Bus from Johannesburg to Maputo, Visas at border possible?
Replies: 6 - Last Post: Apr 16, 2009 8:59 AM Last Post By: zoepalmtree
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Bus from Johannesburg to Maputo, Visas at border possible?
Hi, I'm flying into Johannesburg from Mauritius mid-april and want to get to Maputo as soon as possible. I have read that you can get a bus that goes straight but most of the bus companies don't accept you on unless you have sorted out a visa before hand (intercape definately not as stated on the website, greyhound maybe...). Also most phonenumbers for bus companies do not work (panthera azul dont work and translux never pick up). Does anyone have reliable info (and reliable phone numbers!) on bus companies that will just let me on the bus with or without a visa, then i can just sort myself out at the border and if the bus does not wait for me i'll just get a minibus on the other side.alternatively i could go to Mbabane in swaziland to get a visa and then take another bus to maputo but that will add considerable amounts of time to my trip to Maputo. I most definately do not want to spend any time in Jo'berg or Pretoria...
Thanks!
Henry
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Look up Intercape.co.za - they have overnight buses Joburg - Maputo. Often won't let you on without a Moz visa but make it clear that they can kick you off at the border and if you don't get your visa in time to get back on, just take a chapa minibus taxi the final 90km to Maputo for around US$10.Mike
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Do not know if this would help you but there is also a minibus company called Cheetah Express which runs between Nelspruit and Maputo, it leaves Nelspruit at 4pm. In Maputo it leaves next to Mundo's at 7am. It is not the same as local chapa, as it goes straight between these two points. I do not know what is their policy in terms of visas, but since they carry local shoppers i would expect they take some time at the border.4
Do not know if this would help you but there is also a minibus company called Cheetah Express which runs between Nelspruit and Maputo, it leaves Nelspruit at 4pm. In Maputo it leaves next to Mundo's at 7am. It is not the same as local chapa, as it goes straight between these two points. I do not know what is their policy in terms of visas, but since they carry local shoppers i would expect they take some time at the border.5
Obtaining a Mozambican visa in advance should be relatively quick and straightforward, although I have only tried doing this at the Mozambican embassy in Cape Town. The whole process only took me about four hours, filling in the form and returning later to collect the visa. If you stay for one night at the Backpacker's Ritz in Johannesburg, then I understand that they are based very close to the Mozambican embassy. The hostel will collect you from the airport and will drop you off at the departure point (Park Station) for either Intercape or Greyhound coaches. This is safer and much cheaper than getting a taxi from the airport to Park Station.When I transitted through Jo'burg to Maputo, I had several hours to spare between arriving to Johannesburg by train and departing the following evening to Maputo on the Intercape. I was due to stay for one night at Mbizi Backpackers in Jo'berg for one night on my return, and before departure was collected and spent the afternoon at Mbizi's before being dropped off again at the station.
I found the border post at Komatipoort was very chaotic, so it may be a very time consuming process getting a visa at the border. It might be quicker to take a deep breath and spend a night in Jo'berg in advance.
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Also to add to that, you should be fine waiting in Park Station itself for the Intercape to depart, as security is excellent there. There are atms and the odd coffee shop there too. However, once there (either dropped off by hostel or taxi), make sure you don't wander out of the station as it is located in a fairly dangerous part of the city where armed muggings are common.
