SFO - CPT

$661 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 1/7. 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
$1,110
Overall average: $1,232
Turkish Airlines
Wed 3/11Wed 3/25
SFO - CPT • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$944
Typical prices: $915-$1,172
Multiple Airlines
Wed 1/7
SFO - CPT • 3 stops
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 22% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
March
Cheapest • 22% price drop
December
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
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

Wed, Mar 11 - Wed, Mar 25
Turkish Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,110Turkish Airlines
Mon, Mar 2 - Tue, Mar 10
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,111Turkish Airlines
Thu, Mar 12 - Fri, Apr 3
Turkish Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 4:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 05m1 stop
$1,120Turkish Airlines
Tue, Feb 10 - Tue, Mar 10
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,135Turkish Airlines
Thu, Apr 9 - Thu, Apr 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
38h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 4:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 05m1 stop
$1,140Turkish Airlines
Thu, Apr 9 - Thu, Apr 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
32h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 10:45 am
CPT
-
SFO
27h 05m1 stop
$1,141Turkish Airlines
Thu, Mar 5 - Mon, Mar 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 12:05 pm
CPT
-
SFO
27h 50m1 stop
$1,147Turkish Airlines
Wed, Mar 18 - Wed, Apr 15
Turkish Airlines Logo
7:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:40 pm - 4:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 05m1 stop
$1,151Turkish Airlines
Wed, Feb 25 - Sat, Mar 14
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,165Turkish Airlines
Wed, Feb 25 - Sat, Mar 14
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m1 stop
$1,166Turkish Airlines
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.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Cape Town?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Francisco to Cape Town clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from San Francisco to Cape Town, you should consider leaving on a Wednesday and avoid Fridays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

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 $1,232 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,895 and $1,870 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 22% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJuly
Cheapest flight$944
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 19% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% 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 $1,079 for a one-way ticket and $1,110 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?

    London 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, Emirates or Delta?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Cape Town are Emirates and Delta. With an average price for the route of $1,594 and an overall rating of 8.1, Emirates is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,830 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • 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 8006 reviews
7.9Entertainment
7.3Food
7.9Comfort
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

8.0 ExcellentDeborah, Nov 2025
LAX - RDU
Read more Delta reviews

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

The flight used a B767 with a very old interior from before 2014. The entertainment system did not work at all during the flight despite attempts to reset the system. It was like they flew this route just to be competitive.

Delayed flight (1hour) plus a long layover after an overnight flight with no backup plane available.

The food was terrible especially for a 15 hour international flight. The crew was unpleasant as well.

Flight delayed for two and half hours and then canceled altogether due to mechanical issues. No mechanic onsite to fix so had to send one from LAX.

My husband upgraded our seats and I don't know if it was due to the type of planet was or if they didn't upgrade our seats. We were supposed to be in I believe comfort seats and they were just as tight as any other seat- no leg room and we are very tall people but at least it wasn't extremely cold. My husband did put in a complaint about our seating because he paid extra and if we would have known that the space and the tightness would have been the same, we just would have gotten the emergency row emergency row seats that we normally get. We love Delta but both our flights coming home we're not good. Oh I forgot to mention that on our flight to Hawaii our luggage wheels got broke and we had to purse new luggage on vacation then we never had this problem so we didn't know protocol and reported it after we got home only for them to tell is we only had 24hrs to report the damage. Not sure what was going on with Delta this vacation trip.

Crew was excellent. Comfort seats not as nice as other kinds of planes.

It was a great flight and the stewards and stewardess were all kind and accommodating!! The seats were comfortable and entertainment screen excellent!

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Not pleasant trip cross country when the entertainment and WiFi system not working. No entertainment for entirety of route. Staff was rather nonchalant in that they dismissed the problem due to age of plane. It would have been nice to know this up front so I could have come prepared to read or download movies before boarding Coincidentally or not, there was a similar issue with the entertainment system on my previous flight I took on my fist leg of the trip. There are no seat TVs, so you must rely on the app when it works. United can do better. Also, what use it it to pay for boarding group 2 when half of the passengers are in the same line as you?

