Luggage restrictions
 

Hello, I will be traveling to Cape Town, Kruger, and Victoria Falls in August, 14 day trip. LOTS of connecting flights on SA Express. I'm nervous about weight limits. USA to Johannesburg is 50 lbs, but SA Express/ air link has a 40 lb limit (?), and carry on is 18 lbs (?). I THINK! website confuses me. There also seem to be restrictions on roller bags. Any insight/advice would be most welcome! Thanks!

I can't speak to your airlines directly, but on my last safari I was limited to 15kg total (which is about 30 pounds) and I did it, for a 12 day safari. I can't imagine what you'd take to have 58 pounds of gear! A lightweight duffle and the use of (usually free) laundry service at the camps are critical to being able to do this, but you CAN do it! For my next safari, I would even take less than I took last time!

Thanks for your info. We are staying at some very upscale hotels in Cape Town and Vic Falls, so will need some dressier clothes as well as safari clothing. I'm sure I'll be taking great advantage of the laundry services!

I think if you're on a single ticket from USA to VF/Cape Town you're actually entitled to 2 bags at 50 lbs. If not, JNB to VF/Cape Town might be limited to 20 kg or 44 lbs. I would think between the 44 and 18 lbs carry-on you should be OK. I wouldn't worry about wheeled bags at all as your flights will be on reasonably sized aircraft. Lightweight duffles come in handy when flying puddle-jumpers where weight limited to 15-18 kg and stowage space is tight.

Retired: I've stayed at upscale hotels in Capetown, including the Mt. Nelson. Capetown is a very, very casual city and there is no way that you need anything dressy. I've dined at several of the city's top restaurants--Test Kitchen, La Colombe, Greenhouse, etc--at each of those restaurants there were diners wearing "nice" jeans and they did not look at all out of place.
Of all the trips I've taken, the ones to SA required the least amount of energy devoted toward packing. So please do not stress too much!

Thank you, everyone! I'm better able to plan now...I'm thinking less is more��

On many of my trips to SA, if I am going on safari after a stay in Joberg or Capetown and coming back to either city, I have asked the hotel to store my locked luggage. This allows me to have the clothing that I like to wear in very metropolitan cities with great hotels and restaurants and then take the bare minimum on safari. Of course, this only works if you can collect your bags once back from the bush. If this is not the case, of course I have to be much more focused and edit correctly to enable the right clothing for city and safari. I agree not to stress too much, though the weight of your luggage really does matter. Good luck and have fun.

The cabin allowance changed sometime last year, it is now 7 kg. This comes directly from the sa express site:

http://www.flyexpress.aero/travel-information/

SA Express will accept one piece of cabin baggage not exceeding a total dimension of 115cm and 7kg in weight. For safety reasons, cabin baggage must fit into approved stowage spaces: either the overhead luggage bin or under the seat. Owing to limited storage space in the aircraft cabin, cabin baggage may be placed in the Skycheck at the aircraft for hold Stowage.

A real issue for photographers...

We are staying at some very upscale hotels in Cape Town and Vic Falls, so will need some dressier clothes as well as safari clothing. >>

You've had some good advice above but unless you have a long time in each place and will be dining in the same restaurant with the same people, it shouldn't be a problem - two smart tops and two smart bottoms which all match will give you 4 outfits; throw in a scarf and/or costume jewellery and you're away.