Firearm and Ammunition Regulation Changes in South Africa
From 1 October 2018 there are new rules regarding ammunition and firearms for travellers arriving in South Africa.
Ammunition should be in a locked box when you arrive into South Africa.
This rule applies for all regional and internal flights. All ammunition will travel alongside the firearm and not in the checked bag. Airlines will no longer allow any ammunition to be in a cardboard box or in any other container, loose, inside your checked bag. Ammunition is also under no circumstances allowed to be put with the firearm. This is a precautionary measure, should the firearm be lost, that ammunition could not easily be accessible alongside the firearm.
As a traveller into South Africa, please make sure to declare with the airlines you will be using, any sporting items that you will have with you. You must have in writing, that they will accept the carriage of the firearms and further make sure to declare in the remarks section of the ticket that you are travelling with sporting weapons. Some Airlines will want to know calibre, make and ammunition amounts too.
We have seen an uptake with new airlines flying into South Africa this season and are finding that sportsmen do not check beforehand with the airline if they will accept sporting weapons and ammunitions. These passengers are denied boarding with firearms and thus end up without firearms on arrival.
BA Comair will not accept the carriage of firearms of any nature. WE have had a deluge of people booking online and not checking the conditions of carriage. Ethiopian Airlines transiting through Addis Ababa are making it very difficult to transport sporting weapons; you need to get permission in advance of departure, in writing, that they will accept the carriage of the firearms.
We are also anticipating some changes to the Firearms Control Act later this year, so be sure to check back here for updates.