My experience on this United Airlines flight was highly uncomfortable, primarily due to two issues: Cabin Temperature: The temperature on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was unacceptably high, feeling consistently around 80 degrees throughout the flight. This made sleeping impossible and significantly detracted from the experience. Seating Arrangement: Being stuck in a middle seat for a six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight compounded the discomfort. Moving forward, I will always purchase a seat assignment to avoid this situation.

Premium Plus is a really good idea for longer flights

Same as last comment. Food sucks. Quality. Not surprising most people have no clue about nourishment Clearly

We were in business class. the angled seats in that class do not have a real window view & the placement of the controls are bad. But we knew that. But the food options were mediocre. The taste was fine, but the size was for a child. It’s just really feels like United is skimping on everything. Even when we were in the Polaris lounge they did not have diet sodas. They said they were out no Coke zero no Diet Coke, etc. I do not think the portion of nuts they serve on the plane could get any smaller. Really a minimal service and offer for what you’re paying for in business.

We had to deboard 2 times due to maintenance issues. They changed the plane, and then we got deviated to LAX due to maibtenance issues on the other plane, had to sleep at LAX and los a full day.

From the first moment you interact with United Airlines, you can expect nothing less but extreme frustration. The baggage handler at the bag drop seems completely unbothered by the presence of customers waiting in line. No help was extended to load the baggage whatsoever. And if any of your bags is overweight by 0.01 pound they will make you re-distribute everything in your suitcase just to play power trip. When it was time to board no help was extended to customers to locate their seats. Moreover. It was a chaotic mess at the gate when it was unclear who should board first and everyone just bunched up, trying to get on the plane. I am sure the crew was doing their best to perform their jobs while being paid their wages however it shouldn’t be that hard to smile once or twice when you’re in the business if serving customers. It is a shame for the United States of America to have a flagship carrier of such low caliber. Our flight was also delayed by about an hour and a half due to further delays prior to our inbound flight. Being someone who has travelled for both business and leisure in Asia, Europe, and South America I have never experienced such poor quality of service.

it was like a banya -so hot... They did provide a great experience with special food. one toilet broke midflight In general it was a peaceful and relaxing flight - for business class it was good.

Chicago to Istanbul was a much better experience than I expected since I’m more accustomed to Qatar Airways business class. The business lounge in the Istanbul airport was amazing - loved the lockers and phone charging stations, and the bathroom was a spa experience in itself. The onward leg from Istanbul to Karachi was utterly disappointing. Terrible plane, and I felt like I was in economy - the seats don’t come near to lying flat and the food was mediocre. What a sad downgrade - it isn’t as though the ticket on that leg was cheaper. So, on that front, there’s no contest with Qatar airways.

Second leg of Turkish Airline with Indigo is disaster for following reason. 1) You have to carry your cabin bags through ladder to boeing 777 because it was parked somewhere in parking lot and was not given a gate to board passengers and this seems to be people traveling to and fro from those flights and is not issue with flight itself. 2) I choose non vegetarian food on Turkish portal way ahead of checkin to entire trip, However the Indigo flight gave me random veg food saying they code veg food code from Turkish. 3) Indigo did not served any alcoholic beverages stating some weird reason which is non nonsensical. 4)Indigo have TV screens in front of you but it displays nothing except "Welcome Onboard" with annoying white black ground in dark flight. This is the most stupidest and annoying part because you are held hostage for 7 hours and only thing you could do is stare back at white screen which does not have entertainment package or even flight tracker. Such a shame.

nice and clean plane but the seats and the comfort was not what i expected. i expected more based on all the ads and reviews that i've read. I guess you get what you pay for in economy.

