further complicates things, since sample would need to be collected over the weekend.
Flight is only on 22-March - so hopefully, by then, new rules will be in force. But if for any reason that's not the case, I'll need to be prepared to travel to another city to supply the sample at a different lab.
Any idea how these current rules are parsed in practice (by British Airways and/or LATAM, in particular)?
Who are you flying from GRU-LHR? If you need to recheck and get boarding passes issued at GRU I would assume they would want the test to be within 72 hours of that flight, not your first flight.
Mar 10, 2022, 1:50 am
#1503
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 32
Just in case this is your first trip to South Africa:
Please don't think that what the SA Embassy (or any other government official) says is necessarily close to what will actually happen.
TIA, as they say. I would not rest peacefully until I had that actual letter in my hand.
Having said that, I truly hope that I am too cynical and that all will be well!
Please don't think that what the SA Embassy (or any other government official) says is necessarily close to what will actually happen.
TIA, as they say. I would not rest peacefully until I had that actual letter in my hand.
Having said that, I truly hope that I am too cynical and that all will be well!
It feels safer to travel with the letter of exemption from the SA government combined with the necessary papers
The information from LH and the embassy it consistent as well, but as you said. TIA...
Mar 10, 2022, 2:24 am
#1504
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: BRU, CGK, DPS
Programs: EK Silver, QR Gold
Posts: 204
I hope so too, but I have a scheduled PCR for now. Not sure I'll take it though. Not sure what's going to happen if it's positve. Talked to the test station and they will upload the result to an international data base.
It feels safer to travel with the letter of exemption from the SA government combined with the necessary papers
The information from LH and the embassy it consistent as well, but as you said. TIA...
It feels safer to travel with the letter of exemption from the SA government combined with the necessary papers
The information from LH and the embassy it consistent as well, but as you said. TIA...
Mar 10, 2022, 4:39 am
#1505
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 32
How long ago did you contract covid? I tested positive beginning of January and was still very ancious yesterday when taking my PCR as some reports say it can take up to 3 months for PCR tests to show negative, luckily I received the result and I'm ready to fly later today!
Mar 10, 2022, 12:41 pm
#1506
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: UK oop north
Programs: BMI Diamond Club RIP,BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,692
Business Day reporting today the following:
"The government is considering extending the national state of disaster despite the cabinet’s promise that it would end on March 15, because it has yet to finalise alternative legislation to manage Covid-19."
so perhaps not good news for the lifting of PCR requirements?
continues;
"Sources involved in the process told the newspaper that there is disagreement over whether these regulations should be immediately brought into effect without public consultation. There are also concerns that government cannot reintroduce alcohol bans and curfews going forward without a state of disaster in place.
South Africa’s state of disaster is currently set to expire on 15 March 2022. This would make it 24 months since it was first declared at the end of March 2020. While the national state of disaster was initially set to lapse on 15 June 2020, the act provides that it can be extended by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister by notice in the gazette for one month at a time before it lapses.
The government has relied on the regulations to introduce and give effect to lockdown restrictions, which it has used to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ramaphosa has previously indicated that the latest state of disaster extension will be the last, with the government now expected to introduce more permanent long-term regulations to help manage Covid in the country.
"The government is considering extending the national state of disaster despite the cabinet’s promise that it would end on March 15, because it has yet to finalise alternative legislation to manage Covid-19."
so perhaps not good news for the lifting of PCR requirements?
continues;
"Sources involved in the process told the newspaper that there is disagreement over whether these regulations should be immediately brought into effect without public consultation. There are also concerns that government cannot reintroduce alcohol bans and curfews going forward without a state of disaster in place.
South Africa’s state of disaster is currently set to expire on 15 March 2022. This would make it 24 months since it was first declared at the end of March 2020. While the national state of disaster was initially set to lapse on 15 June 2020, the act provides that it can be extended by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister by notice in the gazette for one month at a time before it lapses.
The government has relied on the regulations to introduce and give effect to lockdown restrictions, which it has used to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ramaphosa has previously indicated that the latest state of disaster extension will be the last, with the government now expected to introduce more permanent long-term regulations to help manage Covid in the country.
