$598 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to South Africa

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 South Africa departing on 9/10. 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.
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Best South Africa Flight Deals from San Francisco

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$1,105
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stop$1,036
Durban
Durban2 stops$1,345
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,476
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops$1,714
George
George2 stops$1,575
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops$3,109
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$1,105
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stop$1,036
Durban
Durban2 stops$1,345
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,476
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops$1,714
George
George2 stops$1,575
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops$3,109

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to South Africa (SFO-ZA0)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to South Africa 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 South Africa

Tue, Aug 19 - Tue, Sep 2
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 4:40 pmCPT-SFO
33h 05m1 stop
$1,036Turkish Airlines
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Thu, Aug 21 - Thu, Sep 4
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:50 amSFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
4:35 pm - 10:35 amCPT-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$1,038Turkish Airlines
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Sat, Oct 4 - Fri, Oct 24
United Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 5:45 pmSFO-JNB
27h 45m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
3:05 pm - 11:04 amJNB-SFO
28h 59m2 stops
$1,204United Airlines
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Sat, Oct 4 - Sun, Oct 26
United Airlines Logo
11:59 pm - 5:45 pmSFO-JNB
32h 46m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
7:35 pm - 1:35 pmJNB-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$1,243United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Oct 4 - Fri, Oct 24
Delta Logo
6:00 am - 7:40 pmSFO-JNB
28h 40m1 stop
Delta Logo
6:50 pm - 5:50 pmJNB-SFO
32h 00m2 stops
$1,340Delta
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Wed, Jun 25 - Tue, Jul 15
Delta Logo
1:45 pm - 9:20 pmSFO-JNB
22h 35m1 stop
Delta Logo
6:50 pm - 12:50 pmJNB-SFO
27h 00m1 stop
$1,366Delta
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Wed, Sep 17 - Wed, Oct 1
British Airways Logo
4:25 pm - 11:00 amSFO-CPT
33h 35m2 stops
British Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 1:50 pmCPT-SFO
27h 55m1 stop
$1,396British Airways
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Sat, Oct 4 - Sun, Oct 12
British Airways Logo
7:20 pm - 7:00 amSFO-JNB
26h 40m1 stop
British Airways Logo
7:25 pm - 1:50 pmJNB-SFO
27h 25m1 stop
$1,432British Airways
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Wed, Sep 24 - Wed, Oct 8
Qatar Airways Logo
11:35 am - 9:35 amSFO-JNB
37h 00m2 stops
Qatar Airways Logo
4:50 pm - 1:35 pmJNB-SFO
29h 45m2 stops
$1,480Qatar Airways
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Sun, Nov 2 - Fri, Nov 21
Qatar Airways Logo
11:40 am - 10:30 amSFO-CPT
36h 50m2 stops
Qatar Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 6:41 pmCPT-SFO
33h 46m2 stops
$1,526Qatar Airways
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Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to South Africa flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to South Africa 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 South Africa?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to South Africa, 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 South Africa is March, when tickets cost $1,151 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,687 and $1,634 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to South Africa?

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

When flying from San Francisco to South Africa, you should consider leaving on a Tuesday and avoid Thursdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Saturdays and the most expensive ones on Wednesdays.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to South Africa?

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 South Africa, 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 South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.


Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonJune
Cheapest flight$598
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 19% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Cape Town

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • Is it a good idea to buy a ticket with an airport change during a layover?

    It depends. Some tickets from SFO to South Africa require you to change airports within a city during a layover or to collect your bags and check in again for the next leg of your flight. This can be time-consuming, and getting across town to another airport could get expensive. Before you book a ticket with a re-check-in or an airport change, make sure that the ticket leaves you enough time to do it and that all aspects of the change or the re-check-in are feasible.

  • What documentation do I need in order to fly to South Africa?

    US citizens flying to South Africa need a valid passport that is still valid at least 30 days beyond the date when you enter South Africa. This passport must have two consecutive empty pages per entry. You do not need a visa if you plan to leave South Africa in 90 days or fewer.

  • Does SFO have therapy dogs?

    Yes. When you are at SFO waiting for your flight to South Africa, you might encounter the Wag Brigade, therapy dogs roaming Departures with their trained handlers. SFO hopes these therapy dogs can delight, distract, and comfort passengers waiting to travel. The Wag Brigade includes several dogs, a pig, and a rabbit.

  • Does SFO have a hotel at the airport?

    Yes. If you would like to stay at the airport the night before your flight to South Africa, consider staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at SFO. Connected to all of the terminals by way of the free AirTrain, this upscale hotel offers free Wi-Fi, room service, a fitness center, a business center, and much more.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to South Africa?

    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 South Africa.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco to South Africa 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 South Africa?

    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 from San Francisco to South Africa with an airline and back with another airline.

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

    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 from San Francisco to South Africa up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $1,430 on average. Morning departures are around 20% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,720.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a hub for Alaska Airlines. When you fly from the shores of the San Francisco Bay to South Africa, you will have many choices of destination city, airline, flight time, and price.
  • When you fly from SFO to Johannesburg, chances are you will be landing at the O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). Turkish Airlines, Delta, and KLM are among the airlines that offer one-stop flights from San Francisco to Johannesburg. Some common layover cities include Istanbul, Atlanta, Amsterdam, and others. Alaska Airlines, Ethiopian Air, and United are among the carriers that offer two-stop flights from SFO to JNB.
  • If you want to fly from SFO to Cape Town at the southern tip of South Africa, you'll most likely be landing in the Cape Town International Airport (CPT). Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, and KLM are among the carriers that offer one-stop flights from SFO to CPT, with layovers in cities such as Istanbul, Zurich, and Amsterdam. KLM, Ethiopian Air, and Delta are among the airlines that offer two-stop flights from SFO to CPT.
  • If you want to fly to Durban on the east coast of South Africa, you will most likely be landing at the King Shaka International Airport (DUR). Qatar Airways, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines are among the many carriers that offer two-stop and three-stop flights from SFO to DUR., with stops in Istanbul, Johannesburg, Paris, and others.
  • If you are flying into the city of Pietermaritzburg, about an hour inland from Durban, you will most likely be landing at the Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB). You can find two-stop flights from SFO to PZB on airlines such as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, with stops in cities such as Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Doha.

Top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to South Africa

Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to South Africa? 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.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 7951 reviews
7.3Food
8.2Boarding
7.9Entertainment
7.9Comfort
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

6.0 GoodWalter, May 2025ONT - SLC
Read more Delta reviews

737-800 in first class was pretty dumpy. Seat had an uncomfortable angle, storage under the seat was blocked so even my very modest backpack didn't fit, power outlet was flaky. Weird tiny seat pockets that couldn't hold a gallon ziploc bag, emesis bag missing, etc. etc. No in-flight service due to turbulence. Crew was excellent, boarding was smooth despite a full flight.

Delta flight was on time, seats were comfortable, and crew was nice.

Bathrooms dirty sinks clogged. No one seemed to clean them. Plane very old

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

It was terrible, if they ran flights on time it would make a big difference.

Delta seems to be improving in many areas, except they are super bad with the food available. Bring back normal food service on long flights.

I actually received a notification from kayak on email but not one by text from Delta when my departure gait changed and I almost missed my flight

New boarding doesn't make sense. Filling front first is slow.

Delta flight was great from the check in all the way to arrival. However, I had a very bad experience. I requested a wheelchair and the wheelchair employee that went to pick me up from the plane in Boston to bring me to the baggage claims told me I have to pay him. I was under the impression that it was a free service and I usually give tips but the person forced me to pay and since I said no because I was upset with his demand when my daughter walked in to pick me up he demanded payment from my daughter who paid him thinking maybe now it is a charged service.

This trip was the most comfortable one I have ever experienced, the team was excellent and very helpful. I am so glad I picked Qatar Airways.

All the crew members were too slow and rude. Most of the times the registers were empty, while hundreds of customers were waiting in line, and it was impossible to get a supervisor. Despite being in line on time, I missed my freight, plus a some customers who were ahead and behind me.

Well organized boarding, efficient and on time. Nice crew on the plane. Thank you!

The Qatar Airways staff pre-boarding and also on the flight from Dallas to Doha were incredibly mediocre and arrogant. Consider retraining these individuals Other flights were ok.

My experience with Qatar airway was very unsatisfactory. They lost my child’s stroller and I was told they found it and will send it to the hotel which was a lie. I had to go back to the airport baggage claim and pick up myself after trying to contact them many times!. There was a lack professional and communication. I am very disappointed in Qatar airway and will not be recommending them to friends and family nor will I be flying with them in the future.

Worst air experience in whole life . Boarding and checking was hassle as they did 3 times. Crew team was clueless about passengers need. Despite of passengers raising hand , they were resetting the program

The food is not good and also if you ask crew to bring something they say ok I will bring but you will never get it. Please they should listen good to passengers

No difference between US airline and Qatar. Both cramp as many people. The airline seems to change planes without notice choice is seating when making reservations online doesn’t match the plane a passenger is on. Especially paying extra. Nothing special No different than US carriers.

Did not like anything. Seats were crammed, leg space was minimal and food was terrible. This was the first time traveling overseas in American Airlines and was the worst experience ever. Have learned a lesson to never travel in American Airlines.

Delayed my flights and no communication. We end up spending 6 hrs in Doha. No food or any concern from the airline. Terrible

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

They hired a new catering company the same day of my flight. They botched the job by not delivering the right carts and after THREE HOURS waiting, the flight crew timed out (flight was 19 hours long and FAA rules state crew can’t work more than 14 hours long). So they CANCELED OUR FLIGHT!! Worst experience ever. Avoid UAL at all costs.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

While the staff was pleasant and helpful, the following observations are for your awareness. There was some delay on the tarmac on take off and landing. The paid lunch/food offerings were limited. Entertainment was only available on WiFi at a cost.

get E+, a must for 5 hours flight if you are tall

Liked fold flat bed. Didn’t like having no window. Didn’t like poor choice of food and being served dinner very late, hours after take off of a 7:40pm flight. Servers not friendly. Food horrible in business class.