Overall it was good. Food was bad. I ordered gluten free vegetarian meal. But I got gluten free chicken for my long flight from Seattle to Istanbul. I don’t eat any kind of meat. Second meal I got eggplant with meat which I couldn’t eat. I don’t understand why we can’t get gluten free vegetarian meal for a 12 hour flight. I eat the bread and that was it.

Worse worse worse, i would not recommend this airline to anyone. Istanbul airport maybe State of the Art facility but staff is rude, only works if they get tips, and they push you to give tips even though my family had spent $50 in tips. Airline staff doesn't speak english so you really can't understand them. It was a nightmare travelling with Turkish. Never again.

As a big guy the seats are way too small for me. Would prefer more comfortable seats on these long haul flights.

My flight was canceled 1 minute before boarding. The customer service was owful, no one could tell us what was going happened. I spent 30hrs instead of 15 from Washington DC to Brussels. No apologie or help

Boeing 777 is a bad choice for a such a long flight.

The staff at IST airport could have been more helpful. Too much wasted time and the plane from IST to KHI was just horrible. The plane was not clean and smelled bad!

Horrible. Both legs of my flight were delayed more than 6 hours. No compensation, no screens on the plane, and the plane was not clean.

The flight was smooth, the pilot kept us informed about delays and we arrived more of less on time

The flight was flawless and we even arrived between 20 and 25 minutes early!

Always seated jammed in rear of aircraft Admirals Club food at DFW terminal D was absolute worst food experience and I pay $600/year to eat this dried out junk

Mostly good. Flight was crowded but Airline personnel were very friendly & accommodating. It would be good to have savory snacks rather than just sweet Biscoff cookies.

It was a red eye flight, so no meals were provided, but it was fine with snacks. The seats felt cramped and almost too narrow.

Very crowded flight but what can you expect these days?? Crew was accommodating.

The seats in economy were appeared to be quite thin and lack sufficient cushioning to be comfortable. Perhaps it was my seating position but the plane seemed notably load.

The entertainment package was vast and the selections were very current. Keep updating it was great.

The seat was so hard my tailbone was aching The crew was kind of a b**** because I made a joke that I didn't care if they close the door I total c*** when she was trying to f****** act like she was mad at me because I said that The flight was bumpy. Sure you didnt have control over that.

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

Airlines have to stop assuming passengers bring entertainment. Provide it like you used to in business class and above!! N

Need to offer Better food from LAX to London Service from London to Delhi very delayed after take off.

Great crew and food and beverage. Seating tight but not the airline's fault. Will definitely fly BA in future!

Crying baby the ENTIRE flight. Not your fault, but I paid 2700 for a premium economy ticket and it wasn't worth it. should have just stuck with coach. flight attendants very mediocre - minimal effort. Plane didn't seem very clean. Didn't have any cleansing wipes - most airlines give you this when you board. Flat screen scrolling didn't work. Toiletry case a joke - why bother at all?

The staff were fantastic and couldn't have been more accomodating; however, the air-conditioning was broken in our section of the aircraft, leaving us feeling extremely cold and unwell on arrival in Johannesbury. The head sets were also faulty, causing difficulty when listening to announcements and entertainment.

Enjoyable flight, helpful crew everything was organized to accommodate passengers.

Terrible, We experienced massive delays and then couldn’t book a hotel through the link provided, nothing was available. We then went to the airport the next day and experienced further delays, almost no communication was given. We had dinner at lunchtime and breakfast at midnight. We then landed in Jhb at 1am and had to book another hotel as our flight to durban was at 8am. The experience was painful and very expensive.

I was transferred to an American Airlines flight. The boarding was late and unorganized. The seating was extremely tight and uncomfortable. Will not use AA again.

The check-in of my luggage was terrible. When purchased my tickets, one luggage and one carry-on was part of the fight. My flight was switched from British to American Airline. During check-in of luggage at the airport, I was denied and had to pay extra $75. How do I get reimbursed for this extra luggage payment?

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports