INFORMATION  - HOW TO GET THERE

DIRECTIONS - ​S26°50’30.8″ E32°53’13.5. http://goo.gl/maps/vWlBD

From Johannesburg

The border here is a lot more relaxed and generally a lot quieter than the Komatipoort border but it still has queues at the peak holidays (Easter, long weekends and Dec holidays)

From Johannesburg take the N12 through Witbank to the Middleburg Toll – 45 mins after toll take right turn to Carolina through to Amsterdam then on to Piet Retief through Pongola.  Alternative route which cuts an hour off the trip – take N17 from Carnival City in Dalpark and go straight through to Ermelo –  Piet Retief – Pongola – Jozini – Kosi Bay. Approx 52km after Pongola turn left to Jozini.     

​Follow the road through Jozini town and as you leave the town the road forks - Take the left road over the Jozini Dam wall Stay on this main tar road.    There are several junctions and turns but keep following the signs for ‘Kosi bay forest reserve’.    

​After 100km or so you will arrive in Manguzi this is the last town before the border, good place to tank up with fuel and buy any extra supplies.

Drive out of Manguzi and follow the road for approx 20km and you will arrive at the border.

If you are in a 4wd or high clearance vehicle (preferably with diff lock) you can cross onto the sandy Mozambique side.

As soon as you leave the border you have several road options (all sandy tracks) some lodges are well signed, but there is a general guide starting from the left track as you face them. Left hand track goes through to Ponta Mamoli.  Middle tracks (usually 3) go through to Ponta Malongane, Tartaruga, Vista Alta right hand track goes to Ponta Village.

You can get to all the lodges from Ponta village.  Following Coco Rico signs helps. Usually everyone is very helpful and will point you in the right direction.  The distance from Johannesburg is approximately 650kms.

  From Durban

Take the N2 Toll road north past Ballito. Turn right over the highway.  Continue through the town of Hluhluwe, following the Sodwana Bay signs.    At Mbazwane, turn left following the Kosi Bay (or Farazela border post or Kwangwanase) signs. At the T-junction, turn right around the traffic circle.   Continue through the town of Manguzi, this is the last town before the border, good place to tank up with fuel and buy any extra supplies.   Drive out of  Manguzi and follow the road for approx 20km when you will arrive at the border. The tar road ends on the South African side of the border, so if you are in a 2wd you can park on the South African side for a daily fee of R40 then walk across. Most lodges will collect from the border post.  If you are in a 4wd or high clearance vehicle (preferably with diff lock) you can cross onto the sandy Mozambique side.

Please remember normally the Kosi / Ponta border closes at 17h00 and they occasionally have left before that so it is wise to turn up no later than 16h30 to get across that day! Please note that they are very strict about it and will not open even if you are only a minute late. It opens at 0h800 in the mornings. December and Easter they do open for longer.  

Once across the border

On the right is a window in a building where you hand in your passport, get stamped in (R17 fee) and you are away. 

If you are in a 4wd or high clearance vehicle (preferably with diff lock) you can cross onto the sandy Mozambique side.

As soon as you leave the border you have several road options (all sandy tracks) some lodges are well signed, but there is a general guide starting from the left track as you face them. Left hand track goes through to Ponta Mamoli.  Middle tracks (usually 3) go through to Ponta Malongane, Tartaruga, Vista Alta right hand track goes to Ponta Village.

You can get to all the lodges from Ponta village.  Following Coco Rico signs helps. Usually everyone is very helpful and will point you in the right direction

Attend to vehicle requirements – you will need:

Vehicle ownership documents –

If the vehicle is on hire purchase / bank loan you will also need a letter from the bank giving permission to cross the border.

Also if the vehicle is not yours you will need a letter of authorization from the owner saying you have their permission to take it into Mozambique.

A valid driver’s license is also required.

Insurance is required in Mozambique – if your current insurance covers Mozambique you must get a letter from the insurance company on official papers clearly stating that a minimum of third party insurance is covered, it must show the vehicle registration and the country ‘Mozambique’ – not ‘covers all SADC’ or ‘Southern Africa’. 
Temporary 30 day insurance cover is available at the Mozambique border and cost R170 (payable in cash only) – we recommend Hollard Insurance.   

DO NOT FORGET TO APPLY FOR THE INSURANCE                                                                                                                                        

You could land yourself with a hefty fine of at least R2000.00 if you pass through without applying for it. 

