$489 Find Cheap Flights to South Africa - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United States to South Africa departing on 11/4. 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

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

Cheap Flights to South Africa

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$948
Cape Town
Cape Town2 stops$1,017
Durban
Durban3 stops$1,293
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,359
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit3 stops$1,424
George
George3 stops$1,360
Skukuza
Skukuza3 stops$1,467
East London
East London2 stops$1,497
Richards Bay
Richards Bay2 stops$1,778
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stops$1,594
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops$1,620
Kimberley
Kimberley2 stops$1,854
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops$1,618
Upington
Upington2 stops$1,830
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$948
Cape Town
Cape Town2 stops$1,017
Durban
Durban3 stops$1,293
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,359
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit3 stops$1,424
George
George3 stops$1,360
Skukuza
Skukuza3 stops$1,467
East London
East London2 stops$1,497
Richards Bay
Richards Bay2 stops$1,778
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stops$1,594
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops$1,620
Kimberley
Kimberley2 stops$1,854
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops$1,618
Upington
Upington2 stops$1,830
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 5 days.

The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United States found in the last 5 days was to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport, at $1,366 round-trip. The most popular route is Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $1,610.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United States 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 States to South Africa is February, when tickets cost $830 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,177 and $1,174 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United States 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 States to South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 2 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 $1,367.

Good to know

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

$489
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 16% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport to Cape Town

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • Are there nonstop flights to South Africa?

    Although there are flights from the United States available to over a dozen different small and large cities throughout South Africa, the only nonstop flights from the US to South Africa arrive in Johannesburg. Some of the nonstop flights to Johannesburg are available from Atlanta and Washington, DC.

  • Do I need a visa to enter South Africa?

    To visit South Africa for a duration of up to 90 days, United States nationals are not required to acquire a visa in advance. Instead, a visitor’s visa can be obtained at the port of entry on arrival. Official visa rules can be found on South Africa’s government immigration website and are subject to change without notice.

  • Where should I fly to if I want to visit Kruger National Park?

    If you’re one of the many tourists heading to South Africa to visit the Kruger National Park, it can be handy to fly into Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP). Although there are no direct routes, this airport gives direct access to the southern section of Kruger National Park. One of the most common layovers is in Johannesburg and you can find that more than one airline operates the route. Some of the companies are South Africa and jetBlue.

  • I want to visit Table Mountain in South Africa, which city should I fly to?

    Table Mountain is another extremely popular tourist destination in South Africa, and it lies just outside of the city of Cape Town. To get there, you can fly into Cape Town then take one of the many available buses or taxis to the base of Table Mountain, where you can either hike or take a cable car the rest of the way.

  • What transport options do I have from Oliver Tambo International Airport?

    JNB connects to a train link system that offers transit to and from the airport. You could take a train to the city center when visiting South Africa and land at Tambo Airport. The train link runs at 12-minute intervals and operates between 5:15 a.m. and 10 p.m. You can also hire a metered taxi at the ground transportation area. You can use hotel shuttles serving the airport if you check into one of the hotels.

  • Do South African airports offer accessible services to passengers with special needs?

    Passengers with reduced mobility can request wheelchairs from the airlines. You can request pre-boarding, boarding, and aisle chair assistance at any of the airports. The airports have wheelchair-accessible facilities to allow for independent access by passengers with limited mobility. To acquire the accessibility services, ensure you make a reservation at least two days before your travel date. The airports also have facilities suited for hard-of-hearing passengers and the visually impaired.

  • Can I rent a car at South Africa's airports?

    Yes, South Africa's airports offer car rental services for convenient movement around the country. The airports' car rental agencies include Avis, Capital, Europcar, Select, Thrifty, and Woodford car rental. To rent a vehicle, you must be at least 18 years old, a valid driver's license holder for at least a year, and an International Driver's Permit holder. The renting process is easy as you can drive out of the airport with your rental car upon landing.

  • What are the most common layover cities when flying to South Africa?

    You can opt for direct flights from the U.S. to different parts of South Africa. However, if a flight with layovers fits you, there are several options. The layover destination you choose depends on the origin city and the destination city in SA. If you are flying into SA Johannesburg from Chicago's ORD, you can have your layover in Paris (CGD) or Istanbul (IST). From ATL, you can stop in Amsterdam (AMS). You can also have your layover at Amsterdam or Frankfurt (FRA) when flying to SA from New York JFK.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United States 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 States 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 States 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 States 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 States 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 Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,735. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $2,043 on average.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa

  • Looking for cheap airfare to South Africa? 25% of our users found round-trip tickets to South Africa for the following prices or less: From Atlanta $2,034, from Newark $3,021
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest South Africa flight deals.
  • Getting to South Africa will almost certainly involve a layover, which commonly also includes a change in airline. One of the most common (and most affordable) routes to South Africa from the United States is from New York City (JFK Airport) to Johannesburg. This route is nonstop and is operated by South Africa Airways.
  • When booking your flight to South Africa, you’ll have no shortage of airports to choose from. There are more than 15 international airports in South Africa that you can fly to from the United States, with the airports in Johannesburg and Cape Town seeing the most international air traffic.
  • Heading to the Valley of 1,000 hills? This popular attraction is located in the Durban area. To get there, you’ll have to fly into Durban King Shaka International Airport (DUR). Located in the city of La Mercy, the airport is reachable via a layover in Johannesburg.
  • If you’re one of the many tourists heading to South Africa to hike up to Lion’s Head, you’ll have to fly into Cape Town for convenient access. Common layovers between the US and Cape Town include Madrid and Johannesburg.
  • To reach Ballito (nicknamed the Dolphin Coast), your best option is to fly into Durban King Shaka International Airport. Direct flights to this airport aren’t available from the US, with most involving a layover in Johannesburg.
  • South Africa has three main international airports spread through its three major cities — Johannesburg's Oliver Tambo Airport (JNB), Cape Town's Airport (CPT), and Durban's King Shaka Airport (DUR). CPT is the metropolitan area's main gateway, JNB has good accessibility and connectivity, and DUR is the best regional airport in South Africa.
  • Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg is South Africa's primary hub, the busiest in the continent and the center for South African Airways. If you are flying into South Africa from the U.S., consider landing in JNB, as it serves six continents globally.
  • Johannesburg is South Africa's gateway and an entry point for direct flights from the U.S. All direct flights from the U.S. land in Johannesburg from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), and Washington, D.C. (IAD). The destination airport is JNB.
  • If you are flying to Oliver Tambo Airport, the airport is easy to maneuver. JNB consists of two terminals, A and B, with a central terminal building handling luggage and check-in connecting the two terminals. You can walk to either of the terminals.
  • If you are visiting the metropolitan area of South Africa, fly into Cape Town Airport, which offers a hassle-free travel experience. The airport is the only one in the metro area offering scheduled passenger services.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to South Africa

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States 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.
7.8
DeltaOverall score based on 8502 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.8Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.2Food
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

One of the restrooms didn’t work. The ones that did never got replenished. Flight attendant just sitting there on their phone. No notification that the bathroom was broken so long lines. Apathetic crew.

4.0 OkayGow, Aug 2026
Read more Delta reviews

One of the restrooms didn’t work. The ones that did never got replenished. Flight attendant just sitting there on their phone. No notification that the bathroom was broken so long lines. Apathetic crew.

Pushing back flight and ultimately cancelling it after multiple changes and hours of delays. Comm were terrible as to what was going on and what options were available.

Even though we arrived early and checked in, for some unexplained reason, our bags were removed from the plane and put on the next flight. It took over 12 hours after arriving to get our bags.

Stewardess was not accommodating when I requested a second drink.

The morning calzone was less than impressive and we ended up with heartburn

Some of the passengers are coming on board with luggage so overstuffed and/or too large that have no business going into the overhead bins.

I am in a wheelchair The gate agent knew exactly how to boarding A wheelchair first also the flight attendant knew exactly what she was doing

There is consistently no communication/updated time slots in the app on when a flight will board when its delayed, which is the most frustrating as a consumer trying to understand if they need to get food now, or if there is actually a chance for them to eat during their layover. This keeps being my experience with delta and a potential reason to change airlines.

Long delays at both DCA and MSP; Crew did not keep us informed (or very little). Airplane was showing signs of heavy use (not up to Delta standards). Food options for Business Class have dropped in quality. After landing we sat on tarmac for maybe 25 minutes with no provided chance to use the bathroom and crew did not tell us what was going on or give an estimated time to expect to be at a gate.

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

Mediocre movies Too cold Didn’t have extra blankets Check in was too long (60-70 min coming 3 hours early) Breakfast was terrible Great WiFi however And smooth ride Dinner was decent

Really good food and service. Qatar Airways is again and again provided an exceptional experience.

Extremely uncomfortable seats with very little cushioning, unable to recline enough to sleep comfortably on this 13 hour overnight flight. My body was in pain by the end.

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.

Our experience on the Doha to Hyderabad segment was extremely stressful due to prolonged delays and a lack of clear communication from the airline. We were traveling as a family, including children, and the uncertainty around timing and next steps caused significant distress. There was very little proactive information provided during the delay, and we were not given clear written explanations about what was happening or how long it might take. This made it difficult to manage the situation, especially while caring for children in a transit environment. In addition, one member of our party was ultimately unable to continue travel, which added to the emotional strain and disruption of the trip. Overall, the experience highlighted gaps in communication, customer care, and handling of unexpected situations. We are sharing this feedback so that future passengers, especially families, are supported with clearer communication and better assistance during irregular operations.

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 would help id flight crew were not rude and showed some courtesy. They were shouting at passengers and yelling instructions as if we were school children at lunch cafeteria!!

I am a big person and have back pain and swelling in my legs, so this was a challenging flight due to confined space. I didn't find the crew very friendly either. I will think twice before flying long distances with Qatar again, due to the lack of legroom.

