Traveling to South Africa looking for tips

mcgeedigital - is that from experience? Second hand account? I'd be curious to hear what experiences you've had that made you suggest that - perhaps a juicy story...
 
Rather carry a camera than a gun

Rather carry a camera than a gun

Don't anticipate needing private security. Kind of defeats the whole concept of making a
documentary.
 
jameswmulryan said:
Has anyone shot in South Africa recently?
Wanted to know about visas carnets and electricity.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
South Africa's a big country. Kevin and I shot in and around Kruger park, but I'm sure that's very different than shooting in downtown Johannesburg or Soweto.

Electricity: you need a special south african adapter. Regular travel kits don't supply it. But you can get it at a store in the Johannesburg airport. It's huge, as compared to most travel adapters. It's a 50Hz country, so if your electrical devices aren't universal, you'll need some sort of power transformer too.

Visa: if you're going as a tourist you don't need one. You need your passport of course, but no specific south african visa. Make sure you have at least two completely blank pages in your passport. If you're going to stay 90+ days, or getting a work permit, then yes you should get a visa. Look up your particulars here: http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/index.htm

Carnet: I guess it depends on what you're importing. I would think you'd be rather safe without one; I found the whole carnet process (in s.a.) to be an extreme waste of time and energy. It was nearly impossible (nay, I'll go ahead and say it, it *was* impossible) to find the carnet office in S.A. for checking out of the country, eventually I just abandoned the idea and told the carnet office in the USA that I couldn't find it. They let the stuff back in the USA anyway.

But seriously, they never would have checked and never would have known that I had the stuff, I had to go pull someone aside and ask them about the carnet stuff. The JFK staff were great about it, but the Johannesburg staff looked as if I had mushrooms growing out of my forehead. If you're taking a hundred grand worth of stuff, I'd get the carnet, but if it's a handycam (EX1/HPX170/XHA1 etc) just carry it on the plane. Of course, proceed at your own risk, but if I had to do it over again that's the way I'd go. I wouldn't take the chance with a prototype HPX300 and a $24,000 lens, but if I was going back with just my HPX170 then yeah, I'd skip the carnet completely and not worry about it. Your mileage may vary.

As for that, carry on anything you actually want to have arrive. Kevin wore a shooter's vest, chock full of pockets he could cram batteries and chargers and all sorts of stuff. I had cargo pants with the pockets busting at the seams. You're only allowed 10kg of carry-on weight. That's not a whole lot, and your luggage weighs against that too -- if your luggage weighs 3kg, well, you're down to only 7kg of carry-on cargo. Kevin got a ThinkTank Airport Acceleration backpack, which helped him to avoid looking like a video shooter (the bag doesn't look anything like a typical video backpack and therefore doesn't scream "steal me" all over it). We had to check a couple of small things like the tripod, and those did all make it through, but we were thoroughly warned not to put anything expensive of any type in checked baggage as there is apparently quite a racket of pilfering items out of luggage over there.

Whenever going to any foreign country it doesn't hurt to read the state dept's assessment (travel.state.gov) and you might find good warnings there. Keep your eyes open at the Johannesburg airport, people who look lost are easy pickings for criminals.

You might want to get updated on a few shots (typhoid, tetanus, etc). Go to your county health department or travel clinic and ask them what you need. They'll probably recommend malaria pills. Lots of folks told us you don't need 'em, but we took 'em anyway. I'd rather have inconvenience than malaria, I guess.

If you're going to Kruger/Nelspruit area, the Protea Hazyview hotel was the bomb diggity at a very reasonable rate. But if you're going to Cape Town, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the Protea hotel down there; it was a converted jail. No A/C in the rooms in 100+ temperatures. We got switched to some of the few rooms with A/C, but still, yeah, no thanks.
 
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@ jameswmulryan

Felt I had to apologise for promising to help with info on South Africa and not getting to post it, but something unexpectledly cropped up that interrupted things for a while.

Anyway I see Barry has done a pretty thorough job of answering your questions. He is far more equipped than me, having made the trip from the US to SA himself, to film. As you say he certainly is a mine of information as well as a pro whereas I am just a beginner.

SA is a great country with wonderful, friendly people despite the negative publicity it sometimes gets. I hope your visit is successful and a very enjoyable one.
 
yeah james,


Barry is right on the money, also remember we are entering winter now, so heat won't be a problem if you come in the next 3-4 months.

A lot depends on where you are going to?

cheers,
Derrick
 
jim - be sure to get all the recommended vaccines and meds for the region. i'm going to Kenya in about three weeks. for Kenya - yellow fever, hep A and B, malaria, travelers diarrhea. yellow fever is required and i have to carry documentation to prove that i have it. all regions can vary.

it is the cool dry season and some are letting down there guard re: mosquitos and the malaria threat - but just two weeks ago a friend of a friend got cerebral malaria - she had the meds but was not taking them. this was in Uganda - she was flown to Nairobi and is expected to recover - about 35% of these cases are fatal. i use to think that "deet" was the only thing you needed - learned from my employer that permethrin is needed for your clothing. deet will not protect if spayed on clothes - nor will it stop mosquitos from biting if put on skin under clothing.

good luck with your shoot
 
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