Packing Weight Limit- So. Africa
 

We will be flying Fed Air into Londolozi and Madikwe. The small print says there is a weight limit of 20 kgs. Is your baggage actually weighed before you are allowed to board? Can you carry your camera bag or a small backpack with camera gear with you on the plane, or does that have to count as part of the 20 kgs?
I'm sure a lot of you have experince with this, so any comments would be appreciated.

We did not fly this airline. On our flight some bags were weighed. The weight limit includes everything. Many times the pilots overlook the small backpacks, but it is at their discretion.

Federal Air allow 20kgs of stored luggage preferably in soft bags [not your hard samsonite suitcases]and 5kgs of hand luggage which includes camera. Hope this helps.Enjoy the Safari

The 20kg is 45-lbs of clothing/luggage and that is a lot more then for traveling by air to other destinations - i.e., the Delta is Botswana which is 12kg.

Forty-five lbs is plenty of clothing, even for someone like myself who tends to overpack. Often it's left to the pilot who can tell as soon as they lift the bag whether you're overweight. And depending on his/her mood, total number of passengers you might get away with a bit more.

However, if you are generally overweight for your entire trip, you can store excess luggage at the JNB airport at a minimal fee; or have your tour operator hold your excess for the duration while at Londolozi.

Do remember to use soft-side, duffle-type luggage without wheels if at all possible. There are luggage carts everywhere so it's easy to get around the airports.

Federal Air will store excess luggage at no extra charge as long as you are flying out and back with them into Johannesburg.
So if you are going to Londolozi and then directly to Madikwe they can store your luggage and you could collect on your return from Madikwe.

Wow! You are permitted 45lbs of luggage? I was told on my in-country flights between So. Africa, Namibia and Botswana to limit luggage to 26 lbs plus a carry on (no limit mentioned on that). I plan to pack SUPER light!!!

Thanks for all replies and yes, we are using duffel bags without wheels. It sounds like most likely one can carry their camera or small pack on the plane.
By the way, Lolo12, I was only talking about South Africa. It is our intention to leave some stuff in Maun before boarding small planes in Botswana. We are only in Botswana 4 days, so shouldn't be a big problem.

Lolo12: I agree with you on the challenge of 'packing light' when flying in Botswana. My cat weighs 20 lbs., so it was hard to imagine taking everything I need (clothing, personal items, camera, etc...). I kept looking at the cat and all the things I needed to pack and ended up shaking my head at the impossible task. The ticket counter people in Botswana seemed really lenient to me and I must admit I had a fairly cavalier attitude about weight...UNTIL OUR TINY PLANE ALMOST FAILED TO GET OFF THE GROUND, because the five passengers had big bags. We clipped a small tree and had a small branch hanging from the plane's tail when we landed!! So, I guess the moral of the story is that I've learned a valuable lesson regarding the weight of my baggage and will do better this year!

Before I actually begin the safari part of my trip, I will be in Cape Town for 4 days probably wearing non-safari type clothing. This poses an additional dilemma!! Different shoes, pants & tops will be needed. Toiletries, camera gear & other stuff seems to weigh so much!! What to do????

Lolo- there's another thread going right now about Safari Clothes in Tanzania that you might want to check. They are discussing how to get the weight down as well. Think about bringing things you might be able to throw or give away in between the locations.

A couple of thoughts. Buy the mini size of toiletries from the drugstore. No reason to bring any big bottles. Make-up is the same, there are a bunch of mini sizes out there. Bring multi-purpose clothes - a dark pashmina as a wrap for a dressy evening out and on game drives to stay warm. Look at slacks that can be multipurpose as well. Same thing with shoes - try to get it down to two pairs (and wear the heavier ones on the plane!). Bring Ts that you can dress up with accessories. Remember to wear your heavier clothes on the plane!

If you can't get the weight down far enough there are a bunch of options mentioned so far- check luggage at the airport, check it with the airline, pay extra to the airline to bring it all with you (must arranged in advance), or if you have a hotel as a base in Jo'burg (staying there before you leave and returning there afterward) they may allow you to leave it with them. Checking it at the airport is awfully easy and you might want to consider planning on doing that, especially since you'll be in Cape Town beforehand and you might want to go shopping. Just make sure you get all of your stuff into one bag before you check it - they charge per piece.

Girlpolo - I've just realized that the weight limit is the same size as my dog.... it's tough to think about it that way!

i flew fed air to madikwe last november.
if you are coming from jnb airport, your bags are taken from you when they greet you at their stand alone reception lounge and you will not see them again until you land at your lodge.
i know ours were quite light, so i didn't anticipate nor experience overweight problems.
i brought my backpack with camera gear along with me, in the small plane, but had to place it far from me with the other hand held items people had brought on.
the best part is when they offer you a "snack box" for your 20 minute flight.
i found them to be outstanding and professional and they helped me resolve an itinerary crisis.