SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town: Autumn Break ramblings...

Autumn break came and went, but we opted for spring time so we went down south to Cape Town, South Africa. Madam and the children had visited Johannesburg a year earlier and decided that I should do the same, albeit to a different city. 

We left Lagos on the last school day and naturally at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), it was like a reunion of sorts. A dear friend of mine, Shatish once told me..."I tell you, the moment school ends it will be a 'white-out' day at the airport". What he actually meant was, almost all the oyinbo (white, foreigner) will be away for holiday or back to hometown, especially the ones with the children. 

We took the South African Airlines and the flight will transit at Joburg's O.R Tambo International Airport for about 2hrs before continuing our journey to Cape Town International Airport. Two thing I would like to remind any prospective travellers to SA....

1) Check with the airline if you're continuing your flight to other destination from O.R Tambo, do you have to get your luggage at the carousel and check in (again) at the domestic counter at the airport?

2) If you're travelling with children, and I mean your children apart from the passport, please bring along the original Birth Certificate or a copy with stamp and sign by authority (lawyer or officer at embassy/high commission) to certify the genuineness of the document (adopted children, bring the adoption document)  failing which, I don't think you can enter SA. 

Madam had difficulty last year when I was not around. I had to email her a letter giving consent to bring the children into SA because I am still around...if I am not (dead, extinct, late, lost, departed), then my death certificate would suffice.

Please check if you're travelling with someone else's children (I mean travelling with niece, nephew etc). Please check this leaflet provided by the Home Affairs Dept of SA (leaflet)

There's a reason for all these and best to just follow. It's you going to their country and not the other way around. For all you know, they're doing their bit to deter child trafficking in and out of SA. 

I always say to my friends, if you don't fancy going there...there's another 53 countries in Africa continent alone and a short flight out of Nigeria, will get you to Europe and even the Middle East! All in all about 120 countries between 40deg East and 15deg West of the world map (all from GMT line).

By the way...looking at the cloud over the Lagos Lagoon on the day we left Lagos, spring must be looking good in Cape Town, no?

storm brewing over Lagos Lagoon on Friday, 14th October 2016