Local laws that catch crew out in Johannesburg

Always carry a copy of your passport photo page and the page carrying your visitors permit. South African officials may ask for ID and proof of residence at any time. The FCDO's instruction is to keep the passport itself in a hotel safe or another secure location and not to carry it unless it is needed for official identification.

From 1 July 2026 travellers entering or leaving South Africa must submit the traveller declaration online before they travel, unless they qualify for one of the limited paper-based exceptions. It covers goods, currency, bearer negotiable instruments and other relevant items, and confirmation comes back by email.

On entry, the FCDO states you must declare cash if you are bringing more than 25,000 South African rand per person, or other currencies worth more than 10,000 US dollars combined. SARS separately defines excess currency, under Reserve Bank exchange control regulations, as any amount over R100,000 or foreign currency convertible to more than R100,000, and that requires written permission from the Reserve Bank before you enter or leave.

If you hold South African citizenship and are 18 or over, you must use a South African passport to enter and exit South Africa. Using another country's passport to do it is illegal.

Eating and drinking on the Gautrain System is a transgression of the Gautrain rules of travel, and the rules cover trains, stations and buses alike. Gautrain travel penalties apply to any person who does not comply.