Sometimes they will do a full vehicle check to see if it is stolen, paperwork matches etc, other times they will not even look at the vehicle!!

Park up on the left where you will locate the vehicle paperwork hut.

Collect and complete the A4 document in duplicate using a piece of carbon paper, making sure that the carbon paper works and that your writing is readable on the bottom sheet.

Now return this completed paperwork back to the desk where they will stamp it, and return one page to you in exchange for R12.00

Back out on the right is a window in a building where you hand in your Passport, get it stamped in (R17 fee) and you are on your way. 

Insurance is required and there is usually a guy at the border asking if you need to buy it.Hollard do have a small hut there, R150 set fee valid for 30 days.

Temporary import license should you be towing a boat/trailer/wet bike etc.

This will be in the region of R80.00.

Now it is off the tar roads and onto the dunes.  

​Happy Holiday!

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NB: Please note that ALL Pricing referenced on this website is subject to change, and for this reason, it is only made available to you as a guideline. 

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Kindly note that Reception is closed on a Sunday, but you will be able to collect the keys to the house from the Security Guard hut at the entrance.​​ 

Ponta do Ouro is best accessed through the Kosi Bay/Farazela border. The border post is open 7 days a week (08h00 to 17h00). Between the border and the Maresol complex on the beach-front a 4 x 4 vehicle is required to negotiate the terrain as the road consists mainly of sand dunes and soft sandy soil.   Please note that you will need a copy of your car registration certificate as well as a letter from your insurance company in SA stating ‘car is insured out of country’.   You will also need to get a temporary driving licence on the Mozambique side.  Thereafter, you need to purchase third party insurance. This can be purchased in South Africa ahead of time at Outdoor Warehouse (or at the border post). The short journey from border to unit will take you approximately 20 – 25 minutes.​

However, should you NOT have a 4 x 4, border transfers to the resort can be arranged.  The tar road ends on the South African side of the border, so if you have a sedan you can park your car at the South African Police Station and after unloading drive back into South Africa to park your car in a secure privately-owned parking area on the South African side. This costs R40 per day and is perfectly safe.

You will need to arrange your own transfer with Sandra or her husband Oros who are both local Mozambicans. Sandra, however, is the main driver.

Here are their numbers - both are on Whatsapp:

Sandra +258847319049
Oros     +258842467547

Please whatsapp Sandra when you get  to Jozini and mention that you are passing through Jozini.  Alternatively, if you are using GPS then you can let her know when you are an hour away. It is important to communicate with her as regards your time of arrival as she then knows how much time she must allow herself to get to the Kosi Bay border.  There have been times when she has been kept waiting for over 5 hours.
Finally, remember to liaise with her when she drops you off at the Maresol house number 20 in order to take you back to the border again. (Should you have difficulty in raising them please contact Noreen in Benoni on 065 144 0767)

​NB: Please note that ALL Pricing referenced on this website is subject to change, and for this reason, it is only made available to you as a guideline.

​Passports   –   Everyone needs a passport to enter Mozambique.

Visas: All overseas visitors need Visas for Mozambique.  SA passport holders do not need a visa but at the border they will still be charged a R17 ‘admin fee’.

It must be current and valid for 6 months (some borders are not so fussy on this but under 30 days becomes a problem)

 It must be your passport

Two clear pages are required

Torn, wet, grubby passports especially where the picture or pages are damaged may be refused entry.

Other Nationality passports:

Most other nationalities require a visa, these can be obtained from an embassy in advance and the cost varies from R750 (UK / US) to R350 most European countries and South America.

A visa at any of the above entry points currently costs R171 per passport and takes a few minutes extra at the border. 

Travelling with minors:

ALL minor children under the age of eighteen must be in possession of a valid Unabridged Birth Certificate. Please note that obtaining such a Certificate from the Department of Home Affairs can take up to eight weeks, but from personal experience, you could wait up to a few months, so please plan well in advance. In cases where such children are travelling with you unaccompanied by their parents, for example friends of your children, you will also require a "Consent Document in the form of a Sworn Affidavit" from the parents of the said guest child granting you permission to travel across the border with their child. 

Detailed requirements in this regard can be found here.   

​​NB: Please note that ALL Pricing referenced on this website is subject to change, and for this reason, it is only made available to you as a guideline.

Kindly note that whilst it is possible to get fuel from the small petrol station in the village, you would be well advised to rather consider filling up your tank in Maputo or Manguzi, since fuel may not always be available in Ponta, especially during the Low Season.