$488 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 10/11. 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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Cheap Flights to South Africa

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$996
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stop$1,226
Durban
Durban2 stops$1,346
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,379
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops$1,520
George
George2 stops$1,420
Skukuza
Skukuza2 stops$1,626
East London
East London2 stops$1,508
Richards Bay
Richards Bay2 stops$1,981
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stops$1,713
Kimberley
Kimberley2 stops$1,854
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops$1,735
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops$1,827
Upington
Upington2 stops$1,834
Margate
Margate2 stops$2,977
Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$996
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stop$1,226
Durban
Durban2 stops$1,346
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,379
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops$1,520
George
George2 stops$1,420
Skukuza
Skukuza2 stops$1,626
East London
East London2 stops$1,508
Richards Bay
Richards Bay2 stops$1,981
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stops$1,713
Kimberley
Kimberley2 stops$1,854
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops$1,735
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops$1,827
Upington
Upington2 stops$1,834
Margate
Margate2 stops$2,977

Book Cheap South Africa Plane Tickets

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

Thu, Sep 3 - Thu, Sep 17
Etihad Airways Logo
9:30 pm - 8:15 am
ATL
-
JNB
28h 45m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 am - 4:30 pm
JNB
-
ATL
36h 45m
1 stop
$996Etihad Airways
Mon, Aug 24 - Mon, Sep 14
Etihad Airways Logo
9:30 pm - 8:20 am
ATL
-
JNB
28h 50m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
9:45 am - 4:30 pm
JNB
-
ATL
36h 45m
1 stop
$997Etihad Airways
Wed, Jul 22 - Wed, Jul 29
Qatar Airways Logo
10:00 pm - 9:10 am
JFK
-
JNB
29h 10m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
8:55 pm - 10:30 pm
JNB
-
JFK
31h 35m
1 stop
$1,050Qatar Airways
Sun, Jul 19 - Wed, Jul 29
Qatar Airways Logo
10:00 pm - 9:10 am
JFK
-
JNB
29h 10m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
8:55 pm - 10:30 pm
JNB
-
JFK
31h 35m
1 stop
$1,058Qatar Airways
Sat, Sep 5 - Wed, Sep 16
Kenya Airways Logo
1:45 pm - 3:50 pm
JFK
-
JNB
20h 05m
1 stop
Kenya Airways Logo
12:10 pm - 7:35 am
JNB
-
JFK
25h 25m
1 stop
$1,089Kenya Airways
Wed, Sep 30 - Sun, Nov 29
Kenya Airways Logo
1:45 pm - 12:15 am
JFK
-
JNB
28h 30m
1 stop
Kenya Airways Logo
1:35 am - 6:35 am
JNB
-
JFK
36h 00m
1 stop
$1,091Kenya Airways
Thu, Oct 15 - Mon, Oct 26
Ethiopian Air Logo
9:45 pm - 3:55 am
EWR
-
JNB
24h 10m
2 stops
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:50 pm - 8:10 pm
JNB
-
EWR
27h 20m
2 stops
$1,178Ethiopian Air
Fri, Aug 21 - Thu, Sep 3
Ethiopian Air Logo
9:45 pm - 12:05 am
EWR
-
JNB
20h 20m
2 stops
Ethiopian Air Logo
2:30 pm - 8:55 am
JNB
-
EWR
24h 25m
2 stops
$1,210Ethiopian Air
Wed, Nov 25 - Fri, Dec 11
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:25 am - 12:05 pm
EWR
-
CPT
28h 40m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:20 pm - 10:30 pm
CPT
-
EWR
36h 10m
1 stop
$1,428Turkish Airlines
Tue, Nov 10 - Wed, Nov 18
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:25 am - 12:05 pm
EWR
-
CPT
28h 40m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:20 pm - 10:30 pm
CPT
-
EWR
36h 10m
1 stop
$1,432Turkish Airlines
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 Cape Town, at $1,584 round-trip. The most popular route is Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $1,711.

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 August, when tickets cost $762 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and November, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,258 and $1,084 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 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 12% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 25 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 Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB), with an average flight price of $1,334.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$488
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 15% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 19% 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 $1,685. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,945 on average.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa

  • 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 8420 reviews
7.8Comfort
7.2Food
8.5Crew
7.8Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Flight got canceled 4 times, missed my connecting flight due to delays, have to wait to go home tomorrow

2.0 MediocreChelsea, Jun 2026
DAL - ATL
Read more Delta reviews

Flight got canceled 4 times, missed my connecting flight due to delays, have to wait to go home tomorrow

Third flight in two months where the crew was not there. Comfort seating does not guarantee overhead bin space. Passengers with children are allowed on the plane first - if you are flying to and from Orlando, this means half the plane has boarded before you get on. And somehow all the bin space is taken up. 3 out of 5 flights have had issues with equipment or procedure. Some of these instances caused the flight to be delayed because of a "nuisance" light. One time it was a bag that had been brought on board but did not belong to anyone so we had to return to the gate. Last night we were told the "AC" on the plane doesn't work well and we're 10th for take off- because the crew was late - and that it will get cool when we're in the air. Not sure if this is usual, but I didn't think flight crew could jump seat in first class. Movie and TV selection has not been refreshed for several months- flying one to two round trips each month easily exhausts the list of content.

Great experience nice pilot very soft and easy landing and take off

We sat on the runway for over an hour before departure. That was unwelcome.

Horrible. Faucet in sink not working, wifi not working. Didn’t bring food or snacks

Flight was delayed before take off and at landing. Baggage took 20 minutes. Flight crew would not serve full soft drink and had to ask multiple times before receiving water.

