Baggage weight limits when traveling to Africa

When it comes to packing your bags for your safari, you need to consider the restrictions for any light aircraft flights before thinking about your international flights. The first step should be to check if you are taking any internal flights – and if you are, check what the luggage allowance is in our handy guide below.

Your international flights to Africa will typically be with a larger international carrier such as Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar, Kenya Airways, South African Airways and British Airways. Most airlines will allow you to have one bag in the hold and one carry-on bag included within the ticket cost; however, the baggage allowances are usually individual to the carrier.

For example, the baggage weight limit for Delta Airlines is 50lbs. If your checked baggage is between 51 and 70lbs, you’ll have to pay an additional fee for excess & overweight baggage. Please note that bags exceeding 70lbs are not allowed.

Traveling to Africa on United Airlines allows for 2 bags to be checked into the hold, with a maximum of 50lbs per bag for those traveling in Economy. This increases in Business and First Class to a maximum of 70lbs per bag. Additional, overweight or oversized bags incur an additional fee.

If traveling on Emirates, your allowance depends on your fare or travel class. Typically, flights to/from Africa on Emirates allow for 1 x 50lb bag for Economy Special fares, 2 x 50lb bags for Economy Flex and Premium Economy, and then 2 x 70lb bags for Business and First Class.

If your itinerary states that soft bags are needed, this is because storage space on light aircraft flights is limited and therefore luggage should be soft (e.g. a duffel bag) so they can be squashed and manipulated into a small hold in the plane.

Your bag should have no spines, frames or a rigid structure, although one flat side is usually allowed. Also, bags should have very small wheels or preferably, none at all.

Your main bag will be placed in the hold, and you will be holding your carry-on bags (i.e. hand baggage) on your lap for the duration of the flight as the aircraft do not have under-seat storage or overhead lockers for stowing bags.

Here we’ve listed the airlines by destination that you might have included in your Yellow Zebra itinerary. Please take a look before you start packing for your safari... Need help deciding what to pack for your African safari vacation? Read our packing list here!

Botswana

Mack Air – there is a weight allowance of 44 lbs (20kg) per person, including hand luggage, which must be in soft bags (e.g., a duffel bag); note that one flat/hard side is allowed, but the majority of the bag needs to be soft. The maximum dimensions are 27.5 inches (70cm) x 12 inches (30cm) x 13 inches (33cm).

Safari Air – The weight allowance is 20kg (44 lbs) per person, including hand luggage, which must be in soft bags (e.g., a duffel bag). The maximum dimensions are 25 inches (65cm) x 13.8 inches (40cm) x 12 inches (30cm).

Wilderness Air – there is a weight allowance of 20kg (44 lbs) per person, including hand luggage, which must be in soft bags (e.g., a duffel bag); note that one flat/hard side is allowed, but the majority of the bag needs to be soft. The maximum dimensions are 27.5 inches (70cm) x 13.8 inches (35cm) x 11.8 inches (30cm).

Helicopter Horizons – weight allowance of 20kg (44lbs) per person, including hand luggage, and must be in soft bags (i.e., duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 24.4 inches (62cm) x 9.8 inches (25cm) x 11.8 inches (30cm).

Kenya

Safarilink – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person, including hand luggage, and must be in soft bags (i.e., duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 27 inches (70cm) x 23 inches (60cm) x 13 inches (35cm).

For Zanzibar, Diani Beach, Lamu, and Malindi, the weight allowance is 20kg (44lb) per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g., duffel bags). Maximum dimensions: 70cm x 60cm x 35cm (27 inches x 23 inches x 13 inches).

Air Kenya – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 24 inches (60cm) x 18 inches (45cm) x 13 inches (33cm).

Governors’ Aviation – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person, including hand luggage, and must be in soft bags (i.e., duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 24 inches (60cm) x 18 inches (45cm) x 13 inches (33cm).

Malawi

Nyasa Express – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person plus 3kg (6.5lbs) per person for hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g. duffel bags). Maximum dimensions: 62cm x 30cm x 25cm (24 inches x 12 inches x 10 inches).

Mozambique

Helicopter Flights – your luggage allowance on helicopter flights is 20kg (44lb) per person, including hand luggage in soft bags (e.g., duffel bags). Maximum dimensions: 60cm x 30cm x 25cm x 30cm (24in x 12in x 10in).

