Need to store some bags at JNB next week whilst on safari for 5 days. I read about JNB not being too secure and using an airport hotel and paying a tip to the bellboy. Anyone done this? Or used a better storage area? Would tips need to be in US$, Rand? Cheers.

After I did some research on flyertalk.com re:baggage storage at JNB, we decided to leave our bags there while we were on safari for 10days. We locked our laptop in our large suitcase and of course, locked all the rest of our bags also, and came back to find everything as we left it. I believe we paid around $100-150 and cannot remember what currency we used but think it was Rand.

www.acsa.co.za/home.asp?pid=1148#baggage.

That's the Airports Co. South Africa website for Jo'burg Airport, but the fee quoted is out of date. (To the frustration of the 3rd-party operator who has been trying to get them to update it.) The charge (still for any size bag) is now R50 for the first 24 hours, then R40 for each subsequent 24 hours.

Go for the shrinkwrap also. It prevents 'sticky fingers'. Never heard of anyone having anything stolen using that service.

Hello,

In 2004, I used the storage service at JNB with no problems. My luggage was locked but not shrink-wrapped (though shrink-wrapping sounds like a good idea if you're concerned about sticky fingers). I paid in Rand -- it was about £20-25 for one bag for about a week.

Cheers,
Julian

We stayed at the airport Holiday Inn when we arrived in JNB, then went off to Botswana for a few days, leaving extra bags at the hotel, then spent a second night there when we returned. No charge. Not a bad place, either.

If you are flying with Federal Air to a local SA park, you could ask them to look after your bags too.

Many thanks all for your informative responses. Flying out tomorrow Cheers

I'm probably too late to help but our local operator had an office in Jo'burg so I asked them to meet me at the airport and collect/ return my luggage to me.

To be fair, this was not because we didn't trust the left luggage facilities (though I'm not sure I would have done) but because, even if we had, we did not have time between flights to reclaim anything.

Your local operator might be able to help you too.