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Find cheap flights to South Africa from $481

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 10/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
0 bags
Thu 6/27
Thu 7/4

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Best South Africa Flight Deals

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop$761
Cape Town
Cape Town2 stops$796
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops$1,239
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops$1,762
George
George2 stops$1,061
East London
East London2 stops$1,716
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops$1,896
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops$2,026

Good to know

Low season

January

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$481
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 20% increase in price.
Flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport to Cape Town

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • How long is the flight to South Africa?

    An average nonstop flight from the United States to South Africa takes 23h 44m, covering a distance of 8754 miles. The most popular route is New York - Johannesburg with an average flight time of 21h 20m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to South Africa?

    The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $1,117 one-way, and $761 round-trip. The most popular route is New York John F Kennedy Intl to Johannesburg OR Tambo and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $801.

  • Which airlines fly to South Africa?

    United Airlines & Delta fly the most frequently from the United States to South Africa.

  • What are the most popular destinations in South Africa?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Johannesburg (40% of total searches to South Africa). The next most popular destinations are Cape Town (37%) and Sun City Resort (18%). Searches for flights to Durban (3%), to Port Elizabeth (0.6%) and to Hoedspruit (0.4%) are also popular.

  • How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

See more FAQs

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
See more tips

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.
8.0
DeltaOverall score based on 10502 reviews
8.2Boarding
8.0Entertainment
7.9Comfort
7.4Food
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

I've flown many many times on Northwest and then Delta. The crew on this flight were absolutely the best I've had the pleasure of being looked after by.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, May 2024MSP - YVR
Read more about Delta reviews

I've flown many many times on Northwest and then Delta. The crew on this flight were absolutely the best I've had the pleasure of being looked after by.

Flew first class so everything was great. But maybe because the flights were red eye, no meals were served, just chips. I flew Alaska Air 1st class at 9PM (2 hour flight) and they served beef short rib sliders!

Had to change aircraft due to a faulty door. Surprisingly it only caused about an hour and a half of delay. Delta handled this situation as well as can be expected.

Awful. Flight was continuously getting delayed and gates kept changing without any reason. Flight was delayed for more then 3 hours

Paid premium for Delta only to be on safe but tired old 767 with ancient cabin in mediocre condition. Poor wifi and horrible inflight entertainment. Hardly a premium experience. Should have flown SW and had fun flight crew and no pretense

Our flight to Zurich was delayed by almost 3 hours, so we missed our next flight. There was no indication it would be delayed this much. We were told the gate had changed and then it apparently took over 2 hours to load the "catering" on the plane. We were not compensated in any way for the trouble.

Rated entertainment as Mediocre as there were major problems with the Infotainment system that took probably a half hour for them to fix.

Your crew could maybe answer the call bell at least one of the times I pressed it. I pressed it first time with 2.5 hours left in our flight bc my partner was hungry and wanted a sandwich. We finally got the sandwich with 40 mins left in the flight.

Half the bathrooms assigned to economy were out of action

Delta crushed it. Flight attendant in first was attentive and just never stopped. Honestly one of the best domestic flights I’ve been on.

Overnight flight in the old style Business class, but still very good.

I was in business class, without the business class amenities. Large seat with lots of legroom, but no TV or bed. Food was okay, but I did enjoy the Turkish red wine.

Excellent service and comfort from the moment you check in. Flight crew is hyper focused on making passengers comfortable and at ease. It’s like a flying hotel!

Only chicken as a meat dish through out the flight

Nothing really was great as such. Seen other no name airlines perform better.

Quality of service on board was very inconsistent. FA service primarily seemed robotic and they barely engaged with passengers

I’m unclear why I had to pay extra for assigned seats as Turkish airlines did not honor the seating. We were placed across the aisle from each other on TK 34, and were seated behind one another on TK 694. Because my name was misspelled on e-ticket (Klawiter, instead of Klawitter) I could not log onto website to get the connection gate number in Istanbul. The monitors in the airport were a jumbled mess 1/2 Arabic and 1/2 English.

On line check in needs a lot of improvement. I tried and gave up.

Food not good, flight attendants not the best, not accommodating very ruff

the female flight attendant was racist towards me. I could tell she treated the two other passengers next to me with more softness.

Aisle chair was good and liked the foot bar preventing you from putting your foot in the isle, The breakfast on this international flight to Zurich was horrible (Europeans, specially, used to good food) may make this a dealbreaker for booking with United Airlines again. I agreed with my Spanish fellow passenger.

Dinner was okay but the breakfast was not eatable on the flight San Francisco to Zurich.