Namibia

Wilderness Air – your luggage allowance with Wilderness Air is 20kg (44lb) per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g., duffel bags). One flat/hard side is not allowed. Wheels on a bag are allowed only if they are not part of a solid frame or rigid structure. Maximum dimensions: 70cm x 35cm x 30cm (27.5in x 13.8in x 11.8in).

Rwanda

Helicopter Flights – your luggage allowance on helicopter flights to and from is 15kg (33lb) per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g., duffel bags).

Seychelles

Flights to and from any private island have a weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 25cm (10in) wide, 30cm (12in) high and 62cm (24in) long.

South Africa

Federal Air – weight allowance of 20 kg (44 lbs) per person plus 5kg (11lbs) per person additional hand luggage. All luggage must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag); note one flat/hard side is allowed but majority of the bag needs to be soft. Maximum dimensions 24 inches (60cm) x 12 inches (30cm) x 16 inches (40cm).

Fireblade Aviation – weight allowance of 20 kg (44 lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 31 inches (80cm) x 14 inches (35cm) x 14 inches (35cm).

Airlink – when flying between Nelspruit/Skukuza and Sabi Sands/Ngala/Phinda lodges, your weight allowance is 20kg (44 lbs) plus hand luggage of 7kg (15 lbs), which must be in soft bags (e.g., a duffel bag). The maximum dimensions are 35 inches (90cm) x 28 inches (72cm) x 17 inches (45cm).

Johannesburg Airport baggage requirements – please note Johannesburg Airport will not accept 'irregularly shaped bags with long hanging straps'. All bags must also have at least one flat surface. Soft-sided bags that have one flat surface are fine (e.g. typical canvas safari bags), but these should not have long hanging straps.

Tanzania

Coastal Aviation – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 30 inches (76cm) x 19 inches (48cm) x 11 inches (29cm).

Air Excel – weight allowance of 23kg (50lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 24 inches (60cm) x 12 inches (30cm) x 10 inches (25cm).

Safari Air Link – weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 27 inches (68cm) x 10 inches (25cm).

Auric Air – weight allowance of 20kg (44lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 35.5 inches (90cm) x 25.5 inches (65cm) x 13.7 inches (35cm).

Regional Air – your luggage allowance with Regional Air is 15kg (33lb) per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g., duffel bags). Maximum dimensions for checked luggage: 60cm x 45cm x 33cm (24in x 18in x 13in); for hand luggage: 30cm x 53cm x 23cm (12in x 21in x 9in).

For Zanzibar, the weight allowance is 23kg (50lb) per person including
hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g. duffel bags). Maximum dimensions for
checked luggage: 60cm x 45cm x 33cm (24in x 18in x 13in); for hand
luggage: 30cm x 53cm x 23cm (12in x 21in x 9in). However, the airline’s most restrictive weight allowance applies.

Uganda

Aerolink - weight allowance of 15kg (33lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag). Maximum dimensions 24 inches (60cm) x 18 inches (45cm) x 13 inches (33cm).

Zambia

Proflight – weight allowance of 23kg (50lbs) per person, plus 5kg (11lbs) for hand luggage, in soft bags only (i.e., duffel bag). Bag size must not exceed 61 inches (157 cm) - add your luggage's length, width, and height to obtain its total dimensions.

Wilderness Air – your luggage allowance with Wilderness Air is 20kg (44lb) per person, including hand luggage, in soft bags (e.g., duffel bag). One flat/hard side is not allowed. Wheels are only allowed if they are not part of a solid frame or rigid structure. Maximum dimensions: 70cm x 35cm x 30cm(27.5in x 13.8in x 11.8in).

Zimbabwe

Safari Logistics – weight allowance of 20kg (44lbs) including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag).  Maximum dimensions 31 inches (80cm) x 12 inches (30cm).

Wilderness Air – weight allowance of 20kg (44lbs) per person including hand luggage and must be in soft bags (i.e. duffel bag); note one flat/hard side is allowed but the majority of the bag needs to be soft. Maximum dimensions 27.5 inches (70cm) x 12 inches (30cm) x 13 inches (33cm).