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Find cheap flights to South Africa from £269

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 Kingdom to South Africa departing on 6/11. 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.
1 adult
0 bags
Thu 13/6
Thu 20/6

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Best South Africa Flight Deals

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours

Johannesburg
Johannesburg1 stop£417
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stop£403
Durban
Durban2 stops£597
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops£748
George
George2 stops£798
East London
East London2 stops£796
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£835
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops£1,044
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops£713
Skukuza
Skukuza2 stops£916
Richards Bay
Richards Bay2 stops£1,119
Mthatha
Mthatha1 stop£882

Good to know - Cheap tickets to South Africa

Low season

July

High season

December

Cheapest flight

£269
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 29% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (33% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Cape Town

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • How long is the flight to South Africa?

    An average direct flight from the United Kingdom to South Africa takes 18h 06m, covering a distance of 5922 miles. The most popular route is London - Johannesburg with an average flight time of 11h 00m.

  • What is the cheapest flight to South Africa?

    The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United Kingdom found in the last 72 hours was £177 one-way, and £416 round-trip. The most popular route is London Heathrow to Johannesburg OR Tambo and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £473.

  • Which airlines fly to South Africa?

    American Airlines, British Airways & Iberia fly the most frequently from the United Kingdom to South Africa. The most popular route is from London to Johannesburg, and American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia fly this route the most.

  • What are the most popular destinations in South Africa?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Johannesburg (53% of total searches to South Africa). The next most popular destinations are Cape Town (37%) and Durban (5%). Searches for flights to Sun City Resort (3%), to Port Elizabeth (0.8%) and to Mthatha (0.3%) 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 travellers 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
See more tips

Top 5 airlines flying 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.
7.8
KLMOverall score based on 1569 reviews
7.2Entertainment
7.8Boarding
8.4Crew
7.6Comfort
7.3Food
Airline reviews

The food from Lagos to Amsterdam was was very poor compared to AMS-YYZ

8.0 ExcellentJacob Oluleke, Apr 2024LOS - AMS
Read more about KLM reviews

The food from Lagos to Amsterdam was was very poor compared to AMS-YYZ

The flight was again delayed for more then 2 hours with some lousy explanation regarding the reason of the delay. Although the flight was delayed for more than 2 hours, no refreshments were offered (according to EU regulations). Last 4 flights on KLM - always at least 2 hrs late. So be prepared that you cannot plan anything with KLM.

Booked connecting flights with KlM. My serving flight was the furthest part of the airport. On arrival in Zurich. My two cases arrived but only one carry on belong to my son. His three suitcase didn't arrive. After enquiring we discovered they were still in Amsterdam. We landed at 11.12. We eventually left the airport just after one.

Seats are fair enough for medium tall people. Good food all the trip. Fight attendances are warm

The food was ok. The crew seemed like they were cranky. I had one guy get mad at me for passing in between the storage area to get to the other toilet. I can understand if it's not allowed but reprimanding me like I'm a student saying "This is the last time!" was not appropriate. During my meal time, there was a French family around me. No problems there but when we usually have meals, they are supposed to put their chair in the upright position. These people did not do it and the steward did not tell them to raise their seat in the upright position. However, I was told to do so! So, me and another person next to me had to eat with the monitor almost touching our faces. Furthermore, a lady in front of me was putting her feet up and preventing another elder passenger from putting her seat back. To make it worse, she was continuously hitting her back into her seat, shaking my monitor while I was watching a movie. A crew member did speak to her about it but then she accused me of pushing her seat forward! The crew member gave me a death stare and told me to stop pushing the seat forward. I did not even touch her seat at all, if I did, she would know it. Her boyfriend also stood up and tried to push her seat even further past the maximum decline to no avail. None of these people were reprimanded but the steward, some bald guy, was extremely friendly with them and did not even try to instruct them to do anything until it was time to land. I resisted the urge to really argue with them because I would have obviously been seen as the aggressor (I have no idea why). I hardly said anything on this flight except "more wine please" and "sorry" if I bumped into someone accidentally. Overall, it was an annoying flight and I had to resist the urge to yell at the steward and the people he was overly friendly with. The happiest moment of this flight was leaving it.

Overall a good experience. We were disappointed when we had to check our carry on due to the plane being full. KLM hadn’t notified us and we had valuable items in the carry on but they still made us check it. Some of the food was great and some was mediocre. Crew is really kind and funny.