There was no screens on board AND the WiFi didn’t work. My seat was broken and couldn’t recline so I couldn’t even sleep. The flight attendants didn’t offer anything to make it more comfortable. It was such an old cramped plane, when the person in front of me reclined I couldn’t even open my tray table. All the United ads talk about guaranteeing everyone gets a screen!

The Wi-Fi was unavailable on this flight for some reason.

The flight was delayed almost 2 hours. Bad customer service etc. I will never fly Luthansa. Ever!!!

On time take off…US cabins look tired and need of refresh!

Fine. Though no food or entertainment so the survey needs to be updated with those options.

Backpack should NOT allowed put in the flight bin , only put it under the seat. I can't find space put my carry on luggage!!! and I pay for it ! that was very bad experience

Fantastic. Smooth boarding with an infant. Never experienced it with any other carriers.

This was a flight operated by Lufthansa. See me prior comments, which were meant for this experience. The CSA, Ashley, should be reprimanded if not fired for incompetence, being rude, and very, very slow. She was whispering to other CSAs, blaming my flight change on others, unable to give me a seat assignment, telling me could not help without offering any advice (I travel 200,000 miles a year and am a consultant to the airlines, so I know how this gets done PRETTY DAMN WELL). Then, she gave me literally the worst seat on the airline (yes, there were other seats open) - the one right next to the bathroom that was so bad the other PAX next to me left to move to another seat. My seat kept getting rammed (3x) by the crew with their carts (no turbulence to speak of), other passengers grabbing the seat to get in or out of the bathroom, and listening to the bathroom flush all night.

There were delays on both ends. It made it less than excellent. This plane was great though

AA1537 the AC was not working properly. It was very hot and uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable to sit in the tiny space on a long, international. Food was rough. Please, less white flour and processed food.

Worst experience flying American Airlines. I fly with them often, so I was super disappointed in the service I received at gate 30 in LGA on May 24, mid-day. The flight was delayed twice. I was patiently waiting in the American Airlines lounge when I received the notice on my app that the plane was boarding 45 minutes before its newly re-scheduled take off of 4 pm (from the orginal 1:45 pm then 3:00 pm). It took me 5 min to travel from the lounge to the gate and when I arrived there at 3:20 flight gate attendant told me the flight had closed and that they announced for passengers multiple times. I showed them the notification on my app and they were really rude and unempathetic. The person who rescheduled my flight at customer service wasn't any happier but was at least helpful in getting me on the next flight.

Flight was 1/2 hour delayed leaving Phoenix. Otherwise it was an average flight. Flight crew on this trip was very nice.

Our flight was delayed 2.5 hrs due to plane being too hot! After 1.5 hrs, airline decided to use another plane but had to wait for gate, baggage transfer & beverage transfer. Anyone could tell after first half hour that another plane was required and although did not affect us many would miss connecting flights at Heathrow. I have found the stewards are not the friendliest in the industry and the food is questionable, even as I like airplane food normally, the best of the 2 flights was the yogurt & granola for breakfast.

Everything was great except for the wifi was junk. Crew was super friendly and helpful

Was lucky to have a employee at the AA checkin counter that had compassion and understood they ordeal that we went through with our original flight being diverted, needing to stay in the aircraft and then flying to the original destination; adding hours to the trip and forcing us to miss our connection and our rebooked connection. She was able to get up on standby on the highest priority on the next flight to the closest airport we need to be at and it all worked out despite being many hours late.

Delayed so that missed connecting flight. Connecting flight was also delayed on the tarmac but they closed the gate before the rescheduled time.

Attendants were rude. Scowling. Seats were miserable and we paid extra.

First time flying with BA and I will do it again. Staff at airport and on board were very nice and helpful

they are improving. The crew from Charlotte to Tampa was outstanding. SMILING and trying to be helpful with the customers.

Wonderful service and very comfy in the bulkhead in Economy Plus! Delicious food.

The BA team at Sky Harbor is deplorable, full of unnecessary attitude and poor communication. It seems like every member of the team was looking at another to solve the problem, instead of taking agency to do so themselves. I saw no less than 6 altercations with the same gate agent where he threatened to revoke the passengers boarding pass for asking a wildly reasonable question, something as simple as where the cue to board was. I’ve complained to BA before but it seems this isn’t an issue for them, which is very disappointing

Boarding poor in London,ok in Chicago. Don’t like Heatrow/terminal5

It was very good. We got a late start by about an hour and a half. However I worked rather have that than crash. It was purely mechanical. They had our tickets ready when we came off the plane in London for the next leg. The only mishap was when we got to Lisbon my husbands luggage made or bit mine didn't. All was not lost because I did finally get it 2 days later. I was really pleased that they c made the effort.

