SFO - CPT

$884 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town departing on 5/9. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Cape Town

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Cape Town.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Cape Town.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$1,213
Typical prices: $1,803-$1,314
Multiple Airlines
Mon 10/26Mon 11/9
SFO - CPT • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way
$834
Typical prices: $787-$1,446
Multiple Airlines
Sat 5/9
SFO - CPT • 3 stops
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $1,442 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between San Francisco and Cape Town. You'll need at least 1 connection.
Insights
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Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $1,128 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 21h 53m (one-way)
Insights
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 17% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
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Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 22% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Cape Town (SFO-CPT)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Cape Town

Mon, Oct 26 - Mon, Nov 9
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:45 pm - 10:05 pm
SFO
-
CPT
40h 20m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 9:39 pm
CPT
-
SFO
41h 14m
3 stops
$1,213Multiple Airlines
Mon, Sep 28 - Mon, Oct 12
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:25 pm - 10:10 pm
SFO
-
CPT
40h 45m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 9:28 pm
CPT
-
SFO
40h 03m
3 stops
$1,222Multiple Airlines
Mon, Oct 26 - Mon, Nov 9
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:45 pm - 10:05 pm
SFO
-
CPT
40h 20m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 1:38 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 13m
3 stops
$1,226Multiple Airlines
Mon, Oct 26 - Mon, Nov 9
Kenya Airways Logo
8:45 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
55h 50m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
2:25 pm - 7:35 pm
CPT
-
SFO
39h 10m
3 stops
$1,234Kenya Airways
Sat, Sep 26 - Sat, Oct 10
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:45 pm - 6:00 am
SFO
-
CPT
46h 15m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:20 pm - 10:40 am
CPT
-
SFO
53h 20m
2 stops
$1,237Multiple Airlines
Sun, Oct 25 - Sun, Nov 8
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:45 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
55h 50m
3 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:25 pm - 9:30 am
CPT
-
SFO
53h 05m
3 stops
$1,243Multiple Airlines
Sat, Sep 26 - Sat, Oct 10
Kenya Airways Logo
9:00 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
55h 35m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
2:20 pm - 9:10 am
CPT
-
SFO
51h 50m
2 stops
$1,246Kenya Airways
Sat, Sep 26 - Sat, Oct 10
Kenya Airways Logo
10:45 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
53h 50m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
2:20 pm - 9:10 am
CPT
-
SFO
51h 50m
2 stops
$1,303Kenya Airways
Tue, Sep 1 - Tue, Sep 15
Kenya Airways Logo
8:25 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
56h 10m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
2:25 pm - 1:10 pm
CPT
-
SFO
31h 45m
3 stops
$1,306Kenya Airways
Tue, Sep 1 - Mon, Sep 14
Kenya Airways Logo
8:25 pm - 1:35 pm
SFO
-
CPT
56h 10m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
2:25 pm - 9:10 am
CPT
-
SFO
51h 45m
3 stops
$1,316Kenya Airways
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to Cape Town flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Cape Town to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town departing in October.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town is March, where tickets cost $1,275 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are May and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,889 and $1,874 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to Cape Town, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 17% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 23 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJuly
Cheapest flight$834
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 11% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 14% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

When to book flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Cape Town based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to Cape Town

  • Is it necessary for me to obtain a visa before my flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    For those travelers that are taking a vacation in Cape Town, there is no need to get a visa to travel to this country so long as you're not going to stay there for more than 90 days. Do you check to make sure that your passport is valid for at least 30 days beyond your date of arrival in South Africa.

  • What are some good transportation choices to get from the Cape Town International Airport (CPT) into Cape Town?

    There is a bus Line A01 operated by My Citi that can take you from the airport to the downtown area in about 30 minutes. If you prefer to travel by taxi, you should expect to travel for about 17min.

  • Does the Cape Town International Airport offer any shower facilities to help get cleaned up after a long flight from San Francisco?

    There are showers available in the Bidvest Lounge location that you will find on the third level of the International Terminal on the Airside.

  • What type of hotel choices are available at the Cape Town International Airport they have a location close to the terminal buildings?

    There are two hotels that have a location either right at the airport or just a short walk from the terminal buildings. The Road Lodge Cape Town International Airport sits right on the airport grounds and is a short walk from the terminal buildings. The Hotel Verde Cape Town Airport is about 1300 feet from the terminal and when passengers want to get to this hotel without walking, there is a free airport shuttle.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town was $834 for a one-way ticket and $1,442 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San Francisco and Cape Town?

    Yes, you'll most likely have to show a valid passport before boarding the plane in San Francisco and on arrival in Cape Town.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    SkyTeam, oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Cape Town, with SkyTeam being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to Cape Town from San Francisco?

