Important update about flying in maun/africa
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
THIS IS THE SITUATION FOR LOW-HOUR FOREIGN PILOTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO FLY IN *ANY* AFRICAN NATION.
The naked truth as of January 2024
For longest time, new foreign pilots saw African nations as an easy target for employment. The continent has changed a lot, and local interests are now prioritised via a pro-African workforce. In the same way a Botswanan pilot cannot turn up to the US and Australia to fly a Caravan, you as a New Zealander or Australian no longer have a free-pass. Operators’ company cultures have also shifted to favour local supply (of which there is plenty) and to build solid pilot teams that will stay for a long time.
Most importantly, the popular African operators are now bound by government restrictions which protect the local pilots by restricting how and when you will be allowed to fly in your chosen country as a foreign pilot. It is no longer walk-in, but based on your number of hours. In countries like South Africa, they simply won't give you a visa at all.
Botswana, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia and Tanzania all now enforce stipulated hours you must have before the civil aviation authority of that country will convert your license to their own. It is between 500 to 1500 depending on the country, (you can look up the hours on the CAA websites). As a new pilot, you'll have to get these hours elsewhere before coming here. The result of this is that when operators do hire outside their country, it now comes with very high hour requirements in order to get over government minimums.
And, when they do hire foreigners, the are now prioritising those from within the African region. E.g. Tanzanian operator Coastal Air last year really needed pilots, and so their latest cohort came from surrounding Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe etc.
In summary, working here will take in excess of 1500 hours, with the absence of local supply, and mostly for experienced crew e.g. Training Captain on the Caravan or King Air.
Alot of you seem confused, frustrated and keep wondering (via this forum) why or when operators will start hiring again. Asking when Wilderness in Botswana will open up, or where else you can try your luck. It’s important to understand that things have changed permanently on the continent. You now need a new strategy to end up here if that is what you want, meaning: you’ll have to do the initial hard work in your country of origin FIRST before you become an option for the operators here.
Good luck.