Latest / Wander the World with Pippa Hudson / Wander the World: Navigating the new online SARS customs declaration forms

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Wander the World: Navigating the new online SARS customs declaration forms · Wander the World with Pippa Hudson

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: You're with Cave Talk.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: This is Papoutant on lunch.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Now it's time to talk travel and a bit of
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: a different travel segment today. Because we're not doing our
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: usual thing or focusing on a particular destination or cluster
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: of destinations. I want to make sure that everybody knows
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: about a quite significant change around outgoing and incoming international
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: travel for South Africans, one that took effect on the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: first of July, and I was away at the time.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: During our recent travels. We were a little bit astonished
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: to thankfully hear from a colleague who said, hey, are
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: you guys, have you done that thing on the app
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: you need to do before you come home tomorrow? And
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: we went, what thing? What app? What are you talking about?
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: We didn't know that SARS had introduced a new customs
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: declaration requirement. There was very little, i think, pre publicity
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: around it, certainly none that I saw, and there hadn't
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: been any kind of advertising at the airport when we
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: left at the end of June, and I didn't see
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: any on arrival home in mid July either, I have
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: to say so. I was relieved to hear earlier today
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: from our listener Alan that when his brother came in
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: from Heathrow last weekend. There were actually officials on the
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: ground helping people with the process. I have to say this,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: having gone through the process in quite a hurry from overseas. Look,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it's actually a fairly
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: easy online process to navigate. It's not without some glitches though,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: and I have been aware of a good many travelers
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: on social media sites saying that they've been struggling with
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: particular aspects. And I'm also aware that there are plenty
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: of people who still just don't know anything about it
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: at all. So we thought let's use our travel segment
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: today to fill you in on what is required, what
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: you have to do, what sort of documents you need
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: to hand when you're filling out this new form, and
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: how to go about it. Joining us on the line
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: to help us through the process. It's a great pleasure
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: to welcome Zave Ferguson, who is customer experience leader at
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: flight Center Travel Groups South Africa. Say great to have
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: you with us this afternoon. Thanks for your time.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: Oh good afteroon, Papa, Thank you so much for inviting us.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: It's a pleasure to be on the show.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: Thank you, say I mean, effectively, this is an online
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: that is meant to replace the old physical paper declarations
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: that sometimes one had to make. Can we start there?
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Can you explain what the new traveler declaration is and
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: what it's intended to replace.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Definitely, so exactly what you said, it's meant to replace
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: the paper forms. You know, when we leave the country
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: and enter the country, a lot of us go to
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: shopping or we leave with high value items, but we
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: don't necessarily declare it, and there's no ways passage to
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: actually know whether we have the items before we left
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: or not. So this is why they've actually implemented the forms.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: It's new for us because they've made it compulsory from
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: the first of July. However, they have been trialing the
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: system for the last two years.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Really okay, So was I just particularly ignorant or not
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: noticing communication around this, because it caught me completely by
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: surprise that this had been introduced. So I'm astonished to
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: hear you say it's actually been trialed for two years already.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: It has actually, I think when they launched the trial
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: originally it was similar to right have now where people
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: have a little bit of panic because you know it
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: is a government institution, so I think a lot of
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: us go into like, you know, it's heavy admin. So
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: what they did is two years ago they set it out.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: It did see people into a little bit of a panic.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: They didn't make it compulsory, and they were just testing
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: it to see how does the system work, how easy
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: is it, how does this work, and how does it
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: integrate with you know, like saw in the different places.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: And you know, over the last two years, I guess
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: they've refined it and that's why they've possibly made it
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: now compulsory from the first of July. You are correct
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: when you see it. There wasn't too much publicity around
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: them making it, you know, compulsory from the first, but
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: it was a deadline that they see it out about
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: two years ago.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: Okay, all right, thanks for explaining that. Yeah, I mean
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Keith writing in to say, when last did anybody fill
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: out that paper declaration? For years we had to complete
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: those forms, but even about fifteen years ago they were
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: phased out by most countries, and now all of a
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: sudden this is being implemented again online. Keith is wondering
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: why the decision to re implement the system. It seems
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: like we're going backwards, would you like to respond, I don't.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: Think it's going backwards. I think if we look at
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: the communication that SAR has put out, it's more regulating
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: the country between the revenue service and the stop with you.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: The new laws in place with how much cash can
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: actually physically leave the country at a time, how much
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: can come in, and how much you're allowed on your basis.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: So I think it's probably more stringent measures around how
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: do we actually track and trace all of that. In
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: the past, we didn't actually have a seat system to
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: do that.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, say, I have to be honest. In all of
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: the years that I've been traveling, I've never once been
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: called aside by the customers people to check my suitcase
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: or look at anything. It must say something about how
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: shabby I look coming in or the state of my suitcase.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: I can only imagine that they take one look and go, well,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: she didn't buy anything of high value while she was away.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: But in all seriousness, what is Sara's needing to be declared?
