Mzansi Travel Influencer Shares Airport Tips in TikTok Video to Help First-Time Flyers Beat Anxiety

• SA travel influencer Tlou is helping thousands of first-time flyers understand exactly what to expect when they arrive at the airport
• Bags heavier than seven kilograms must be checked in at the counter before any traveller can walk through to the boarding gate
• Tlou says arriving at least three hours before your flight is the single most important rule every first-time flyer needs to follow
• Briefly News reached out to Tlou for comment, and she explained that the motivation behind her content runs deeper than most of her viewers may realise

For millions of South Africans, walking into an airport for the first time can be terrifying. The long corridors, the unfamiliar signage, and the security queues can rattle even the most composed person.

That is exactly why travel influencer Tlou, known online as @tlou_the_explorer, stepped up with advice that has left Mzansi breathing a little easier.

On 19 April 2026, Tlou posted a TikTok clip walking first-time flyers through the full airport experience. She covered baggage check-in, how to read airport signage, and what to expect at security. She also explained how to find a boarding gate and why arriving three hours early matters. South Africans flooded the comments with relief, saying the video had taken a massive weight off their shoulders.

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For many South Africans flying for the first time

South Africa’s domestic travel space has grown steadily over the past few years. More affordable flight deals have made it possible for people from smaller towns to finally board a plane. For many of them, the airport is the biggest obstacle and not the flight itself.

Research shows that airport anxiety is one of the most common travel-related stressors around the world. Most of it comes from simply not knowing what to expect when you get there.

Tlou’s advice cuts through all of that confusion in a calm and practical way. She explained that airport signage exists for a reason and that travellers should trust it completely. She also told her viewers to ask only security personnel for directions if they get confused. Those officers are placed throughout the terminal.

Baggage and boarding gates

One of the most useful parts of Tlou’s breakdown was her explanation of the baggage rule. Any bag heavier than seven kilograms must be checked in at the counter before heading to the gate. She also broke down how OR Tambo International Airport is divided into two clear sections. Terminal A handles international flights and Terminal B handles all local ones. Knowing that small detail could save a first-time traveller a very stressful walk.

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Once through the security check, Tlou told viewers to find their gate number and locate a nearby seat. If a lounge is accessible, that is the best place to charge a phone and grab something to eat.

She added that arriving three hours before a flight is the bare minimum a first-time flyer should allow. Security lines can drag, and check-in queues can be unpredictable on busy travel days. Running late at an airport is a recipe for a very stressful first flying experience.

Tlou speaks to Briefly News

Tlou told Briefly News that her perspective came from once pursuing a pilot licence and not completing it, an experience that exposed her to aviation from the inside while also showing her how intimidating it can be from the outside.

"Conversations with friends and family made it clear that many people avoid flying not because they can't, but because they don't understand the process. That gap is what pushed me to simplify it," she said.

On the most common mistake first-time flyers make beyond arriving late, Tlou said airports are actually very structured once you trust the flow and follow the signage, but that most people simply do not understand how that structure works.

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She said that "anxiety comes from not knowing what to do, where to start and why," and that part of her mission is to stop people from asking strangers for directions at the airport, which she noted can also carry its own risks.

See the tips in the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi reacts to the tips

Briefly News compiled some comments from the post below.

@bhekikubheka666 commented:

“For local flights, if you do not have an ID book for some reason, you can take your passport or driver's license as a form of identification.”

@GRADESIGN wrote:

"If you've forgotten your physical ID but have a digital copy on your phone, simply print it out. This will serve as your identification.”

@FSM75 said:

“Thank you very much. I am no longer anxious.”

@Sunbake noted:

“Thank you so much. I have always wanted to know how it works.”

@Boleng Apparels:

“Thank you for this information. 🙏”

More articles involving influencers

• Briefly News previously reported that a fashion and lifestyle South African influencer shared a detailed vlog documenting her trip to Turkey for cosmetic surgery.
• Travel influencer Siphelele "Popi" Sibiya casually discussed the emotional realities of solo travelling, detailing how she manages loneliness while exploring the world.
• The family of Ashlyn Robinson is seeking answers after contradictory medical reports raised suspicions about her death.

Source: Briefly News