Questions about travel to South Africa

[MEL_Traveller]

How does this related to the OP question?

I think poochie is very concerned about the OP’s daughter’s safety… and suggesting a low value credit card could be thrown to the baying masses to distract them while daughter makes a run for it.

While I think it’s a good idea to be aware of surroundings, especially in South Africa, I’m not sure that such extreme measures are going to be required.

Aside from that, daughter will already have been ‘in country’ for a while, so will be acclimatised and know what to look out for.

And poochie… they recommend having a one-dollar cheap decoy wallet in your back pocket if you’re concerned about pickpockets… no need for an actual credit card!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Anti further financial loses.
It's all anti scam too.
If you think shrewdly, you will get my drift.
We in Aus have scruples, over there his/her daughter will be seen as a potential victim.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think poochie is very concerned about the OP’s daughter’s safety… and suggesting a low value credit card could be thrown to the baying masses to distract them while daughter makes a run for it.

While I think it’s a good idea to be aware of surroundings, especially in South Africa, I’m not sure that such extreme measures are going to be required.

Aside from that, daughter will already have been ‘in country’ for a while, so will be acclimatised and know what to look out for.

And poochie… they recommend having a one-dollar cheap decoy wallet in your back pocket if you’re concerned about pickpockets… no need for an actual credit card!

You need to do it the modern way.
$1 or 20 Rand, the scammers or thieves will know.
If they see a Wise card, that will be thing they aim for.
Worst is if her bags get lost in the domestic sector in South Africa.
(((Am on Smartphone in MEL))), and eg I know I wie dead if I lost it, as it's the only way to check in for Aus domestic flights.

 

[VeniVidiVici]

Anti further financial loses.
It's all anti scam too.
If you think shrewdly, you will get my drift.
We in Aus have scruples, over there his/her daughter will be seen as a potential victim.

My god, relax.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ok, ok.

 

[drron]

When we spent as much time day either side of our safari in February at JNB we felt a lot safer than on previous trips. Many more police in uniform wandering around..
We flew domestically out first time and domestic in the second.
Only problem was flying in on. QR The J. line was the slowest. Flying QR. Out was no problem.

 

[akenne21]

I would thoroughly reccomend Airlink. Much better service than SAA, has a tie up with QFF. A much better on time record than SAA. We flew them twice back in February.
Got lounge access in JNB even though we were travelling in Y. So either mrsdrron's LTG or my AA LTP worked. We were told at check in about access. Both got QFF points.

Great to know! I did a bit of sleuthing and found out that Airlink provides access to the SLOW lounge is for all J or full Y passengers. As it turns out we are travelling J on Airlink from JNB to CPT, so should get access on that basis.

Might go back and take a look at Airlink departures for the daughter's solo flight from CPT to JNB. I wonder whether QF might be able to add it to her rewards booking at least for luggage to be checked the whole way?

 

[Seat0B]

We got access to SLOW lounge on a fully flex economy ticket, so I am very confident you would get it on J. It was a very good lounge - better than a lot of other lounges I have visited on our travels (I'm especially looking at you, Sri Lankan J lounge Colombo!!!!)

Here are my photos of the SLOW lounge in JNB taken late March 2026.

 

[Seat0B]

And here are some shots from mid April 2026 in the JNB BA Galleries Lounge - also a nice lounge and quiet when we arrived about 2 hrs before departure for QF64. It was totally packed and standing room only an hour later. it has several different zones for general lounging, working and eating, and nice shower amenities (get in early before the wait times blow out).

 

[Seat0B]

Also, a tip for arriving into JNB on an international flight - they require to scan your boarding pass for the flight you just got off for immigration entry process. This was nearly a travel mistake for me as I could not find my physical pass by that point and they were a bit unhappy about using the QF app electronic BP. But in the end they relented. So probably a good idea to put your BP into your passport rather than randomly in your handbag, or as a book mark in a book or wherever the hell I put it!

 

[craven morehead]

We got access to SLOW lounge on a fully flex economy ticket, so I am very confident you would get it on J. It was a very good lounge - better than a lot of other lounges I have visited on our travels (I'm especially looking at you, Sri Lankan J lounge Colombo!!!!)

Here are my photos of the SLOW lounge in JNB taken late March 2026.

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Fantastic Lounge