Lady Gaga's bumpy landing

Pandemonium erupted outside Lanseria Airport's international arrivals terminal last night when authorities botched US pop star Lady Gaga's arrival.

The "Poker Face" singer was all set to walk through a guard formed by her "Little Monsters", but panic set in when security looked overwhelmed and one security officer pushed her back inside the arrival hall.

She was then whisked away through a secret exit. About 250 fans and media, clutching cameras and cellphones, trudged off disconsolately while others chased after her shuttle bus.

But Mother Monster returned 15 minutes later - apparently a gesture to make up for landing 90 minutes late.

She got out of her shuttle bus, signed autographs, took a picture with a fan (who asked her to pout, which she did) and then got back into the bus.

Earlier, some fans hijacked the balcony of Wiesenhof restaurant at the airport to await her arrival.

A restaurant worker could be heard telling other fans: "Guys, please come back, there's a walkout here [customers leaving]."

After her plane had rolled to a stop, the star could be seen peering out of her window to take a photo with her phone.

A closed mobile gangway from the plane was swopped for an open one and her cropped blonde hairdo eventually appeared.

At 9pm, airport crew were still loading her luggage onto two trucks. One airport staffer exclaimed: "Zisase baie [there's still lots more luggage in there]".

Yesterday morning, crew members at the FNB Stadium were still hard at work putting her stage together, stocking up with drinks and covering the football pitch for Friday's tour opener. Gaga wraps up the South African leg of her "Born This Way Ball" tour in Cape Town on December 3.

Shortly before touching down on African soil, she tweeted: "I am in Africa; we have not landed yet but I think I saw a giraffe - although I'm pretty sure I'm seeing things because I'm so excited!"

She also tweeted: "Because I self-medicate on plane rides, I sometimes see things.

"I never imagined I would tour every continent; to have fans so far away from home is such a blessing. I'll cherish this moment forever," the star said.