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: You've mentioned cash, which is obviously a very big part
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: of the regulatory conversation here, but what else should one
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: be declaring that one? Now we'll do in the app
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: versus in person or on a pay perform as you
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: did in the past. What are the key things listeners
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: should think about having to declare.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: So, anything that we've bought overseas, that's you know, in
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: excess of five thousand rand in value. So anything under
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: five thousand you can de clear. You don't have to
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: worry about taxes or anything additional to that. But what
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: STAG has said is the duty for your allowances that
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: they're allowing is items up to five thousand rand. Additional
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: goods can be purchased up to twenty thousand. So if
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: there're amounts exceed twenty five thousand, for example, if we're
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: buying electronics or high value items internationally, you could be
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: subject to additional taxes and duties when you come back
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: to South Africa. So it's all dependent on the value
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: of the items and what we have physically declared.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Okay, thanks for explaining that. Sarah rising in to say,
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: we came through this morning with three huge flights that
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: all landed at the same time. We thought we would
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: have to Q to do our declaration, but they just
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: said have you done it online? Everyone said yes, and
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: we all walked through. They didn't ask for any proof whatsoever. Yeah,
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: nobody stopped us to ask. We had our proof saved
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: on our phones because we did scramble to do it
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: before we came home, and certainly nobody stopped us to
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: ask either, Sarah. But the point is if they had,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: you need to be able to show that you've done it,
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: So say, maybe let's right now take some time to
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: just talk listeners through what is actually involved. Firstly, you
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: need to go and download the app, which is the
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Essay Travel Manager Service SATMS for the custom's Traveler Declaration,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: and you need to set up a profile on that
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: app to register as a user. What happens next, So
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: why don't.
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: You've done that? Just a nave step if I could say,
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: if you could don't download the app on the stage
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: website itself. It does have a link where you can
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: go in and clear you don't physically ask to download
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: the app itself. Okay, it's quite an easy form to
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: go through and do it five a stage website. Why
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: don't you've got an end? Just make sure you have
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: your possible dtail, your travel ACCE and really showing your
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: dates that you are entering and exiting the country from
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: contact information if you're traveling with any children, ill members
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: of the family, elderly family members, have the details close by,
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: and then obviously the items information that you already clearing
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: as well. When's you're are in that app.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Now, as I said, once we got registered and used
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the app, it was pretty easy. The one thing I
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: want to flag say is the timing. You need to
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: fill out that declaration within twenty four hours of your flight,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: and that was something we found quite difficult, the pressure
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: because we were in transit the whole of our last
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: day without access to reliable internet. When you're sitting on
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: moving trains, et cetera that didn't always have internet access
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: or Wi Fi available, it gets a little bit tricky.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: But that is what the app asks of you. Can
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: you talk to us about when you need to do
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: this process and it's both on departure and arrival correct,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: you are.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: Correct, so departure and arrival twenty four hours before. And
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: I like that you actually mentioned the point of you know,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: it's quite difficult on trains and with Wi Fi, which
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: is why currently SARGE is not actually penalizing people who
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: can't get to it. So if you have a valid
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: reason where you weren't in a Wi Fi zone or something.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: Depending on the ports, you might have soft service stations
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: or like the traveler mentioned, you know, the traveler coming
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: in from Heathrow, that it might still be paid per
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: forms that Sarge will be handing and assisting clients with.
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: It's not that they are going to turn you away
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: or deny your boarding. It's just if you can do it,
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: it's going to save you a lot of time at
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: the airports because I think you know, patients is not
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: one of our soft attributes that we have understatement.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I just want to say for anybody who's coming
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: in midway to this conversation, we are chatting to day Ferguson,
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: who's the customer experience leader at flight Center Travel Groups
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: South Africa, talking about the introduction of the new SARS
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Customs Declaration in electronic form, which took effect on the
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: first of July and is now come pulsory both when
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: you leave the country and when you come back again.
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: Somebody asking why we have to do it when we
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: leave the country. They understand the necessity declare things you've
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: bought overseas and to pay duties where needed, but asking
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: can you please elaborate on why we have to do
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: it when we are departing from South Africa.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: So when you're departing from what Starge has put out,
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: the is they need to then ensure that the items
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: that you've declared leaving is not or it's the same
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: items that you're coming in with. So for example, if
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: you're leaving with a Apple laptop or something, they do
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: ask for the IMEI number on the device itself, so
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: that when you come back they might do a cross
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: reference and consume that it's the same device and it's
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: not that you claim that you left with it and
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: now you're coming in with a new device. So the
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: archers trying to attract that everything is above ward with travelers.
