All foreigners who are in possession of a ticket for a connecting flight from the Republic of South Africa i.e. who would enter the Republic of South Africa, are not required to apply for a transit visa to make use of transit facilities. This regulation came into effect on 1 July 2006.

Please note that foreigners who are not passport / travel document holders who are exempt from the South African visa requirement and who will continue their journey to country that shares a border with the Republic of South Africa (Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) by road or rail, must in person apply for and be issued with a Visa/Transit Visa at a South African mission abroad, before proceeding to the Republic of South Africa (see Visa Application).

A transit visa shall –

1. in the case of air transit, be issued for a period not exceeding 24 hours; and
2. in the case of land transit, be issued for a period not exceeding 48 hours.

As per the Immigration Directive No. 28 of 2015  travellers transiting through the following international airports are exempted from / do not have to be in possession transit visas, but will be subjected to biometric capturing directly at the airport:

1. OR Tambo International;
2. Cape Town International;
3. King Shaka; and
4. Lanseria

Deportees transiting must be in possession of transit visas and at all times be escorted, failing which, they must be returned to the airline that conveyed them for removal from the Republic.

Travellers utilizing land ports of entry to transit through South Africa should apply for Port of Entry Visas.