Terminal A

10–15 minutes on foot gets you from A to B

Terminal A is the international side of O. R. Tambo’s main building, linked airside to domestic Terminal B, not a standalone satellite. British Airways, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and other long-haul carriers use A for most international departures and arrivals. The whole complex shares one long central spine, so you stay under the same roof when you move between A, B, C, D and E.

Immigration in A can swing from 10 minutes to an hour

Arrivals feed straight into passport control, where waits can be 10 minutes on a quiet morning or 45–60 minutes when a couple of widebodies land together in the evening bank. E-gates in the A arrivals hall move faster than the staffed booths when they’re switched on, but they’re not always running outside peak times. Build the buffer if you’re landing on a busy evening wave from Europe or Asia.

Baggage claim and customs sit right after passport control

Once cleared, you drop into a standard international reclaim with several carousels assigned to A’s long-haul flights. Bags can take close to an hour to appear, even after a short taxi-in from the runway, and often arrive in bursts rather than a steady flow. Customs usually moves quickly, and then sliding doors push you into the public arrivals corridor where the taxi touts start circling.

Avoid the first ATMs and touts after customs

Just outside Terminal A customs, a ring of unofficial porters, taxi sellers and SIM card hawkers lines the first 50–100 metres of the public hall. Regulars walk straight past the initial ATM cluster and mobile kiosks and head toward the main check-in hall, where the bank-branded ATMs and established mobile desks sit under clearer signage. Many locals pre-book a transfer or rideshare and head directly to the signed pickup areas instead of dealing with cash offers inside the terminal.

Use the upstairs food court above A’s check-in hall

If you’re meeting someone or waiting for a ride, take the escalators up from the Terminal A/B check-in level to the mezzanine food court. It’s usually calmer than the ground-level coffee stands and has better odds of spare seats and power outlets. Landside options here include Vida e Caffè for espresso-based drinks, News Cafe for all-day meals and drinks, and Europa for more sit-down café food before security.

Airside in A feels older and starts with a long corridor

From international security in A, expect a long, plain corridor before you hit the central retail zone, so don’t expect Heathrow-style shop clusters at every gate. Once you reach the main spine, you’ll see Big Five Duty Free for liquor and cosmetics, Lindt for chocolate gifts, Exclusive Books for reading material, and Sunglass Hut and Watches Unlimited for accessories. Africa-focused stores like Out of Africa and Africa Souvenir Shop stock carved animals, textiles and T-shirts geared to last-minute gift shoppers.

Food and drink options in the international departures zone

On the airside level used by British Airways and other long-haul carriers, food skews toward chain cafés and bar-grill setups. Coffee & Cream and Vida e Caffè handle most espresso orders near the central node, while Ocean Basket serves sit-down seafood plates at standard South African mall-level pricing. Cascade Bar and News Cafe cover the beer-and-burger crowd, and Europa pops up again for sandwiches and light plates close to some of the mid-60s gates.

Lounges: plan on airline lounges, not a big shared club scene

Terminal A’s lounge landscape is more functional than flashy. Individual airlines and handlers run a mix of branded and contract lounges tucked along the international departures level, typically between passport control and the higher A-gate numbers. Hours track the long-haul banks, so lounges tend to open several hours before the evening departures to hubs like London and Frankfurt and thin out during midday lulls.

International-to-domestic transfer: assume 2 hours, minimum 90 minutes

If you land in A and connect to a domestic flight from B, you re-clear security domestically and may need to reclaim and re-check bags depending on ticketing. Flyers report a solid 10–15 minutes of walking along the central spine from A arrivals to B security once you’re back airside or landside. Frequent flyers aim for at least a 2-hour buffer to absorb immigration swings, slow baggage, and a quick duty-free stop; 90 minutes only works if everything breaks your way.

One final tip

On arrival into Terminal A, ignore anyone touching your bags or offering taxis before you reach the main public hall, then head upstairs to the food court if you need time and a plug point before leaving the airport.