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

Compared with other carriers business class for an overnight was not worth the extra expense.

Easy to board. Flight was super crowded though so I didn't sleep well on that cross country red-eye flight. The aisles seem ot have gotten narrower and the seat smaller whn luggage and people are getting bigger so it would be AWESOME to have more space and breathing room in general ;)

Pilot Erika DeLong made us feel safe and at ease in a frankly scary time to be flying. Her warm smile and greeting and excellent command of the aircraft in foggy bumpy weather helped us all to calm our nerves and get us home safely.

It wasn't good. I didn’t understand. They changed 320 dollars for 2 luggage. My ticket was regular and I paid almost 1200.00 dollars. Why they did charge? I want my money back.. thanks Yılmaz polat

Very punctual, the onboard staff was friendly and correct, the flight was fortunately very calm, the toilets were clean, in short, an excellent experience Thanks

Ordered Vegan meal - it was ok, but not exceptional. Seat ok row 39 middle section aisle. Nearly full flight - crew was busy but they did the best they could. There was a USB A port at the seat. I listened to my own music and only looked at flight information. One nice thing was the connection information was made available in the screen.

Very nice and friendly crew. Boarding system can be improved.

The Etickets had been changed (Why?) without notice ; Hence, that caused troubles when checking in. Not until I contacted my ticket agent and was given correct Etickets could I then check in.

Make sure to request a vegetarian meal in advance. They printed out menus for all passengers with the options but by the time they were halfway through (for breakfast and dinner), the vegetarian options were already all taken.

Cleanliness of seats, trays, storage pockets need more attention, but everything else was good.

A great airline, no complaints at all. My experience with Cheap Tickets was very disappointing however. Two hours after purchasing the flight they called to tell me that the ticket price had gone up. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That is called false advertising; I will never use this ticketing service again and will warn all friends to never use it.

One of the worst check in process at the DIA as well as the boarding counter Changed seat at the last minute and assigned middle seat while I paid for window seat. Requested many times but to no avail . horrible customer service and very poor process Requesting refund for seat that was changed last minute

Good overall flight. Excellent crew. Food options could be improved.

The internet was horrible. Plus they charged me $25 for service that didn't work which should have been free since I'm Concierge Key. The flight attendant Rick Young was excellent. Greeted me by name and very attentive.

Not good. First time flying AA in years and won’t be doing so again. We departed late and missed our connecting flight to Barcelona. As a result we missed the first two days of a Mediterranean cruise. No reason given for the delay. Got rerouted from JFK to Heathrow and then to Barcelona. Flight to Heathrow was delayed causing us to miss the flight to Barcelona again. Routed then to Palmero where we had to purchase transportation and a 2 night hotel stay to pick up the cruise there. Probably cost us $2k plus.

My flights were great and the crew on them was lovely especially the London to Barcelona flight as Al & AJ were so amazingly nice. I wish they would be my crew always as they have the best customer service. Sadly both flights were delayed the first one from Vegas was because they clearly loaded the cargo wrong the plane was off balance making us 2 hours late. This made me miss my connection and sadly it was challenging rebooking while I was on the flight. I will never use Kayak again as there was no customer service number or live chat and you rebooked me on a flight 2 days later. I had my mom call BA to change it which she did after spending an hour on hold. This should not be so difficult. My second flight was an hour delayed due to not being able to disconnect the bridge from the plane but I did finally make it home.

The delay was not communicated via text and the person who helped with check in also didn’t inform me about the delay. I ended up missing my connection and it was a waste of 5 hours. The crew didn’t mention there would be someone at the gate informing of if I would be rebooked and there was no signage. Overall a very poor experience. The British Airways app was also very buggy, and didn’t work. I will avoid flying with British Airways when possible.

A little better than outward journey but mild chaos at the boarding gate because some people with boarding cards from connecting flights had cards which weren't recognised

The BA business class cabin is excellent,very comfortable for sleeping but the service could be improved.

Cancelled flight minutes before boarding. Rescheduled flight was two days later

The flight attendants were EXTREMELY personable and appreciated the service, lights going off after dinner (probably the norm, but I haven’t flown evening overnight flights in a while). Thank you!

Business class seats were very dated on my plane. Very little storage, charging ports were not easily accessible, tv screen kept flopping away. Vegetarian food was disappointing: hardly any protein and severely under-seasoned. Crew was lovely.

The food was pathetic. There wasn't much leg room and recline space for such a long flight. No tea/ coffee for a 2-3 hour connecting flight without purchasing! Really!?

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