$523 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to the United States - Compare and Save

1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

Save 21% or more on flights. Compare deals from all over the web.

Never overpay with our price tracking tools.

Filter searches by price, airline and more to find your best flights.

Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to the United States

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to the United States to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to the United States?

The cheapest ticket to the United States from South Africa found in the last 5 days was to Newark Airport, at $829 round-trip. The most popular route is Cape Town (CPT) to Newark Airport (EWR) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $829.

How much is a flight to the United States?

A flight to the United States costs $1,243 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was $740 for the route Cape Town (CPT) to Atlanta (ATL). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Cape Town to Atlanta which costs $1,170 on average, and Johannesburg to Atlanta, which costs $1,259 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest month to fly from South Africa to the United States?

The cheapest month for flights from South Africa to the United States is February, when tickets cost $724 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,090 and $994 respectively.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to the United States?

The cheapest time of day to fly to the United States is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $1,095 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to the United States is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,095.

How far in advance should I book a flight from South Africa to the United States?

To get a below average price on the flight from South Africa to the United States, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 3% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in the United States?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in the United States is Washington, D.C. Dulles Intl Airport (IAD), with an average flight price of $1,038.

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$523
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 2% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 3% lower on average.
Flight from Johannesburg to New York John F Kennedy Airport

FAQs for booking flights from South Africa to the United States

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from South Africa to the United States?

    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 South Africa to the United States.

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

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

    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 South Africa to the United States 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 South Africa to the United States?

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

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to the United States?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to the United States is Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,084. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $1,243 on average.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from South Africa to the United States

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from South Africa to the United States? 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.
7.8
DeltaOverall score based on 8498 reviews
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
7.8Entertainment
7.2Food
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

The plane was a rather tired 737-800, with old style small luggage bins. Poor air flow. USB charger in the infotainment system was not functioning. The flight was 2 hours late due to crew rest requirements (not their fault). On arrival in Seattle, waited on the tarmac for 30 minutes with very few updates from the crew.

4.0 OkayJeff, Aug 2026
Read more Delta reviews

The plane was a rather tired 737-800, with old style small luggage bins. Poor air flow. USB charger in the infotainment system was not functioning. The flight was 2 hours late due to crew rest requirements (not their fault). On arrival in Seattle, waited on the tarmac for 30 minutes with very few updates from the crew.

Delta off boarded and boarded the aircraft quickly. Clean cabin and great gate and onboard service.

Flight was delayed and we were on the runway after landing for 30 mins

We were delayed so pilots can rest and had no WiFi the whole trip. First class seats are small compared to other planes

The experience was bad. Flight was delayed to handle maintenance (understandable) but still there was some dew forming and dropping as droplets on few seats. Internet at best was allowing some browsing but at a snail pace.

We were delayed 2 hours because of a broken seat. Other than that it was a very nice flight.

There needs to be better accommodations for waiting passengers. A a designated standing space that is separated and away from concourse traffic.

My seats are comfortable because I choose to fly in the exit rows and this time upgraded to first class with minimum sky miles. Otherwise, I would not be happy in regular seats or even middle comfort seats. Onboarding on the return flight from Nashville to Atlanta was hot and very uncomfortable for over 30 minutes due to extreme hot weather. However, Delta should provide some other air flow option as it was almost unbearable until 10 minutes after take-off. First class seats should be equipped with cup holders. Currently, the middle console is used and is flat and prone to spilling drinks.

Delta was fine though my flight was delayed 4 hours into LGA and my return into ORD involved a taxi of 1+ hour to the gate

Awful. Flight from Cape Town was cancelled, rebooked for another day through Johannesburg, was downgraded to economy

It was excellent except for at the very end. I woke up about 1.5 hrs before touchdown and wanted to order food in the Business class. I was told they had shut down food service. It would have been good to get a heads up before they closed the service. Anna the air hostess was wonderful. She did get me 2 bowls of fruit and I was very appreciative of her. Wonderful human and a hostess.

Amazing airline accommodations. The cabins were so great. The food was very good and the flight attendants were so nice. Made a 15 hour flight seem easy.

I paid extra for seating when first booking flight to be in a comfortable economy seat They still changed it to a middle seat regardless. When I asked for it to be changed back to aisle, they could only give me one at the back of the plane in the least comfortable seats.

Same as already mentioned. This was more comforting as I got my aisle seat for my knee.

