$526 Find Cheap Flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa

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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to South Africa

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

What is the cheapest flight to South Africa?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 3 days.

The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United Kingdom found in the last 3 days was to Cape Town, at $176 round-trip. The most popular route is London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 3 days was $937.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom to South Africa is November, when tickets cost $802 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,261 and $1,257 respectively.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $1,205 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,249.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United Kingdom 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 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 the United Kingdom to South Africa, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 4% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in South Africa?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in South Africa is Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT), with an average flight price of $705.

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Good to know

Low seasonApril
Cheapest flight$526
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 2% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 30% increase in price.
Flight from London Heathrow Airport to Johannesburg

FAQs for booking flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa

  • Which airlines operate non-stop flights to South Africa?

    British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and South African Airways operate direct flights from London Heathrow to Oliver Tambo International Airport and British Airways also operates direct flights to Cape Town International Airport.

  • What are the rules about car seats for children in South Africa?

    While it is not yet mandatory to have a suitable car seat for young children when driving in South Africa, it is advisable to take one with you if you are planning on doing a lot of driving. Alternatively, you can hire one along with your car hire and it is wise to do this in advance.

  • Where should I fly to in South Africa if I want to go to the Drakensberg?

    The Drakensberg, the highest range of mountains in southern Africa, is located in KwaZulu-Natal, so the best airport to fly into is King Shaka International in Durban. From here you can hire a car and drive to the southern part of the Drakensberg.

  • Do I need a visa for South Africa?

    British passport holders who are visiting South Africa for a period of less than 90 days do not need a visa to enter the country. However, your passport should have two blank pages in it and should also be valid for 6 months from your date of entry to South Africa.

  • Do some airlines offer more flights to South Africa for historical reasons?

    Due to South Africa's former status as a British colony and it remaining a member of the Commonwealth, British Airways has always offered the majority of flights from the UK to Cape Town and Johannesburg. The same is true of South African Airways, so you'll find plenty of flights on offer between these two carriers.

  • Are some flights to South Africa more carbon-efficient than others?

    Use the CO2 filter to find the flights that emit the least carbon from whichever airport you choose for your departure. British Airways is your best option if you're flying the most common route from Heathrow to OR Tambo. Booking with this carrier can save over 50% in overall carbon emissions.

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

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

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

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to South Africa is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $992. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Thursday, where round-trip prices are $1,304 on average.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of the United Kingdom

  • There are a number of international airports in South Africa that provide onward connections to other destinations within the country. Oliver Tambo International Airport (ORT) in Johannesburg is the central hub and from here you can get flights to all other cities in South Africa. If you want to visit the south of the country, you can fly into Cape Town International Airport (CPT), while King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban will give you easy access to the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal.
  • If you are travelling to South Africa with children, you will need to ensure that you are carrying full unabridged birth certificates for each child under the age of 18, especially if only one parent is travelling with the child. While this rule may not apply if both parents are travelling, the South African authorities reserve the right to ask to see the birth certificate and will turn you away at the border if you cannot produce it.
  • Visitors looking at flights to South Africa to visit the world-famous Kruger National Park in the north-east of the country should consider flying into Oliver Tambo in Johannesburg and catching an onwards domestic flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMI) in Nelspruit. The flight takes approximately 45min. It is also possible to fly to Nelspruit from Cape Town and Durban. In Nelspruit you can hire a car or catch a brebooked transfer to travel to Kruger.
  • If you are planning on driving the Garden Route, you could book a flight to George Airport (GRJ), which is situated at one end of this drive from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town. George Airport only has a domestic terminal, so you would need to book a connecting flight from your point of entry into South Africa to George, where you can then collect a hire car for the rest of your journey along the coast.
  • There is a limit to the amount of South African currency that you can carry into the country in cash and it is advisable to check this limit before you fly as it changes frequently. You can also carry a limited amount of cash in foreign currency that you can change at a bureau du change in the airport or, alternatively, use your credit or debit card at an ATM in the airport.
  • It pays to consider African airlines when you want to find cheap flights to South Africa. These are quite numerous, and usually only make one stopover en route, typically in their home country. A good example is Kenya Airways, which flies from London Heathrow (LHR) to OR Tambo (JNB) in Johannesburg, with a single stopover at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO).
  • South Africa is a vast country compared to the British Isles that just begs for a road trip or two. It's a really good idea to book a hire car through KAYAK when you find cheap flights to South Africa. An SUV or MPV will do you well, to handle the challenging roads through some of its major natural tourist attractions, like Namaqualand or the Karoo.
  • You can often find cheap flights to South Africa by choosing those operated by different airlines in tandem. For example, fly London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Cape Town International (CPT) on Turkish Airlines, switching to South African Airways at Istanbul International (IST). Or fly from Edinburgh Turnhouse (EDI) to King Shaka Airport (DUR) in Durban on a combination of Turkish Airlines and Airlink, switching at OR Tambo.

