A media tour through Polokwane International’s airslide world of fire trucks, tower talk, and Limpopo’s gateway.
The doors say “Authorized Personnel Only.” Today, they said “Welcome.” One minute you’re in the terminal, the next you’re standing airside at 4,076ft, watching CAT VII fire trucks test 6,000L/min foam cannons while “Polokwane Ground” sequences jets on 118.00 MHz. This is PTG unfiltered. No queue, no glass.
Just runway heat, city of stars, and the people who keep Limpopo’s gateway alive 6am-8pm, and beyond. Come with us past the No Entry sign. From here, you’re minutes from Polokwane city, 2 hours from Botswana, 3 hours from Kruger.
Last week, after the long weekend, Polokwane International Airport hosted a media tour briefing before we headed to the airside.
The Chairman of GAAL (Gateway Airports Authority Limited) gave a warm welcome to the distinguished guests and also apologized for the late start of the briefing.
He shared a lot of words of wisdom; the most impactful point he brought to attention was the fact that the media space has a significant effect everywhere you go. It doesn’t matter whether you’re advertising, showcasing, rebranding, etc.
He articulated that “Media sells your product on your behalf.” Dr. Musitha shared a few stories that occurred a few years ago at GAAL, reminding the media and the community that they are back in business, and with a bang. Weekly, they have three flights in and out daily, and on weekends, there are four flights, two daily.
They are seeing more visitors from Zimbabwe (115,097), Botswana (75,677), Swaziland (8,964), and Lesotho (4,567); these are their primary and secondary visitors. These numbers are yet to increase, meaning the market is growing.
Meanwhile, before his closing remarks, he mentioned one thing that caught everyone’s attention: “…in our lifetime, this will work.”
The CEO of Polokwane International Airport, Mokgadi Matli, got straight to the business of the day to share an overview of the entity. She explained the difference between GAAL and PTG. GAAL is a management company that manages airports in the province.
It oversees airports and landing strips, some of which belong to the provincial government and others that are municipality-owned.
PTG is a standalone airport that is responsible for air transport. PTG has one commercial airline, which is Airlink. They had three flights that came from Saudi Arabia.
The airport gets busy during the autumn and winter seasons, from April to July, when most tourists come for hunting. The entity provides car rentals from seven different companies, space for office rentals, and a cafeteria. Educational visits for schools and non-scholars are also conducted.
Future plans include increasing routes, which we refer to as “route development.” They are looking at flights from Polokwane to Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Grahamstown, etc., and return, as well as to and from Johannesburg.
Talks are in process that were scheduled for today regarding route development from Polokwane to/from Cape Town. More details will follow later.
When you’re in aviation, we talk about numbers; they are the ones that take you up the streak since it’s a game of numbers. Numbers are brought into the province by the exciting things it has: tourist attractions, sports, economic development, entertainment, and others.
Some of the numbers that come into the city or province are from the sports fraternity. Matli articulated that “one of the good things Polokwane Municipality has done is that they got PSL games to come here in the province; that’s how we increase the numbers.”
Mr. Gregory from the fire department at the airport shared the importance of having a fire department on duty at all times in the international airport, as he has been in this field since 1991.
The Polokwane Aviation Academy representative, Mr. Mokoatedi, announced the massive launch of this academy in the coming weeks, somewhere in August 2026.
The academy has been approved and is awaiting accreditation from SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority); they will still visit their premises. In academics, fixed-wing and helicopter training received a thumbs up; they are situated right before you enter the PTG. They will be registering 100 students, with a minimum of 15 students in a class and a maximum of 30 students. Classes will start on 27 January 2027.
Fly Nia is an eye-opener for those who wish to be in aviation, especially those in rural areas. They assist with information on how to meet requirements, obtain bursaries, and more. You can find this agency in the airport facilities.
We had a question-and-answer session where all queries were cleared.
Airside (VOR & Fire Truck Show), the fire truck came from either side of the taxiway and blasted water up in an arch. This was done after the flight left the airport. PTG inaugurated Airlink as their new airline when they received a category 7 license in April 2024 after repairing the fire trucks. Hi-tech imported trucks were acquired before the 2010 World Cup, and they are currently awaiting the newly modified fire trucks.
PTG has the Polokwane VOR beacon ID PPV on approximately 114.50 MHz, next to the airport. It was upgraded and calibrated by SACAA. During the airside visit, Mr. Parker was communicating with air traffic controllers in the control room. As two international helicopters were landing, we had to wait on the taxiway for them to land, and later we continued with our tour.
Slide into the cockpit, and the terminal noise fades. Suddenly, it’s just you, the yoke, and the screens showing you push the throttles forward.
As we left airside and the “Authorized Personnel Only” door closed behind us, PTG felt different. It’s no longer just a quick stop before Kruger or a code on a departure board. It’s 8 firefighters ready at a moment’s notice.
It’s a controller’s calm voice holding you short so another family can land safely. It’s a VOR beacon quietly guiding pilots through Limpopo storms long after the terminal lights dim. Polokwane International Airport is where Limpopo doesn’t just connect to the world. It welcomes it.
Next time your flight taxis past those fire trucks or holds on the taxiway, you’ll know the story happening beyond the window. And you’ll know you’re taking off from more than tar. You’re taking off from home.
“The runway ends,but the story of the North begins here.”
By: Dorothy Mokoena
