Once you’ve made it past the security checkpoints, passport control and customs officers at Johannesburg International airport, you’ll find yourself in a shoppers’ paradise, festooned with flashing lights declaring the vendors to be “tax free” and “duty free”.
This is a dangerous phase of your trip — many a holiday has been spoiled before it has even started for tourists who have blown a large chunk of their budget at airports, only to find that they could have bought goods for half the price at their destination.
Even more frustrating is the discovery, back home, that the same item costs less at your local centre.
The first thing to remember is that many of the goods in duty-free stores would ordinarily attract very low duties, so your greatest saving for you would be the value added tax.
We did a little window shopping at Johannesburg International recently and then priced the same items on the Internet and at local dealers.
The comparisons were interesting. In some cases, the goods offered were substantially cheaper than the same items in Durban retailers.
The Pentax Optio S40 digital camera was selling for R2 999 in the Electronics Megastore at the airport. A Durban dealer offered the camera for R3 299, while dealers in the United States advertise it for $299 — about R1 844.
The Nikon Coolpics 3700 digital camera cost R3 698 duty free. This camera could be picked up for R99 less in Durban. In the United Kingdom it retails at less than R2 500.
If you think you are going to do better buying duty-free booze you could also be in for a rude awakening. I priced a litre of Grants whisky at R95 duty free, while a 750ml bottle costs R78,80 at Makro in Durban, which works out at R105 a litre — R10 a litre saving. But where a litre of Amarula retails for R85 at the airport, a 750ml bottle of the same stuff sells for R42,80 (R57,06 a litre) at my local off-sales.
I did, however, pick up a bottle of KWV five-year-old brandy for R35, so there are some bargains to be had.
All of this goes to show that you would be well advised to do a little homework before embarking on an duty-free shopping spree. Remember, it all boils down to caveat bloody emptor — let the buyer be careful!