From checking to boarding, it was a seamless experience. The service agents were so helpful. The flight crew was so pleasant.

Gate agent showed up 20 minutes before boarding and was not at all friendly. Had to take this flight due to the one on the day before being cancelled and any later options were already full with long standby lists. Despite having paid for Delta Comfort seats, Delta did not allow me (or anyone) to choose their seat. The agent assigned them for everyone just prior to boarding. Self seat selection was allowed on the original flight. Flight staff was great - very friendly.

Flight attendants were great. Cheerful, upbeat and friendly. Jet, in particular, was fantastic.

I have Precheck. Flew HPN to DEN and return this past weekend. Delta didn't attach my Precheck number to this trip. So it was waiting in general line especially in Denver. Unavailable.

I flew Business with my daughter and son. The service, friendliness of the staff and the comfort of the fully flat beds were phenomenal. Would definitely fly Turkish again soon.

Entertainment system is okay, flight attendants were ok. Leg space very narrow, I couldn’t get what I wanted to eat, dinner nor breakfast.

Excellent experience with business class area. Staff was attentive and food was amazing. Only one bathroom for business class which was logistically difficult for the staff while preparing meals. Need to offer fluids with meals. I did not get enough water to drink. But overall I rate it 5 star.

On time, great food, good drink selection! Only down was alcohol-free lounge. Lufthansa had a much better offering!

Be honest of what you sell: This was sold as Business Class on all three legs, while the JetBlue plane didn't even have business class seats, and wanted $164 for extra legroom seats.

Seat assignments for family traveling with 2 children. Loud crowd during sleep time

It was crowded… the bathrooms dirty and smelly. The seats have been made even smaller.

delayed to take off from detroit by 3 hours lost baggage in istanbul and now in venice without baggage

Seats were very tight with poor legroom - and I am average height. During the 12 hour flight, tiny paper cups of drinks we're only offered during the super and breakfast services, with the crew nowhere to be seen in between. One of the bathrooms was out of order, leading to long lines waiting to use the remaining two available to the economy class passengers.

short flight but we still got a very nice lunch and the crew did an excellent job in taking care of us

They delayed the flight 3 hours because it wasn't full they moved us to 5 different gates probably the worst airline ever not even spirit is this bad.

Very easy ! Use the kiosk and bag drop and right to security within 10 min

Checking bag at terminal was horrible. No agents to check us in and only 1 kiosk working. Boarding went ok. Crew onboard was very scattered rained. Missed our row while serving and then didn’t see them hardly again.

Crew was amazing, takeoff wonderful. The bathroom was disgusting from before takeoff the odor made the flight uncomfortable as you could smell the bathroom from the center of the plane where we were sitting. Smelled like raw sewage. My daughter was throwing up as we landed due to the smell and horrible turbulence as we approached Newark.

Airline tickets are not cheap. You expect reliable competent service. Thanks to canceled flights and botched transfers we arrived at our destination two days late. This is not acceptable

Horrible! Several delays and then was cancelled! I spent over 24 hours in the airport and was unable to get a hotel or food voucher.

The entertainment they offer could use some games, and maybe they could add some cookies to the snack menu. And the automated messages are a bit repetitive. But it was comfortable temperature wise and the seats were comfortable. The crew is very polite and helpful

The entertainment is a bit limited, it would be better if they added some games to play besides the movies and tv shows. But the seats are comfortable and the crew is polite

This planes staff was top tier. Everything went great and had a great flight home.

Food was great. Staff was phenomenal. Seats were a bit hard and could use a lot more entertainment options as far as movies to choose from. WiFi was good. Overall great trip.

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

Food was absolutely pathetic. I wasted so much food which I thought was inedible. I also loathe the inflight entertainment system which has very little content

The following is a review for a flight from Johannesburg to Washington, DC with a connection at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and refueling landing at Rome, Italy. The flight was provided by Ethiopian Airlines. There were two of us: me and my wife on this flight. Everything was on time. Enough legroom between the seats, I was able to stretch my legs and sleep for at least some time during the 14 hour second flight (19 hours in total for both flights). Very decent meals that included two lunches and one breakfast on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington and one lunch on the flight from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa. The lunch choices were beef, chicken and fish, I think the vegetarian option was available as well, accompanied with beans. The breakfast was a choice between egg and pancake, accompanied with a fruit salad. The egg breakfast was awesome, it came with a scrambled egg and a sausage. However, my wife mentioned unusual taste of the pancake breakfast meal, by all means those were not pancakes. What wasn't good: Externally initiated commercials on the infosystem screens, you couldn't turn the screen off. These commercials were accompanied by loud and annoying music, transmitted through the entire cabin. Obviously, there was no escape from this music as well. Additional moment: on the flight from Addis Ababa to Washington, DC, we landed at Rome for refueling. This was totally fine and it was in the flight itinerary. But, the flight attendant asked me to straighten the seat while we were at the steady position during the refueling. I can't rationalize this order except that some people just like to be a boss of some kind. Keeping the light lit in the economy cabin while keeping it dimmed in the first class also didn't improve my and my wife's feelings. Overall, the services were very good and the flight, despite its longevity, went on very smoothly.

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

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

The crew were amazing. They should improve the inflight entertainment

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.

Delay not posted, only departure time listed- not boarding time. We left an hour late and arrived 45 min late. Restrooms had backed up sinks and toilets not flushed ) passenger error). Lots of screen for entertainment didn’t work. But we arrived with our luggage

The plane was old and the luggage racks above us were visibly shaking during turbulence. Water was dripping on our heads during landing. Our flight was over 2 hours late departing but we were not updated or told what to expect as the screen at the gate continued to read “on time”

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.