When we checked in at the Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia, we were only given three boarding passes and told that we would have to check in with American when we arrived in Boston. This was a source of stress for us. After we landed in Boston, we had a long passage from Terminal E to Terminal B (American Airline ticketing counter). Because the electronic ticketing kiosks for check-in would not recognize our Confirmation Code, we had to wait for an hour in a long line where only two AA reps were taking care of Special Services passengers. In many years of both business and recreational travel, I have never had this experience. I would expect more from AA being in partnership with other airlines to do a better job with this.

Qatar Airways is an excellent service provider. The crew members were attentive and helpful. The aircraft was very clean. This was the longest leg of our journey, so it would have been nice to have more leg room for comfort. We appreciated the crew's service of four hot meals to all of us during this long flight. Also, it was helpful that the crew asked us to keep the window shades down for the entire journey, allowing the environment to get lots of rest during the trip. For families traveling with little children, this was helpful to them to keep them settled.

The seat cushions are absolutely lacking, not sure if they know the passengers are traveling for 14 hours straight, but the padding made our back and butt ache like crazy. The entertainment console had its own problems, either the headphone jack wasn't working or the power outlet via usb or ac outlet was not working. Not to mention the seat handles were not adjustable in some planes in the middle or on the aisle. Qatar/Indigo may be operating a very old fleet of planes to make as much profit as possible, but passengers may not be following them for long, should this treatment of its customers continue. Qatar/Indigo, wake up and do it right by your customers, or they may not be your customers anymore.

It was very good. It was a long flight and being a tight with little leg room.

I always fly with Qatar air and you are the best. Keep up the good wor, after travelling with Qatar Air More than 80 times, you never offer to upgrade me.but it happened to my friend companion some time. Any how i still enjoying travelling with Qatar air and wait one day to upgrade me too. Best Regards

Paid $10 for wifi for full flight duration and the wifi wasn’t available after initial 2 hours

I truely appreciate all services. I was highly impressed and will not hesitate to recommend United Airlines to friends and family. The AVML was perfect.

Flight did not have wifi service. It was experiencing technical difficulties. Definitely and old plane that needs updating.

Very Poor. Significant delays getting to Chicago and then very poor communication on delays in Chicago to Cleveland. We could have rented a car and driven there faster than the delays ended up being.

Crew was dismissive. Snacks and refills not offered. Poor business class experience. Bed not comfortable compared to Emirates or BA.

We were Polaris passengers and found the service poor. The food was ok but the flight attendants were not attentive and rushed the service.

Food was very very bad! Same flight from US was amazing with great food but the food prepared for the flight from Cape Town to New York was not eatable. The crew also did not smile once. They all looked like it was a shift they had not signed up for but were forced to take. :(

On time - really well operated flight. Friendly staff. Super impressed with United on this round trip.

Less packaged foods in between meals Appreciated fruits cheese platters ice cream

Flight was canceled and United offered zero assistance. Left many of us in an unsafe situation

The flight itself was fine and the pilots were great. The crew was awful - the purser WOULD NOT SHUT UP, they ran out of food, I would not serve the “beef” dinner option to my dog. The boarding process was a clusterfuck-no announcements were made about boarding groups, and when we did get on the plane, attendants were blocking the aisles taking orders for the premier lounge and not letting the poors get to their seats

Flight was on time. Crew was amazing, minimal announcement interruptions, clean facilities and spaces.

Flight delay from Nairobi to JFK causing me to miss my connection. While at NBO waiting more than 5 hours for departure, no Kenyan Air representative made any announcement as to why the delay or when a new time would be given.

Very terrible airline. The flights were delayed for long hours and the customer service is terrible. Never flying with Kenya Airways again.

They boarded backwards so our zone meant nothing!!! My TV was broken, the remote was broke, the head set jack was broke! So i was stuck for 15 hours with no form of entertainment!!! The service was ok but they didn't check on us or serve many snacks. They acted like you were a burden when you hit the call button.

The crew was good but the entertainment was poor . All old movies and TV shows and very few of them. Needs current entertainment. Seats too firm. Food just ok. Nice though to have option with upgrade of no one sitting in middle seat

I purchased the upgrade to have 3 seats open, so I was able to sleep 9 hours. Without that I would have been miserable

Got delayed for over 24 hours. Fight was cancelled. Was put up at a nice hotel whose kitchen was unfortunately not prepared for the sudden influx of guests The headphone jacks on the seat were loose and sound kept getting dropped over the headphones. Food was good though. Certain items (Amarula) were not available for purchase over the on-plane duty free. Had been told i would pick my luggage at my final destination*wrong* had to pick it up in JFK and recheck it and then got charged for it**** too tired to argue with the Delta staff on the issue.... after a 15 hr flight.

