Not banned but difficult to get and perhaps to keep. Justifying it would be the problem.

What was the Police justification?

None that I know of, except they are saying it is not needed for hunting in SA, ie smaller calibres are adequate and they claim no range is allowed to use them. If interstate and international use is also not allowed to be used as a justification it makes it a lot harder.

Some were confiscated but I believe one or two may have been recovered by their owners.

A list of similar LR chamberings is on the table to be treated similarly as well.

Now get this, rebarrelling to a .338/378 is supposed to be OK, but no .338 Lapua.

The whole SA Firearms legislation is being reviewed for April I believe, so who knows what will be in that.