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: It's such an important point that because it's something I
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: think very few of us think to do that you
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: know you're heading overseas, you maybe take your laptop or
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: iPad with you because you think you might to do
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: a bit of work or download your photos or whatever
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: it is, and don't think to declare it. And I
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: have over the years once or twice heard of people
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: who got hit with problems where they came back in
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: bringing back the same laptop that was theirs that they
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: had taken with them and having a real tricky situation
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: with SARS trying to say, but hang on, can you
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: prove you didn't buy this overseas and don't owe us
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: any duties on it. So I think it's a good
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: thing to be reminding people of that necessity. Ryan is
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: asking on the WhatsApp whether any other countries are doing
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: something like this. He says, I can't recall any other
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: place expecting this, So.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: There are quite a few countries doing it, as they
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: might do it in a different form, but every country
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: is trying to track you know, currency or values or
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: you know, prevent money laundering from happening, you know, by
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: various forms and ways. So they'll have their own declarations
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: in different forms, okay.
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: Kathy writing in with her experience, She says, we traveled
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: recently and the airline, which was Luftanza, added the link
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: to submit the SARS declaration. It was a bit glitchy
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: as I wasn't able to add all of the dependents
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: who were traveling with us. I also tried to download
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: the app and it wasn't a great experience. Is Kathy's feedback, Kathy,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: thanks for that, Yeah, I mean, as I said, my
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: major issue with it was around the date, and in
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: the end we sat there going, what do we do
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: because we know we're not going to be in a
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: position to be able to fill this out. Twenty four
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: hours in advance were now thirty hours in advance, and
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: we eventually just put it the wrong date and thought,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: we'll have to explain to somebody if they ask why
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: we arrived on the tents not the ninth kind of thing,
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: and say that that was the only glitch that we experienced.
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: The rest of it was fairly easy to follow, and
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: you know, my kids did their separate applications and didn't
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: have any issue. So I think once you just wrap
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: your head around the fact that you now need to
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: do it and to find the right way the right
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: link to do so, it's not particularly onerous. But I
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: say that as a leisure traveler, maybe let's talk a
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: little bit about business travels. Is the formerly different for
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: somebody who is traveling for business purposes than it is
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: for a leisure traveler.
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: So there is an option for business travelers to select
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: that there are traveling for business, because you remember, business
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: travelers would be traveling with higher value of goods. They
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: might be traveling with gifts for clients, so they might
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: be coming back with gifts. So business travelers do also
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: some sort of amount, but they form slightly different or
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: they have a slightly different selection to a leisure traveler,
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: but exactly the same process.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: Okay, a few people asking us to please confirm the links,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: et cetera. So if you want to look for the app,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: it is the SATMS app. Once you click on it,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: it says South African Customs Traveler Declaration and on that
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: landing site you will be asked to either log in
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: if you've been there before, or to register if you're
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: a first time user, and then it's fairly self explanatory
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: to follow it. It's got the little SARS logo at
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: the bottom of the landing page. So you're looking for
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: SAMs app and it came up very easily when I
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: searched for it in the app store. Lindy asking what
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: about what is the correct SARS website? There's so many
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: scams around, I'm scared of clicking on the wrong link, Lindy.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: The official SARS website is SARS dot gov dot z
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: A day, I haven't actually taken the time to go
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: and look. But I'm logging in as I speak now
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: and I can see second line from the top line
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: of icons as the traveler declaration, So it's it's pretty
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: easy to find if you'd prefer to do the website
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: thing as well.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: A great, great And I think the first one thing
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: that's quite important for the listeners is a lot of
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: them think that because clients haven't been asked, that there's
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: no need to do it. Please please, rather do it
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: because there's nothing worse than getting fined for your own
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: stuff or getting fined for nasty clearing. So rather be
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: safe then end up in a predicament that's not going
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: to be to season.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: Okay, I appreciate that warning. I think we've got time
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: to squeeze in. One last question, it's a very good
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: one from one of our listeners who I know based overseas.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: Does the form have to be completed if you are
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: transiting through South.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: Africa if you are transiting, No, it's only when you
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: are entering physically into South Africa exiting. But for transit
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: travelers this is not a requirement for them.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: Okay, Philip, glad you asked the Thank you so much,
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: say anything else you'd like our listeners to know that
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: I should have asked you about or you'd like to flag.
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: I think we've covered everything. I think the biggest thing
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: is it is a government system. But I promise, as
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: you've mentioned, it's not as difficult as we've all. Maybe
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: you not asked to be, so just try give it
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: a go and save yourself time at the report.
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time, Zay Ferguson, customer experience
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: leader at Flight Center Travel Groups South Africa. So one
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: last time. The app is sat MS and the website
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: if you'd rather do it online, it's the SARS dot
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: gov dotzed A website and on the left hand side
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: of the landing page there you'll see a series of
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: gray blocks that have got clicked through to very subcategories
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: and the traveler declaration is in the second line of
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: those options. So pretty self explanatory once you're into the
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: app to use it and fill it out, it is.
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: It's a bit of a pain. It's the last thing
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: you want to do when you come into the end
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: of your holiday and trying to enjoy your last day.
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: But as they said, rather cover yourself and avoid unexpected
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: fines and duties or worse yet, confiscation of items, etc.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: What a terrible way to end a holiday. Rather just
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: get it done and appreciate that update from flight Center