Leg space was not enough. The meal was not satisfactory.

Liked that my American Airlines status seamlessly transferred to BA so luggage check was free. Flights were on time, boarding quick. Wish they didn’t assign connecting gate so late at Heathrow.

The entire process was flawless and as expected flying first class. The only thing that I have a complaint on...when first boarding, the plane was EXTREMELY cold; then when we were trying to sleep, it was way too hot - just better regulating (especially trying to sleep) would have made it perfect.

- OK plane. Basic accommodations. OK food. The digital window shade wasn't working.

Book Cheap South Africa Plane Tickets

Recent round-trip flight deals

10/13Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
33h 00mJFK-CPT
10/27Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
34h 35mCPT-JFK
$796
10/20Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
33h 00mJFK-CPT
10/29Tue
2 stopsEthiopian Air
36h 05mCPT-JFK
$803
8/5Mon
1 stopTurkish Airlines
37h 10mIAD-CPT
11/20Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
24h 45mCPT-IAD
$898
10/8Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
32h 00mIAD-CPT
10/15Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
28h 10mCPT-IAD
$930
10/10Thu
2 stopsBritish Airways
31h 55mIAD-CPT
10/28Mon
2 stopsBritish Airways
25h 35mCPT-IAD
$1,228
11/22Fri
2 stopsBritish Airways
33h 25mIAD-CPT
12/14Sat
2 stopsBritish Airways
37h 00mCPT-IAD
$1,251
10/6Sun
nonstopUnited Airlines
14h 55mEWR-CPT
10/24Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
15h 40mCPT-EWR
$1,312
9/12Thu
1 stopUnited Airlines
26h 50mEWR-CPT
10/3Thu
nonstopUnited Airlines
15h 40mCPT-EWR
$1,313
9/9Mon
1 stopDelta
18h 50mLGA-CPT
10/6Sun
1 stopDelta
21h 14mCPT-LGA
$1,319
8/26Mon
1 stopDelta
18h 51mLGA-CPT
9/3Tue
1 stopDelta
21h 16mCPT-LGA
$1,327

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Recent one-way flight deals

10/10Thu
1 stopKenya Airways
41h 00mJFK-CPT
$481
10/10Thu
1 stopKenya Airways
41h 00mJFK-CPT
$487
8/10Sat
1 stopTurkish Airlines
37h 10mIAD-CPT
$772
7/27Sat
1 stopTurkish Airlines
29h 25mEWR-CPT
$806
9/19Thu
1 stopBritish Airways
35h 20mEWR-CPT
$989
10/1Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
21h 05mJFK-CPT
$989
9/20Fri
nonstopUnited Airlines
14h 55mEWR-CPT
$1,118
9/19Thu
1 stopDelta
26h 50mLGA-CPT
$1,122
10/17Thu
1 stopUnited Airlines
22h 50mEWR-CPT
$1,122
9/15Sun
2 stopsDelta
38h 20mLGA-CPT
$1,128

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

6/2Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
7/24Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
26h 45mJNB-EWR
$1,222
5/30Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
25h 00mEWR-JNB
6/3Mon
multi-stopEthiopian Air
27h 10mJNB-EWR
$1,284
5/29Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
34h 25mJFK-CPT
6/3Mon
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
24h 10mCPT-JFK
$1,527
5/30Thu
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
32h 00mIAD-CPT
6/10Mon
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
28h 10mCPT-IAD
$1,535
5/31Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
35h 20mEWR-CPT
6/12Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
42h 30mCPT-EWR
$1,689
5/31Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
35h 25mEWR-CPT
6/12Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
42h 30mCPT-EWR
$1,709
6/2Sun
multi-stopDelta
25h 40mJFK-JNB
6/15Sat
multi-stopDelta
25h 55mJNB-JFK
$1,873
5/30Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
33h 55mEWR-CPT
6/10Mon
nonstopUnited Airlines
15h 30mCPT-EWR
$1,921
5/29Wed
nonstopUnited Airlines
14h 45mEWR-CPT
6/7Fri
multi-stopUnited Airlines
29h 04mCPT-EWR
$1,922
6/1Sat
multi-stopDelta
27h 43mEWR-CPT
6/14Fri
multi-stopDelta
33h 29mCPT-EWR
$1,935

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Flights to South Africa

Return flight deals:

South Africa - United States

Cabin classes:

$2,510
$6,581
$2,911
$1,378

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