Long queues at O.R. Tambo airport damage South Africa
One of South Africa’s business leaders has highlighted that long queues at O.R. Tambo International Airport hurt the country’s image.
Johan van der Westhuyzen, Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal, said that these passport control queues are a poor advertisement for South Africa.
“You don’t need another report on South Africa’s competitiveness. You just need to arrive at O.R. Tambo at lunchtime,” he said.
“The queues are out the door. There are hundreds of international visitors waiting to be served, yet only one immigration officer is on duty.”
Van der Westhuyzen explained that this isn’t just an inconvenience for tourists who visit South Africa.
“It’s the first impression we give investors, tourists, skilled professionals, and business leaders arriving in our country,” he said.
“We spend millions marketing South Africa to the world, then undermine it in the first 30 minutes after people land.”
He explained that competitiveness isn’t built only through big reforms. It’s also built through disciplined execution of the basics. “It doesn’t have to be this way,” he said.
Many commentators supported Van der Westhuyzen’s view, noting that it is a pervasive problem at O.R. Tambo Airport.
“It’s not just at the immigration desk. It’s everywhere. Even the private airline staff are lackadaisical. O.R. Tambo might as well be Home Affairs,” one commentator said.
This was not an isolated incident. O.R. Tambo International Airport has become known for poor service levels.
Passengers frequently report long queues at international arrivals and departures due to a low ratio of open counters relative to passenger volume.
Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) regularly report problems.
These problems have, in the past, resulted in disruptions or glitches in flight plan management software, leading to ground stops and cascading flight delays.
Travellers have also mentioned issues with basic infrastructure, including non-functional air conditioning and glitching flight display boards.
A widespread complaint across review platforms points to disengaged, slow, or unhelpful service from border officials, security staff, and general floor personnel.
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What a mess this is. I have been at Passport control often, where the queues are out the door and where there is only one person serving people. I guess this is what you get when you employ cadres.