All good. Over four hours flight if provided snacks like Qatar Airways would be better

Lobster starter in business class was not good, tough, served cold, and without butter. Movie selection was missing latest releases, did not offer older classic, high quality movies

A lot of things can be done to improve in flight experience

Average at every level . Poor entertainment selection. Boarding was very poor and disorganized. Flight was late by one hour .

Spent over $20k on for business class tickets from DFW. They used a very old Boeing 777 with old Business class cabin which was unclean and stained seats. On a route they normally operate the modern Boeing 787. The cabin heat was set to hot for 11 hours. On the IST LHE route the business class experience got even worse. They operate an even older Airbus A330 where trip was falling apart, seat recline did not operate and the whole experience left us hugely disappointed. Next time we likely will shift to better quality product which stands up to their hype. Turkish need to relook at their fleet plans and not use their worst assets of perceived week markets such as Pakistan.

The flight from Houston to Chicago was delayed, causing us to miss our connecting flight to Madrid, losing our Rental Car booking in Bologna taking alternative travel routes to get to our initial destination in Pizza by the 15th. We got the notification of the delay as we were traveling the 3 1/2 hours from Corpus Christi, Texas to Houston Texas for the initial flight. The delays hauling luggage all over Milan‘s Central train station to catch trains to get to Pizza the same day resulting us arriving in Pizza at 2 AM leaving us no time to rest as there was a 9 o’clock checkout time the next morning. The first 72 hours of the trip with nothing but headache, a knee injury from the excessive walking and a delayed car rental replacement, which ended up costing significantly more.

We flew business class and it was impressive. So comfortable with delicious food and very attentive and polite staff. Will definitely fly Turkish airlines again.

To get to jet blue at JFK from any connecting flight you have to go through security again.

Amazing! One of the best kept secrets in air travel!

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.

Very good except the boarding process too forever and wasn’t organized by group. I had a heavy pack or I wouldn’t have minded. I was in business. There were no audible announcements in the waiting area about boarding and everyone packed into the boarding area. Then boarding stopped for a long time but the staff made no announcements to update waiting passengers about the holdup. The flight was good after we got on.

This is the first and last time I will be traveling Turkish airlines. The flight was delayed three times. Second time we sat on the aircraft for approximately an hour and a half. Initially told that the delay would only be 15 minutes then no explanation thereafter except that we were deboarding. We missed our connecting flights to Zimbabwe, and had to pay for a overnight hotel stay in addition to paying for a new tickets to our get to our final destination. They allowed us to order food from the airport food court but only from fast food and even that they limited the menu items we could select. I would some to contact me about the refund on the hotel and the connecting flight!

This flight has a history of leaving late, however, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not delayed this day. The flight went smooth, except I was in a window seat and the wall and my feet were freezing. I found it difficult to sleep due to being so cold, I also was using 2 provided UAL blankets and could not get my feet warm. This was annoying, but I still made it there on time and safe.

Staff didn't seem confident about the ingredients in my lactose intolerance meal

the seat has a problem. the back had a hole.

The back to back mechanical delays from Denver to San Diego and then on my return flight from Denver to Great Falls it added extra time both ways

Really old place. Not as clean as it should be, tray tables needed better cleaning. The items, trays and some other items need to b6 engineered. Anything task you or crew may do is incredibly load, seriously engineer for quiet smooth, easy. Just opening and closing the tray table is actually dangerous and can easily injure a finger. I'm sure it happens as it happened to me! First time I used United and likely will be the last!

Like the fact that the boarding was expedited. But the delay and chaos around the onboarding was not appreciated.

Flight was 2.5 late. Maybe not United’s fault but late none the less. We were late as well on the first leg. WiFi quit working with an hour left.

Staff on the plane was incredible. Check-in was very complicated with no staff to help at the airport. I was charged for a second bag even though my ticket says 2 bags are free

Staff could’ve been a little more cordial. The men were much more friendlier than the women. My daughter and I also missed the 2nd to last meal as we were sleeping but that is on us.

The food needs to be improved, up to the standard of the people and the accommodation.

It was a great experience for my first time flying with this airline. I will be flying with them a lot more now. Plane crew was amazing.

The flight was very smooth, however, the quality of food was mediocre.

The TV wasn't working No music for the whole flight from JFK to LOS It was too burring.

Flight was delayed by two hours. This really messed things up because I missed my connecting flight in Addis. I had a meeting in Entebbe which was scrapped because my flight from Addis landed later in the day.

I paid for internet that did not work and had to pay more to have it

The crew was unfriendly and very rude to name a few (Helina). I felt unsafe due to most of the cabinets were open while on flight. All in all the flight was ok, but the crew needed more training on customer service most of all for international flights.

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.

The use of a domestic carrier without entertainment was disappointing and a let down

There where no ear phones provided and the food needs to improve.

The food could be better, the beef was quite tough. The crew were friendly and helpful on this flight, which has not being my experience on other Ethiopian flights.

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.