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

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United Kingdom 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.
7.5
Virgin AtlanticOverall score based on 689 reviews
7.5Entertainment
6.9Food
7.7Boarding
7.3Comfort
8.1Crew
Airline reviews

Seating and zone. The minor I went with didn’t even seat close to me

4.0 OkayAnonymous, Mar 2026
BOS - LIS
Read more Virgin Atlantic reviews

Seating and zone. The minor I went with didn’t even seat close to me

My seat 3G did not go down fully and the buttons were not working properly

Food has been disappointing in both legs of flight to india

Great staff great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Great staff, great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Food was the worst I’ve had on a VA flight. Normally it’s a lot better

I was my pleasure to fly virgin on my birthday for my first solo trip ever 🫶🏼

These are one of the older seat arrangements facing away from the windows! Not particularly convenient sets. No storage spaces. NO COAT HANGING HOOKS. Inconvenient business class seat compared to any other airlines of similar class. Staff are excellent! Extremely professional, friendly. Food is good too.

Overall, flight was excellent but check in was very slow for Premium Economy. Economy queue was shorter but we weren't allowed to use it.

The staff was not very polite but the flight was very very nice and comfortable and the entertainment was great

The entertainment could have been better, better choice / better headphones, but overall very satisfied

The friendly staff. They kept time. Was suprised to get some drinks.

We did not even get on this flight as the plane never left London. I missed the email that was sent mid morning USA time, so we were not aware the flight was cancelled. There was absolutely no help from the staff at the Norse check in gates, we were told to take a picture of the board they were holding up, to try and claim our money back. We were told to book our own flights to London which ended up costing $10000 due to the last minute. And now we have to return to Miami in 2 weeks. I am not holding my breath about getting on board for that flight either.

Great experience. The flight was smooth with very little turbulence. We were in premium classic, so lots of leg room.

Didn’t know you had to pay for earbuds and food on flight. Sounds awesome and better way to not waste food or items. Comfort of flight is was amazing other than that

Unexpectedly was surprised with the space on flight in economy and the price.

I was not expecting having to pay for headphones, water and basic food in a 9 hours flight. Price for this flight was as high as any other, still I had to pay 4 lbs for a can of sprite. On top of that flight attendance gave a bothered look when I asked her for some ice for my soda. She reluctantly when to get it, brought me literally 3 cubes and walked away without looking at me to avoid another request. I couldn’t believe it. She was soooo rude. I will never book on Norse again and I will let everyone I know about this. Unforgivable, very bad customer service.

Great crew. Customer support is pretty much non existent. I had 2 tickets that were not used, the flight was overbooked. I think I should have been reimbursed for the unused tickets.

The movies were super old. The crew did not offer WATER???? 5 hours os flight and did not get WATER? Norse is the worst company I ever used and never will use again.

Why call us to board if we’re going to be made to stand in the tunnel for 20 minutes. Really hard for people with little children. Plus it took me ages to check in because my seat in Premium was overbooked so I didn’t actually have a seat. I did end up receiving my seat in Premium but there was a lot of stress and confusion beforehand. Hope is it possible to overbook seats? Especially in Premium!

It was a good experience - too many times checking at the airport - every time had to remove shoes , belt , laptop etc. that was a bit of exaggerated. The seat had a sharp metal plate -- which torn into my jeans.

To the Ethiopian Airlines Customer Relations Team, I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding my recent travel experience with Ethiopian Airlines on flight [I629/352] . Unfortunately, the level of service provided fell significantly short of the standards I expected from your airline. I would like to highlight the following serious issues encountered during the journey: • Cabin Condition and Hygiene: The aircraft cabin was notably poorly maintained. The seating area was dirty, and there was a persistent, unpleasant odor throughout the flight, which made the environment very uncomfortable for passengers. • Inadequate Service: The overall level of service provided by the staff was unsatisfactory and did not reflect a professional passenger experience. • Baggage Loss: Upon arrival, I was informed that my luggage was lost. This is particularly distressing as it has caused significant personal inconvenience and disruption to my schedule. As a frequent traveler, I value reliability and a clean cabin environment. I request that you investigate these matters immediately, provide an update on the status of my missing baggage, and outline how you intend to compensate for these failures in service. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution to my lost luggage claim. Sincerely, Puguh

We had a good flight experience with this airline despite reading many negative comments

The plane was ok, I was in business class and was surprised there were no pods and each seat was right next to another one. That said it was comfortable and the food and coffee were good. Entertainment wise again I was surprised to see only movies and no TV shows. Check-in at Toronto Pearson was an absolute disaster, which was especially disappointing as I was a business class passenger. There was no dedicated staffing for the business counter and four (4) airlines employees assisted one economy class passenger for about 15 minutes when one could have easily assisted me. Overall room for improvement, particularly in the on-ground experience and airplane infrastructure.

