South Africa is the standout African country for airport smokers: you can smoke indoors, after security, at every one of its major airports. The country’s three biggest — Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB), Cape Town International (CPT), and Durban King Shaka (DUR) — maintain indoor smoking lounges with substantial post-security access. Johannesburg in particular has Africa’s premier airport smoking facility: the Dunhill Lounge, a 360 m² dedicated smoking space.
South Africa Airports Compared: Before and After Security
Before security, you can always smoke outside: at a designated smoking area where there is one, or outside the airport property, beyond the terminal kerb and car parks. After security, Yes means there is a smoking area past security and a dash means none is listed. Each airport’s page has the details.
| Airport | Before security | After security |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town (CPT) | Yes | Yes |
| Durban (DUR) | Yes | Yes |
| George (GRJ) | Yes | Yes |
| Gqeberha (PLZ) | Yes | Yes |
| Johannesburg (JNB) | Yes | Yes |
| Johannesburg Lanseria (HLA) | Yes | Yes |
| Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga (MQP) | Yes | – |
For travellers, this matters most at JNB, which is the primary South Africa-Europe and South Africa-Asia transit hub. Smokers connecting through Johannesburg don’t need to leave the secure zone, and the lounges are genuinely comfortable.
How South African Airport Smoking Works
South Africa’s Tobacco Products Control Act (1993, amended) prohibits smoking in enclosed public areas but permits designated smoking rooms at airports. The major hubs use this exemption fully. Lounges are:
- Indoor enclosed rooms with ventilation
- Post-security at major airports
- Most require lounge access or a purchase; a few are open to any passenger
- Marked with clear signage
Designated outdoor smoking areas outside the terminal doors are the alternative at every airport, and the only option at outdoor-only fields such as Kruger Mpumalanga (MQP).
Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB)
Africa’s busiest airport. Indoor smoking facilities include:
Dunhill Smoking Lounge. A 360 m² dedicated smoking space on the Terminal A (International) mezzanine level — the largest of its kind in Africa, with full food and beverage service.
Lounge 27. A private smoking lounge on the upper floor of Terminal A; follow the signs to D Lounge and take the escalators. Entry needs a purchase.
Mashonzha Lounge. Airside in Terminal A, near the Emirates Business Lounge through duty-free; open 06:00–22:00 with a lounge-membership programme or paid entry.
Piece A Pizza. A restaurant in Terminal A on the way to gates A5-A30, with a smoking section inside; a purchase is required.
Terminal A airside smoking area. A designated area in international departures that closes at 8 p.m. — for late flights, use the Dunhill Lounge or the Mashonzha Lounge (open to 10 p.m.) instead.
SAA Lounge. In Terminal B (Domestic), up the elevator on the left just after security; South African Airways’ lounge has a smoking area inside.
Airport Craft Brewers. In Terminal B, across from Gate D4, with a smoking area inside; a purchase is required.
All are post-security, and no one under 18 may enter a designated smoking area.
Cape Town International (CPT)
The Smokers’ Lounge is the dedicated facility in international departures, airside after passport control — opposite Icons restaurant, just before the stairs to the B gates, with internet access and strong air extraction (it reopened in April 2022 after renovation). In the domestic terminal, the Bidvest Premier Lounge on the 4th floor has its own smoking room, reachable by pay-at-the-door or a lounge-membership programme. Domestic travellers without lounge access use the designated outdoor areas instead, pleasant year-round in Cape Town’s climate.
Durban King Shaka (DUR)
The Bidvest Premier Lounge has a dedicated, enclosed smoking room — airside on the domestic departures side, 3rd floor, on the right, open roughly 05:00–21:00 and reachable with a lounge-membership programme, eligible cards or a paid day pass. The international-side Umphafa Lounge is non-smoking, so international passengers smoke at the designated outdoor areas outside the departures and arrivals doors before clearing security. DUR is smaller than JNB or CPT, and its smoking provision is solid.
Chief Dawid Stuurman International, Gqeberha (PLZ) and George (GRJ)
Beyond the big three, two of ACSA’s regional airports also have enclosed smoking rooms. Chief Dawid Stuurman International (PLZ) in Gqeberha and George (GRJ) on the Garden Route both have a Bidvest Premier Lounge airside with a smoking room among its listed features — open to any passenger for a paid walk-in or online rate, not just lounge members. Outside the terminal building, landside, smoking is also permitted in the open air at both airports under South Africa’s Tobacco Products Control Act.
Johannesburg Lanseria (HLA) and Kruger Mpumalanga (MQP)
Johannesburg Lanseria International (HLA), the city’s privately operated secondary airport, has an enclosed smoking room airside inside its Bidvest Premier Lounge, just after security; without lounge access, smoke outside the single terminal before clearing security. Kruger Mpumalanga International (MQP), the safari gateway near Kruger National Park, is outdoor-only — its Bidvest Premier Lounge does not list a smoking area, so smoke outside the terminal before you go through security.
Tips for Smokers at South African Airports
- Johannesburg O.R. Tambo is the best African airport for smoker transit
- The Dunhill Lounge at JNB is a destination experience, not just a utility
- Cape Town’s climate makes the outdoor areas genuinely pleasant year-round
- Vapes generally welcome at the same facilities; no specific national ban
- For long-haul connections, choose JNB for the best smoking experience