    Istanbul is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to Cape Town.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town, Singapore Airlines or Emirates?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town are Singapore Airlines and Emirates. With an average price for the route of $1,785 and an overall rating of 8.2, Singapore Airlines is the most popular choice. Emirates is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,514 and an overall rating of 8.1.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cape Town from San Francisco is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Cape Town with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and CPT can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Cape Town from San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

  • One of the most convenient ways to get from the downtown San Francisco area to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) before a flight that does not involve driving your car is to take the Yellow or Red Line BART train that makes the trip from Civic Center in downtown San Francisco to the airport in around 30min.
  • If someone plans on dropping you off at San Francisco International Airport before a flight, a very convenient option is to do so at the Kiss and Fly drop-off point that sits right at the rental car center adjacent to the airport property. Once drivers and passengers have said get their goodbyes, travelers can ride aboard the Blue Line AirTrain to all of the terminal buildings at the airport.
  • Passengers that plan on driving their own car to the San Francisco International Airport should consider booking their parking online with ParkRight@SFO. Some of the advantages of using the service are that you can book your parking up to you 2 hours before your arrival time, you can choose any parking area on the airport property, plus you get sent a QR code that means contactless entry and exit from the parking lots.
  • If you plan on taking a service animal for a pet with you from the San Francisco International Airport, it is good to know that this airport offers seven different pet relief areas with two outdoor locations marked with painted paw prints to show travelers where these pet relief areas sit.
  • If you are going to ride your bicycle to the San Francisco International Airport before a flight, you can do so for up to 14 days. Passengers will find bike lock-up locations outside the International Terminal, the Westfield Garage, the Rental Car Center, and at the valet parking location in the Domestic Garage on Level Four.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to Cape Town

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Cape Town. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Cape Town? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
DeltaOverall score based on 8466 reviews
7.9Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.8Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.2Food
Airline reviews

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

10.0 ExcellentTeresa, Apr 2026
SMF - LAX
Read more Delta reviews

While they turned off most cabin lights to allow people to sleep, I was bothered by how bright the side lights still were. It was still quite bright for me in a window seat, when I wish I could have slept!

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

N Everything was perfect from boarding to assistance to baggage in Tampa

Loved the crew! Sucks that we went from 1 hour and 8 minute layover to a 3 hour layover. But weather sucks like that.

Fast, lovely scenery, great info on the Delta flight screen about landmarks we were flying over. Great landing!

Long flight but comfortable and not freezing as I have experienced on Hawaiian flights to the islands. They gave us blankets just in case. Nice touch.

I took seat 15A in anticipation of window seat, there is no window.

Flight late, the waited for a long time for “personal” to arrive at gate to dock the plane in Rochester. So annoying. This flight was expected, why aren’t personel available for the jet bridge?

My recent experience was excellent on Delta! I flew with Delta Comfort and I was really comfortable in my seat. I enjoyed the in-flight service. The flight attendants were so friendly and hospitable. I love the snack on the flight as well. This was my first time flying on Delta and I will definitely consider flying with them again.

My flight was canceled on Sunday. Rebooking took three hours. Had to pay for accommodations another night. New flight was delayed for 5 hours, all that was sent was a 12 dollar food voucher, which doesn’t tell you how to use it. Then when we landed we had to sit on the plane for an hour before we could get off.

The ground crew members at check in counter were courteous. The boarding was seamless. Flight departed as scheduled. Service on board was great

Very comfortable in business class. Excellent service. Good food. Smooth trip.

The seats seems abit small and the reclining is too much, the seat in front of me came back too much and made it uncomfortable for me.

As a first time flyer with Turkish Airlines. My experience was very good due to the factor that there were to many passengers on the my first flight compared to my connecting flight. However, I know that nothing is perfect and all companies are trying to accommodate their passengers to the best way possible. I will always say, a FEW INCHES will go LONG WAY. That's something all airliners should consider, and not only the money aspect!!! A long time commitment is better than one time service! Thank you

Flight was delayed. While standing at the gate, a note appeared on the sign saying the gate had changed to a gate far away. No member of the Turkish airlines team got on the microphone to instruct passengers to go to the other gate, to ignore the chiron, etc. Finally, the message disappeared. Eventually, the flight began to board. Very slowly. More slowly than I experience with other airlines. Though Istanbul may just be slow . . . In all other ways, great flight, great entertainment (top notch movies), great service, excellent food, comfortable lie-flat seat, dimmed lights, etc.