Mar 10, 2022, 1:42 pm
#1507
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
Business Day reporting today the following:
"The government is considering extending the national state of disaster despite the cabinet’s promise that it would end on March 15, because it has yet to finalise alternative legislation to manage Covid-19."
so perhaps not good news for the lifting of PCR requirements?
continues;
"Sources involved in the process told the newspaper that there is disagreement over whether these regulations should be immediately brought into effect without public consultation. There are also concerns that government cannot reintroduce alcohol bans and curfews going forward without a state of disaster in place.
South Africa’s state of disaster is currently set to expire on 15 March 2022. This would make it 24 months since it was first declared at the end of March 2020. While the national state of disaster was initially set to lapse on 15 June 2020, the act provides that it can be extended by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister by notice in the gazette for one month at a time before it lapses.
The government has relied on the regulations to introduce and give effect to lockdown restrictions, which it has used to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ramaphosa has previously indicated that the latest state of disaster extension will be the last, with the government now expected to introduce more permanent long-term regulations to help manage Covid in the country.
"The government is considering extending the national state of disaster despite the cabinet’s promise that it would end on March 15, because it has yet to finalise alternative legislation to manage Covid-19."
so perhaps not good news for the lifting of PCR requirements?
continues;
"Sources involved in the process told the newspaper that there is disagreement over whether these regulations should be immediately brought into effect without public consultation. There are also concerns that government cannot reintroduce alcohol bans and curfews going forward without a state of disaster in place.
South Africa’s state of disaster is currently set to expire on 15 March 2022. This would make it 24 months since it was first declared at the end of March 2020. While the national state of disaster was initially set to lapse on 15 June 2020, the act provides that it can be extended by the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister by notice in the gazette for one month at a time before it lapses.
The government has relied on the regulations to introduce and give effect to lockdown restrictions, which it has used to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ramaphosa has previously indicated that the latest state of disaster extension will be the last, with the government now expected to introduce more permanent long-term regulations to help manage Covid in the country.
Uggggghhhh
Thanks for reporting. Hoping for the best...that being an ending of the madness. But unfortunately seems my home country too is still under the notion this is not over as the US has extended the masking requirements for public transportation. Now basically ignoring the science they so ademently say they follow.
Thanks again for the update
Mar 12, 2022, 2:23 am
#1509
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,272
Perfect! Good outcome and thanks for sharing this.
Mar 12, 2022, 3:32 am
#1510
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 32
No worries. I think we all need to share as much information as possible reagarding travelling these days. There are so many rules and regulations and they change all the time without any warnings so places like Flyertalk are great resources for information and advice
Mar 13, 2022, 6:14 pm
#1511
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: CPT
Posts: 70
Uggggghhhh
Thanks for reporting. Hoping for the best...that being an ending of the madness. But unfortunately seems my home country too is still under the notion this is not over as the US has extended the masking requirements for public transportation. Now basically ignoring the science they so ademently say they follow.
Thanks again for the update
Thanks for reporting. Hoping for the best...that being an ending of the madness. But unfortunately seems my home country too is still under the notion this is not over as the US has extended the masking requirements for public transportation. Now basically ignoring the science they so ademently say they follow.
Thanks again for the update
Mask wearing in grocery stores and large shopping centers etc is still seen, but most don't bother in restaurants and small shops, etc. Never once upon entering a restaurant in the past month was I told to wear a mask. Most in the townships never wore them at all.
In SA, the vaccination rates are very low (less than 35 percent) but the death rates continue to fall anyway. Nobody I know here who did get a shot would even consider another. According to a medical professional I know in CT, of those in the hospital related to covid most are vaccinated. Everyone knows the lockdown was a failure also, except to drive the unemployment rates up further. The government is fully aware that they have bigger problems (such as keeping the lights on and the tourists coming).
Tells us something.
A couple of FT posters from the UK continue to push the vaccination/mask mantra here. It's sad really.
Mar 15, 2022, 3:04 am
#1513
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 480
Just found this article. Seems it is extended another month. No mention of PCR testing, so I'm guessing nothing changes there.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/tren...year-mark/amp/
https://businesstech.co.za/news/tren...year-mark/amp/