SFO - CPT

$639 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 4/28. 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
$1,122
Overall average: $1,471
Turkish Airlines
Sun 3/1Tue 3/10
SFO - CPT • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$639
Typical prices: $716-$1,165
Multiple Airlines
Tue 4/28
SFO - CPT • 2 stops
Top airlines
Turkish Airlines
Cheapest • from $1,122 (round-trip)
Delta
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to travel
March
Cheapest • 21% 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

Sun, Mar 1 - Tue, Mar 10
Turkish Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
36h 40m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,122Turkish Airlines
Sun, Mar 1 - Tue, Mar 10
Turkish Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
36h 40m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,123Turkish Airlines
Thu, Apr 9 - Thu, Apr 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
32h 05m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 10:50 am
CPT
-
SFO
27h 15m
1 stop
$1,124Turkish Airlines
Thu, Mar 5 - Fri, Mar 13
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,132Turkish Airlines
Tue, Feb 24 - Wed, Mar 11
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,137Turkish Airlines
Tue, Feb 24 - Tue, Mar 24
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,149Turkish Airlines
Thu, Mar 5 - Fri, May 29
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 4:40 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 05m
1 stop
$1,150Turkish Airlines
Sat, May 9 - Tue, May 12
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
32h 05m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 4:40 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 05m
1 stop
$1,161Turkish Airlines
Mon, Mar 2 - Mon, Mar 9
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 12:05 pm
CPT
-
SFO
27h 50m
1 stop
$1,174Turkish Airlines
Mon, Feb 16 - Wed, Mar 4
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:50 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CPT
31h 00m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 4:45 pm
CPT
-
SFO
33h 30m
1 stop
$1,175Turkish 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 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 $1,274 (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 $1,887 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 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 4 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJuly
Cheapest flight$639
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 17% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% 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 $639 for a one-way ticket and $1,122 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 $1,544 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 $1,780 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 8127 reviews
8.5Crew
7.2Food
7.9Comfort
7.8Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Delta’s staff is unmatched. From the gate agents, to the pilots, to the flight attendants… all top of the industry.

10.0 ExcellentEric, Jan 2026
SFO - ATL
Read more Delta reviews

Delta’s staff is unmatched. From the gate agents, to the pilots, to the flight attendants… all top of the industry.

The flight was delayed for about 2 hrs. Other than it, it was good.

I am extremely disappointed that delta internal pilot manuals now refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “gulf of America”. You can bow down to the Orange turd on your own. I will never fly delta again

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.

The flight crew where really good. Better then the crew from BNE to SFO

Food should be changed in menu Many muslims travels in this airlime they need to add one Halal meal

left on time, reasonable boarding process arrived early luggage came out quickly

Some flight attendants were great others were cranky. Seats were very tight and sitting on an aisle was very hard as the carts and people walking constantly bumped shoulder and arm.

Pushed back only to get deplaned due to a tire damaged by ground crew. They did at least go pretty fast. The bathrooms should be banned under the Geneva convention. No room to even sit straight on the toilet. The under-seat entertainment units block what little leg room there is.

United airlines has the best customer experience from booking to arrival. I always fly United airlines. The mileage program is 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, Syed Zawar Hussein Shirazi frequently flyer membership number was not included on my boarding pass from O’Hare to Istanbul despite my reminder to the attendant at check in. Further she forgot to give me my boarding pass form Istanbul to Lahore and she needs to improve her customer service, please 🙏

Everything about that day was great I was happy with how things went as a first time traveling with the airline thank you for all that you’ve doing by taking us there to our various destinations thanks.

They oversold the tickets by one which was my ticket so I didn’t have a ticket till last second

Not good. I was supposed to be in Mint but got in economy class

Service was slow and checked bag was off last evening when flying business

Turkish Airline canceled our tickets in the very last minute, with our luggage and everything else, all prepared and good to go. It’s clear that they sold the tickets for better money to someone else. Bad, Bad, Bad business!!!

Awful seating. Bad food. Staff only have one bottle of water and no cans.

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.

The entertainment options were at best, fair. It was exactly the same as my outbound flight. It would have been more entertaining if there were some series from Apple TV, HBO, Showtime or other carriers for me to catch up with.

The flight was on time and arrived early. The crew were friendly and helpful.

While I didn’t watch much tv I would have liked a few more options of TV series from Apple TV or hbo max ..

Overall experience was great. Flights were almost on time in departing and we arrived at our destination as scheduled. No issues with amenities or flight crew. Everything went well as as expected. Will fly again with American Airlines in the future!

The flight was very smooth and the meal in business class was great.

I requested a low sodium meal. Reason being, I take medicine for high blood pressure and I wear compression socks on long flights to help with leg swelling. Having less sodium in meals really helps me feel better on long flights. I received my initial low sodium meal after takeoff. Just before landing, the crew came through with the meal cart and offered me what was being served. I said no thank you and then noticed my low sodium meal in the meal cart, with my name and seat assignment on it. I motioned to the crew member, but he grabbed the meal cart and proceeded to move to the rear of the aircraft. He didn’t see me or other passengers who had attempted to get this attention. He was more concerned about completing meal service since we were due to land in under 45 minutes. I pressed the call light five times from my seat to receive help, but no crew member responded to me. So, I didn’t receive a second meal, one that I requested (the low sodium option). This led me to have a migraine from only eating one meal on an 11-hour flight. This is why I’m not a fan of flying US-based airlines overseas. The crew members continue to show the absolute worst customer service experience. I would not recommend flying American for overseas flights.

Not great. Booked Extra seats and got nothing extra at all. It’s basically a big budget airline.

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!

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

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?

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

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports