Taking Camera Into/Out of South Africa

I have done 2 trips to Sth Africa in the last 2 yrs, carrying a couple of
camera bodies and a couple of lenses, for photographing animals.

The customs declaration asks (not sure of the exact wording) "Are you
carrying any items of value......?" and there is a space to list such
items, but no guidance as to what should be included.

Further down the form there is a question "Do you wish to register the above
items for re-export?" with no explanation of when this would be required.

While standing in the interminable queue to hand in this slip of paper 2
years ago, I asked one of the officials if I should "register" my camera
gear for "re-export". She laughed and said "No, not if it is just for use on
your holiday".

On the recent trip, I didn't list the items for re-export and was mildly
rebuked for not doing so - but not required to alter the form.

I'm curious as to what the real requirement is. Does anyone out there know?

Welcome to the twilight zone...

The SA Revenue Services form is primarilly intended fo South African
citizens who are returning to SA. We are supposed to list all items of
value that were purchased outside SA, and over R3000 in value. We are
also supposed to list all items we take OUT of SA in the first place,
so that these items are not taxable when we return. These forms are
never available at the airport, so technically there is no way to
prove that you actually took your laptop with you, and that you are
returning with your own laptop.

For foreign visitors, you are not required to list items of a personal
nature that you will be taking with you when you leave. Technically
this means your camera does not have to be listed as it is of a
personal nature. They may require you to list your camera equipment in
order to prevent you from selling it in SA, thereby effectively
avoiding import duties. The catch is that they don't ever check to see
if you take the equipment with you when you leave, so they have no
idea whether you sold it or not.

It's a completely shambolic, poorly though-up system that is totally
untennable. A ten-year old could come up with a better system. All it
does is provide hassles for legitimate travellers and tourists, while
providing absolutely no criminal deterrent to people who are intent on
avoiding import duties and VAT.

I'm on my soapbox now. I'd best climb down before my blood pressure
gets too high.

Marc


On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 18:56:06 +1000, "Michael Kilpatrick"
mkilpatr(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au wrote:

I have done 2 trips to Sth Africa in the last 2 yrs, carrying a couple of
camera bodies and a couple of lenses, for photographing animals.

The customs declaration asks (not sure of the exact wording) "Are you
carrying any items of value......?" and there is a space to list such
items, but no guidance as to what should be included.

Further down the form there is a question "Do you wish to register the above
items for re-export?" with no explanation of when this would be required.

While standing in the interminable queue to hand in this slip of paper 2
years ago, I asked one of the officials if I should "register" my camera
gear for "re-export". She laughed and said "No, not if it is just for use on
your holiday".

On the recent trip, I didn't list the items for re-export and was mildly
rebuked for not doing so - but not required to alter the form.

I'm curious as to what the real requirement is. Does anyone out there know?

Welcome to the twilight zone...

The SA Revenue Services form is primarilly intended fo South African
citizens who are returning to SA. We are supposed to list all items of
value that were purchased outside SA, and over R3000 in value. We are
also supposed to list all items we take OUT of SA in the first place,
so that these items are not taxable when we return. These forms are
never available at the airport, so technically there is no way to
prove that you actually took your laptop with you, and that you are
returning with your own laptop.

For foreign visitors, you are not required to list items of a personal
nature that you will be taking with you when you leave. Technically
this means your camera does not have to be listed as it is of a
personal nature. They may require you to list your camera equipment in
order to prevent you from selling it in SA, thereby effectively
avoiding import duties. The catch is that they don't ever check to see
if you take the equipment with you when you leave, so they have no
idea whether you sold it or not.

It's a completely shambolic, poorly though-up system that is totally
untennable. A ten-year old could come up with a better system. All it
does is provide hassles for legitimate travellers and tourists, while
providing absolutely no criminal deterrent to people who are intent on
avoiding import duties and VAT.

I'm on my soapbox now. I'd best climb down before my blood pressure
gets too high.

Marc


On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 18:56:06 +1000, "Michael Kilpatrick"
mkilpatr(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au wrote:

I have done 2 trips to Sth Africa in the last 2 yrs, carrying a couple of
camera bodies and a couple of lenses, for photographing animals.

The customs declaration asks (not sure of the exact wording) "Are you
carrying any items of value......?" and there is a space to list such
items, but no guidance as to what should be included.

Further down the form there is a question "Do you wish to register the above
items for re-export?" with no explanation of when this would be required.

While standing in the interminable queue to hand in this slip of paper 2
years ago, I asked one of the officials if I should "register" my camera
gear for "re-export". She laughed and said "No, not if it is just for use on
your holiday".

On the recent trip, I didn't list the items for re-export and was mildly
rebuked for not doing so - but not required to alter the form.

I'm curious as to what the real requirement is. Does anyone out there know?

Thanks Marc

So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.
Oh well........ the Australian Customs people are a lot more confronting
than they used to be also. When I got home I was bombarded with a lot of
idiotic, repetitive questions about the purpose of my trip when I had
already told them I had been in ZA for a holiday.
Presumably they think if they ask you the same question enough, you will
crack and admit you are smuggling an elephant in your hand luggage.

Michael

Thanks Marc

So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.
Oh well........ the Australian Customs people are a lot more confronting
than they used to be also. When I got home I was bombarded with a lot of
idiotic, repetitive questions about the purpose of my trip when I had
already told them I had been in ZA for a holiday.
Presumably they think if they ask you the same question enough, you will
crack and admit you are smuggling an elephant in your hand luggage.

Michael

Thanks Marc

So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.
Oh well........ the Australian Customs people are a lot more confronting
than they used to be also. When I got home I was bombarded with a lot of
idiotic, repetitive questions about the purpose of my trip when I had
already told them I had been in ZA for a holiday.
Presumably they think if they ask you the same question enough, you will
crack and admit you are smuggling an elephant in your hand luggage.

Michael

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.

African customs officials....:-)

But I must admit that on my trips to ZA I have never had any hassles
from the ZA customs. They never asked any questions and never even
looked at my photo equipment.

A couple of years ago my wife and I made a trip with a 4x4 through some
african countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe). As all
countries have seperate customs and immigrations for leaving as wel as
entering the countries, you can imagine the amount of paperwork and
stamps needed. :-)

The customs in Zambia were quite "nice". They needed all information on
the rented 4x4 including all kinds of manufacturers numbers. They even
asked me to write down the serial number of the car radio. Of course I
didn't know (and cared even less :-) so I wrote down 123456789 and that
was okay too. They didn't look into the car and didn't even ask what
kind of luggage we had with us. No questions about all our photo
equipment at all. When I was filling in the forms and waiting for the
right stamp, I overheard a conversation next to me. A truck driver was
asked if he had anything to declare. He answered he had a shotgun with
him. The customs official didn't even look up and just asked: "reason?"
The truckdriver answered: "supplementary food" and everything was okay.
My wife and I were amazed.

At the same border point (Kazungula ferry from Botswana to Zambia) they
also try to sell you a road insurance. I can't remember the price but it
was something like 50 US dollars. The guy has an office inside the
customs office and looks official. He claims such insurance is
mandatory. We told him our 4x4 was already fully insured for Zambia by
the rental company and showed him the papers to proof it. (Our insurance
covered MUCH more than the insurance he was trying to sell us.) But he
kept repeating it was mandatory. After a while we just left his office
and went back to the car. He followed us outside to the car still
wanting to sell the insurance. We left and about a kilometer down the
road, after the first corner, we were stopped at a police check point.
They were only interested in the insurance, nothing else. We explained
the policeman we already had full cover insurance and showed him the
papers, but he specifically wanted a paper from the guy who sells the
insurance. Luckily the policeman was a nice guy and with some chatting
and smiling he accepted our insurance and we could drive on.

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.

African customs officials....:-)

But I must admit that on my trips to ZA I have never had any hassles
from the ZA customs. They never asked any questions and never even
looked at my photo equipment.

A couple of years ago my wife and I made a trip with a 4x4 through some
african countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe). As all
countries have seperate customs and immigrations for leaving as wel as
entering the countries, you can imagine the amount of paperwork and
stamps needed. :-)

The customs in Zambia were quite "nice". They needed all information on
the rented 4x4 including all kinds of manufacturers numbers. They even
asked me to write down the serial number of the car radio. Of course I
didn't know (and cared even less :-) so I wrote down 123456789 and that
was okay too. They didn't look into the car and didn't even ask what
kind of luggage we had with us. No questions about all our photo
equipment at all. When I was filling in the forms and waiting for the
right stamp, I overheard a conversation next to me. A truck driver was
asked if he had anything to declare. He answered he had a shotgun with
him. The customs official didn't even look up and just asked: "reason?"
The truckdriver answered: "supplementary food" and everything was okay.
My wife and I were amazed.

At the same border point (Kazungula ferry from Botswana to Zambia) they
also try to sell you a road insurance. I can't remember the price but it
was something like 50 US dollars. The guy has an office inside the
customs office and looks official. He claims such insurance is
mandatory. We told him our 4x4 was already fully insured for Zambia by
the rental company and showed him the papers to proof it. (Our insurance
covered MUCH more than the insurance he was trying to sell us.) But he
kept repeating it was mandatory. After a while we just left his office
and went back to the car. He followed us outside to the car still
wanting to sell the insurance. We left and about a kilometer down the
road, after the first corner, we were stopped at a police check point.
They were only interested in the insurance, nothing else. We explained
the policeman we already had full cover insurance and showed him the
papers, but he specifically wanted a paper from the guy who sells the
insurance. Luckily the policeman was a nice guy and with some chatting
and smiling he accepted our insurance and we could drive on.

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================

Hans,

The insurance that the chap at the border was trying to sell you IS
actually mandatory. It is not insurance for the vehicle as such (which
is covered by the rental company) but third-party road insurance.
Most, if not all, countries in Southern and East Africa have a
mandatory third-party insurance fee. In COMESA countries there is a
"Yellow Card" that covers all COMESA countries.

In South Africa the third-party insurance is added onto fuel charges,
so by using petrol you are paying the fee automatically.

You were very lucky that you were only stopped once in Zambia. The
Zambian police are very keen to stop foreign vehicles and hassle the
driver for almost any reason.

The price of third party insurance varies. Exchange rates are fairly
arbitrary, and if you had changed US$ to Kwacha at the border, I'm
sure the insurance would have been around US$15.

Regards,
Marc

PS: Don't try this in Mozambique. If you don't buy insurance at the
border, you WILL pick up problems later on.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 11:45:54 +0200, Hans Martens
wrote:

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.

African customs officials....:-)

But I must admit that on my trips to ZA I have never had any hassles
from the ZA customs. They never asked any questions and never even
looked at my photo equipment.

A couple of years ago my wife and I made a trip with a 4x4 through some
african countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe). As all
countries have seperate customs and immigrations for leaving as wel as
entering the countries, you can imagine the amount of paperwork and
stamps needed. :-)

The customs in Zambia were quite "nice". They needed all information on
the rented 4x4 including all kinds of manufacturers numbers. They even
asked me to write down the serial number of the car radio. Of course I
didn't know (and cared even less :-) so I wrote down 123456789 and that
was okay too. They didn't look into the car and didn't even ask what
kind of luggage we had with us. No questions about all our photo
equipment at all. When I was filling in the forms and waiting for the
right stamp, I overheard a conversation next to me. A truck driver was
asked if he had anything to declare. He answered he had a shotgun with
him. The customs official didn't even look up and just asked: "reason?"
The truckdriver answered: "supplementary food" and everything was okay.
My wife and I were amazed.

At the same border point (Kazungula ferry from Botswana to Zambia) they
also try to sell you a road insurance. I can't remember the price but it
was something like 50 US dollars. The guy has an office inside the
customs office and looks official. He claims such insurance is
mandatory. We told him our 4x4 was already fully insured for Zambia by
the rental company and showed him the papers to proof it. (Our insurance
covered MUCH more than the insurance he was trying to sell us.) But he
kept repeating it was mandatory. After a while we just left his office
and went back to the car. He followed us outside to the car still
wanting to sell the insurance. We left and about a kilometer down the
road, after the first corner, we were stopped at a police check point.
They were only interested in the insurance, nothing else. We explained
the policeman we already had full cover insurance and showed him the
papers, but he specifically wanted a paper from the guy who sells the
insurance. Luckily the policeman was a nice guy and with some chatting
and smiling he accepted our insurance and we could drive on.

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================

Hans,

The insurance that the chap at the border was trying to sell you IS
actually mandatory. It is not insurance for the vehicle as such (which
is covered by the rental company) but third-party road insurance.
Most, if not all, countries in Southern and East Africa have a
mandatory third-party insurance fee. In COMESA countries there is a
"Yellow Card" that covers all COMESA countries.

In South Africa the third-party insurance is added onto fuel charges,
so by using petrol you are paying the fee automatically.

You were very lucky that you were only stopped once in Zambia. The
Zambian police are very keen to stop foreign vehicles and hassle the
driver for almost any reason.

The price of third party insurance varies. Exchange rates are fairly
arbitrary, and if you had changed US$ to Kwacha at the border, I'm
sure the insurance would have been around US$15.

Regards,
Marc

PS: Don't try this in Mozambique. If you don't buy insurance at the
border, you WILL pick up problems later on.

On Sat, 04 Sep 2004 11:45:54 +0200, Hans Martens
wrote:

Michael Kilpatrick wrote:
So the upshot is that it is all pretty confused and it presumably depends on
who happens to be on duty at the airport when you arrive.
No big deal but, after a long flight, bureaucratic complications aren't
welcome.

African customs officials....:-)

But I must admit that on my trips to ZA I have never had any hassles
from the ZA customs. They never asked any questions and never even
looked at my photo equipment.

A couple of years ago my wife and I made a trip with a 4x4 through some
african countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe). As all
countries have seperate customs and immigrations for leaving as wel as
entering the countries, you can imagine the amount of paperwork and
stamps needed. :-)

The customs in Zambia were quite "nice". They needed all information on
the rented 4x4 including all kinds of manufacturers numbers. They even
asked me to write down the serial number of the car radio. Of course I
didn't know (and cared even less :-) so I wrote down 123456789 and that
was okay too. They didn't look into the car and didn't even ask what
kind of luggage we had with us. No questions about all our photo
equipment at all. When I was filling in the forms and waiting for the
right stamp, I overheard a conversation next to me. A truck driver was
asked if he had anything to declare. He answered he had a shotgun with
him. The customs official didn't even look up and just asked: "reason?"
The truckdriver answered: "supplementary food" and everything was okay.
My wife and I were amazed.

At the same border point (Kazungula ferry from Botswana to Zambia) they
also try to sell you a road insurance. I can't remember the price but it
was something like 50 US dollars. The guy has an office inside the
customs office and looks official. He claims such insurance is
mandatory. We told him our 4x4 was already fully insured for Zambia by
the rental company and showed him the papers to proof it. (Our insurance
covered MUCH more than the insurance he was trying to sell us.) But he
kept repeating it was mandatory. After a while we just left his office
and went back to the car. He followed us outside to the car still
wanting to sell the insurance. We left and about a kilometer down the
road, after the first corner, we were stopped at a police check point.
They were only interested in the insurance, nothing else. We explained
the policeman we already had full cover insurance and showed him the
papers, but he specifically wanted a paper from the guy who sells the
insurance. Luckily the policeman was a nice guy and with some chatting
and smiling he accepted our insurance and we could drive on.

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================