Check in took over an hour because printer was not working. Attendant did not know how to give free layover Addis Ababa hotel vouchers or update frequent flyer number. After repeated attempts, got voucher emailed. However hotel wanted printed voucher hence more delay. Bus time from hotel back to airport was printed 4:50 hours, but hotel reception called at 3 pm saying bus will leave at 4 pm. Then hotel reception called again saying 4:15 pm. We rushed at 4:15 pm and bus was not ready until 4:40 pm. Many audio outlets were not working in planes.

I had a memorable experience. I dont have any comments at this time regarding waht could be better.

The crew was not helping us in the airports ..Very bad experience..the washrooms are not meeting the expectations..need more good service... The hotel service was good but there is a very long wait time which wasted time to go through..

Our first flight was delayed and when we got off that plane, nobody was really helping to direct us to the next gate. It was very frustrating. One staff simply said hurry, which wasn’t helpful. We had to go a long way to get to the next gate. Another issue on the plane itself was the bathrooms were disgusting and filthy and it didn’t seem like anybody was checking on them were cleaning them and it was a long flight. There was urine on the floor and they stunk. Also, the screen in front of my seat did not work, and I tried different headphones and still had no sound. You would think somehow those things are reviewed occasionally for working order.

They only gave us 30 minutes to make an international connecting flight. We didn’t make the connection but they did do a good job rebooking us despite the chaos. Our bags didn’t make it back and their process for customer support is pretty bad when it comes to luggage.

The Boeing 737 MAX on this route, flown in the middle of the night, is an UTTER FAILURE for business travellers. The whole point of business travel is to arrive alert and recover from travel quickly, and this little aeroplane with its quarter recline uncomfortable business seats does nothing for that. It’s a small step up from economy in that you have decent legroom, but that’s it. Absolute margin at the cost of the traveller.

Flight map did not work. Crew was great, food was good, plane took off on time and landed early. That's all I can ask.

Paid for exit row at the back of the plane. Window seat with lots of leg space. Food was inedible (as usual). Brought my own.

Overall, the service was excellent, the crew verry professional, and departures and arrivals were perfect.

We had the best help ever from the airport workers who helped us check in and get our luggage through even though the checkout was closed. We had gotten so lost that a 90 minute drive became 3 hours. They were fast and courteous and even helped with our rental car. Thank you to them!

We didn't get the coffee with breakfast in the morning.. 30 mins lazer I asked flight attendant why don't we get coffee now at least.. after the breakfast..she said that captain announced possible turbulences fee minutes ago, which didn't ecplain why we didn't get it with the breakfast..breakfast was very poor btw..just little pastry which you can eat in 4 little bites. Turbulences fortunately didn't even happen.. but we didn't get that more than necessary coffee in the morning after the night flight with very poor sleep.. They just served breakfast 1 hour afzer we took off..at like 11 PM.. that doesn't make sense at all.. Also, flight attendants weren't very nice..they looked like they're not happy with their job.. :/

Efficiency of staff, and comfort and cleanliness of aircraft was all great. Maybe a hot drink without payment at that time in the morning would be good!

The plane was late (as was my flight out from Birmingham the day before)

Flight was great only departure was delayed to saome ground crew issues

It was freezing. I asked crew member for a blanket and was told it might be in front of plane but I never got one. I turned off all the vents but still froze.

The flight was delayed by an hour. Made the connection uncomfortably tight.

Business class lounge for my gate was closed and no email was sent, causing me to walk back and forth to different gates, etc for over 20 minutes one way. Flight entertainment was mediocre with very poor choices especially for business class cabin. Original flight was cancelled and rebooking was difficult and no reason given for cancellation.

Waiting area not big enough for all the passengers, no airport lounge.

Very comfortable flight and simple and directed one way and back. Amazing price.

We loved our flight attendant, Emma from Scotland, the meal and entertainment offerings were wonderful, the flight was smooth, and enough leg room to stretch. We would fly with you again!

Los Angeles to London. 25th of April 2026. Business class. I was flying backwards with a complete stranger snoring next to me. In Business class. Males and females, strangers lying next to each other. Seats were backwards. I paid for comfort. I got dizziness and stress.

I liked that we got there safely. I disliked long delays, gate and ticket agents incompetence and apathy and having my luggage lost. Five days later I've yet to get anything more than a generic apology from British Air. Luggage yet to be located, much less returned.

Long line with check in at the DIA British Airway counter.

The flights were on time. Cabin crew were nice. The food was terrible! Checking in was not easy using my phone.

Crew were fantastic and the aircraft was extremely comfortable, but outdated. Headphone jacks were worn out and sound normally only came out of one ear unless positioned just right.

No problems except for a completely full flight. But we were add one because of a previous delayed flight.

Everything you need to know for your flight to South Africa

Cabin class types available on flights to South Africa

Cabin classes available on flights to South Africa. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.
First Class flights to South Africafrom $8,716
Business Class flights to South Africafrom $724
Premium Economy Class flights to South Africafrom $2,019
Economy Class flights to South Africafrom $176