Staff at the airport wasn't helpful or friendly. Probably the worst airport experience I have ever had, going and coming. The staff on the plane was better. Still not super friendly or personable. However, they were not rude like airport staff. They ran out of certain menu items. Maybe could have been prepared better? Overall just ok.

It was a pleasant experience. In flight entertainment could have been better

The desk crew at the LAX crew could do better. A girl named Mahesi was very abrasive and unfriendly. She needs a better customer service uproar.

It was peaceful excited We enjoyed it always Turkish peaceful excited

Istanbul to Lahore flight was less than standard for international business class cabins. Seat did not were not flat and it did not operate easily. I had to push buttons hard repeatedly to operate the seat. I was in 5A seat

Some crew were unfriendly or in some cases just straight up rude.

Outstanding service, efficient & friendly crew, flight was safe, comfortable & on time

United Airline crews were very friendly and very attentive. 12 hours flight was gone like in a shorter one.

Flight itself excellent, but delayed so missed connection & got to destination 2 hrs later

Due to cancellation of connecting flight (Lufthansa) I didn’t fly with United

It was a red-eye, but the flight felt surprisingly quick. The seats were very comfortable, and that made resting much easier. I also want to thank the gentleman seated next to me, who graciously moved so my mom could sit beside me. We slept almost the entire way. The cabin crew was respectful in not disturbing us, while also being courteous and professional throughout. Thank you, United.

Boarding was again a "free for all". We were boarding group 4, and almost the entire plane was able to board before us. It's a shame that someone who follows the rules, gets the short end of the stick. Not fair.

It was perfect! I've never flown with United before, but I definitely will in the future

the entire flight felt off. The crew seemed uninterested and disengaged. The food service was really bad - overcooked, bland, weird food service. They actually woke us up to serve chicken wraps in the middle of the night, after dinner and before breakfast. Made no sense. Ultimately, I was glad they did though, because the breakfast had been held for so long it was inedible. Eggs, potatoes, sausage - all disgusting. We were asked to "honor" the lavatories for premium customers and stay in our own cabin: this was also strange. So people in economy didn't pay enough to use the closest toilet to them??? It's a toilet. All in all, not the experience I have come to expect from United Airlines. The return flight from Paris to SFO was better, btw.

They delayed the flight from 9:00 to 11:55 At 11:45 they canceled the flight. I paid a premium price for the tickets with poor service

Left early arrived early..right amount of talking from pilots..of course had to love the biscuit and water!

Boarding gate at LAX was too crowded—two gates next to one another

On time departure and early arrival. Flight attendant very nice.

The business class layout of chairs was weired. You are sitting directly across stranger.,

The SFO Lounge crew were amazing. The bartender Faris was great. Thanks!

Friendly crew is the only nice thing. Seats uncomfortable. Food and snacks horrible. Movies were the same as the first 10 hour flight two weeks before

Was not able to do a online check-in because the American Airlines system doesn't store our visa or other passport information, allowing us to have a trouble-free check-in. We were forced to have to check-in at the counter which Changes are upgrade status given that we were not able to check in much earlier.

Good flight, seated and had a water within 5 minutes. Crew was hospitable.

We left at 1030 am pacific from LA and supposed to land at 7 pm Eastern in NY. They made a detour, stopped in Philadelphia and didn’t land till 1130 PM Eastern!!! Worst flight experience with no pilot communication with no explanation as to what was going on. Everyone was very frustrated to say the least.

I cancelled my ticket less than 24 hours deadline but I didn’t get refunded.

Boarding was orderly, pilot and flight attendants were nice, entertainment options were good, and low sodium meals were quite tasty.

Flight delayed, connection was not at gate listed and so missed, staff were rude at Heathrow, phone tree stupid and difficult, took me 21 actual hours to reach my destination. Almost lost my hotel reservation after walking in a strange city alone after midnight because they would not put me up in a hotel at sfo or heathrow. I will never fly BA again and will tell all people and Instagram followers never to fly BA.

Check-in in SAN was long. ORD was good. Flight delayed On board crew was ok. No warmth or personality. LHrR barely made connection

Wish the food and overall service was better. They treat Business class passengers same as economy

They had us seating down for one hour just waiting on the plane

Flying with BA is always a good experience—even in economy class. It is better if in business and first class. Timely, breeze through security and timely connections

The issue was not with BA it was with the link yoiu sent fopr booking the flight

Loved the boarding option from Business class lounge, experience on flight was excellent, plenty of good food choices

Awful it always is unfortunately is the only way to fly direct to london

Check in was was and the agent was very friendly and helpful The lounge was nice...boarding was straight from the lounge Everything worked at our seats, and video entertainment was good ..food was mediocre

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

Information on your arrival and departure airports