I have a flight with a connection in Johannesburg, where I'll need to wait for 12 hours for the next departure. I was told by a friend that it's not allowed for people to leave the airport. Is it true?
I have a Brazilian passport.
I'll arrive at JNB in terminal A and leave from terminal B, destination Perth, Australia.
According to South Africa's Department of Home Affairs, Brazilian passport holders are exempt from visas, whether in transit or for a stay of less than 90 days in South Africa. So yes, you should be able to get admitted through passport control, and leave the airport at your convenience.
There are several companies which market Jo'burg tours to people on layovers; I would inquire about these at the airport. Johannesburg is rather spread out, and many of the more popular attractions, like the Apartheid Museum and the Cradle of Humankind, are neither close to the airport nor convenient to Gautrain or Metrorail.