This one is not bad even it is late, but they apologize and every time they announced the update.

I’m very disappointed for this trip and I will never travel again in this airline. In addition, I don’t recommend to any human being to travel to Kenya Airways. They keep me at Nairobi for 4 days without care. I was at Nairobi from 6 a.m Morning up to 10 a:m Thursday. For that reason, I have trouble for my work and may be I will lose my job. During for those 4 days I didn’t have my medicine, I didn’t have clothes to change because all my clothes were in my checked bags. On Thursday, when I got flight, they don’t even apologize for all consequences I had. During for those 4 days, I learned many things for this airline. It is their system to treat passengers like this because they had hundreds or thousands passengers around Nairobi waiting for their flights after their original flights cancelled. If I lose my job, I planned to file claim to the airline. This is not airline to travel with.

Love the dreamliner plane. It's such a smooth ride, I don't notice that it's 15 hours in the air. The staff are great and they don't overstuff you with food.

OK. Needed more information on baggage details with different airlines and airport baggage pickup Also, it appeared they offered free WiFi on their info publications but none did.

Great until k found out they never got my check bags onto the plane.

It was pretty decent mostly cause I have leg room.

The first leg of our booked flight was severely delayed, and by the time I could get to an agent to see about re-booking, it was impossible to arrive in time to board for the final leg to Reykjavik. We were flown by American Airlines to Heathrow but didn't arrive in time to take the British Airways flight. BA only flies once a day to Reykjavik, so we had to purchase an absurdly expensive flight through Icelandair out of Gatwick to arrive in time for an excursion that started at 9 a.m. the next day. Our luggage got lost in the meantime and wasn't found for several days.

God food! Although some of the snacks were not to my taste. Nice amenities in premium economy made for a comfortable flight. The pilot was able to make up about half the time we were delayed in the ground (we were delayed over an hour before takeoff due to a shortage of tugs) Nice movie selection for entertainment. We were last to board the second leg of our flight due to.complications during transfer from the first flight of our trip, but did manage to board in time. We really enjoyed the video presentation for flight safety. Hilarious gets your attention! Really nice, sufficient accommodations for overhead storage, didn't seem crowded or jam packed. I enjoyed being able to track the flight on my monitor. I was disappointed that there wasn't free WiFi during the flight, I thought that was a complimentary service but you had to pay extra. It felt like we were nickled and dimed on that one.

That airplane is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever flown! Flight 267 LON-PDX Aug 10, 26 The middle armrests didn’t go up all the way. The aisle arm rest didn’t raise at all. The leg room area was compromised by a large metal box on both exterior seats. The headrests didn’t flatten. We got an email apologizing for no WiFi, but on the plane we’re told there would be WiFi. I never got it to connect. Pre-boarding support was great. Boarding was smooth. Crew was great. Food was DELICIOUS. A different plane would have resulted in a much better score.

Lovely attentive staff and even though take off was a tiny bit late, the pilot landed us early in PHX. Smooth easy journey and good touchdown.

This flight was OK, and about as good as a long-haul economy flight gets. The Good: * I was seated in a row with my family; * There was (just) enough space in the overhead bins for our luggage; * The cabin never got too hot; * The meal and beverage service was decent, and included all-metal cutlery; * The entertainment was good; * The cabin attendants were friendly and helpful. * Immigration control at JFK was a breeze -- all we had to do was get our photos taken, and we were through! Presumably this was because Madrid shared all our information with JFK in advance, but we were out of the airport within about 10 or 15 mins of getting off the plane, which is by far the fastest I have ever got out of JFK! The Bad: * We flew economy, so of course the seats were tiny and it was very cramped; * The seats were also hard -- I had a sore butt by the end, despite using the provided cushion; * The cabin got a bit too cold at one point (although I MUCH prefer this to cabins that are too hot), and Iberia also provided a blanket.

Online check-in not available from Istanbul to Las Vegas. The check-in process at the airport was extremely and inefficient period. Took us over an hour to check in. Besides that, everything else about British Airways was good

My screen didn't work for the first 9.5 hours of the flight. The crew could not resolve. I don't watch much media so I had been really excited to relax and watch a BBC special but couldn't. Then I tried to use the online streaming on my devices - that never worked but I do have about 7 charges on my credit card that I now have to dispute with BA. Pretty annoying. Also, they ran out of meals and they served meals that had a serve by date of 1/26. But the staff were all very friendly and helpful when they could help.

Everything you need to know for your flight to the United States

Cabin class types available on flights to the United States