If you travel from East London to London return it will now cost R609 in taxes for each ticket, over and above the air fare. When I asked for an explanation I was directed to an information booth where I was told the levy was for airport improvements. That really was an unexpected extraction, forerunner of what was to come. At the least, demand to know why you are paying airport departure taxes. It is certainly not for the experience of tax and duty-free shopping.
Items are often absurdly over priced in airport shops.
Apart from airport taxes, there may be other cash extractions along the bumpy way. What a racket. From early next year authorities on the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza in the Mediterranean plan to levy R14 for every night a tourist spends in a hotel or apartment. Thus a family of four staying two weeks would pay an extra R784. The government says the money is needed to make good tourist damage to the environment and to improve the water supply.