It was nice to be on a legacy airline, people try at least.

I travel frequently. The flight was late again... KLM should really try and be on time

The flight itself it was great nice food the crew were very nice and helpful, Checking in from Birmingham wasn't great long queues for bag dropped, And I had my hand luggage case taken away from me even though I requested to have it with me as I had breakables items. I was told I can not because of the length of the flight with no explanation at all no options was given for me to take my fragile items out of my case it was taken away with hold buggage I find the staff member who was checking me in very unpleasant !! Can we please be advise if the rules have changed about the the carry on hand luggage it will be easier to be advise on booking your tickect if we not allowed to take the hand luggage with me. Overall I had a good flight .

I requested wheel chair assistance , it was confirmed via email that inwoood get it but I didn’t get it . The last leg of my trip to Nigeria was the worst.

Cabin crew on our flight showed lack of any customer service gruff and acting annoyed if you asked anything and I mean anything Example a man on the seat over dropped his beer on my husbands blanket We asked if we could switch out blankets cabin crew Said. No we don’t have any extras OK well can you take the wet one Cabin crew looked disgusted and annoyed Took it no OK or yes just a growl

My ticket was for Premium Economy and all the seats were taken, I was placed in Economy class and I’m looking for a refund.

Unfortunately delayed 2 hrs due to faulty tyre.. which had to be changed, but better safe than sorry.

The delay was an issue. Other than that. Every thing good

Staff didn’t check cabin well for landing seemed more interested in chatting to each other. Food was poor and differed from pre order.

We were in the last group to be called to the flight - which was 30 minutes late taking off. While we were lucky enough to have been given bulkhead seats (due to a medical condition I’d told them about beforehand) the seats weren’t particularly comfortable. A crying baby for the whole trip made things worse, so the crew managed very well with coping. The final thing I’d say was that there wasn’t enough food served during the flight.

Very good. Glad we had Premium for the flight out.

We flew Upper Class from London to The Turks and Caicos. Check in was amazing. Our ldriver too us directly to a special entrance to terminal 3. It took 10 minutes to check in and clear customs. Amazing! The VA lounge is large and comfortable. Boarding the flight was easy and without a wait. The crew was excellent. But the seats were awful, strange and uncomfortable. Having a comfortable flat bed seat is the reason we pays 1000s extra. The VA 787 uses a reverse herringbone configuration. Look it up. You have your back to the window and are facing the aisle with no privacy. Turning the seat into a bed requires assistance from the crew so not very spontaneous. . The food was ok. A bit tasteless and meager portions. Had to pay for WiFi. I believe VA has other configuration on their dream airbus flights. Lots of stuff about all this on YouTube where you can see what I have been describing. I can not recommend taking VA on a long flight with these seats.

From the start everything was perfectly fine. First meal was fantastic. Breakfast needs a lot of work and food was overcooked and not very nice for breakfast. Staff for a fantastic friendly nice we came round and check we need anything else to eat or drink

We originally had a window seat. Our seats were changed to the center isle between 2 bathrooms. This was a red eye flight and we were traveling with an infant. Due to the light from the bathroom doors opening and closing throughout the night our infant would not sleep and cried the whole night which kept us awake and everyone around us. It was a very unpleasant experience for everyone trying to sleep.

Choice of Vegetarian Food in Economy class needs overhaul improvement

The gate was changed at the very last moment and no one informed us. The flight was one hour late and the screen broken, the remote control not working. One toilet was out of order . the other toilets were also not totally functioning, because the washbasin was plugged and the water couldn't flow away.

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.

The crew were extremely unfriendly. The plane was dirty and the entertainment system did not work, so they did not even give out earphones to anyone.

The flight was one hour late. The food is mediocre and the screen was broken

It is just ok, the sits are very uncomfortable, the temperature too low and there weren’t blankets. The food is mediocre and there are no screens to watch movies.

Flight was smooth but unnecessary long because we had to refuel at FCO Rome. Air hostesses service and response to call light could be better. Both planes were old with broken seat arms and toilets. Why Africans had to be given the farthest Gates is what baffles me and why we have to pay for Aisle seats I found really strange. Is there ever an end to ripping people off even after paying over $2300 for one seat.

Luggage delayed for one day. I called customer service, and they had no info and no empathy. Boarding was very disorganized and chaotic. We went nearly 7 hours with no food or snacks on the flight. This is not an airline that has respect for its passengers.

it was a nice tripe but they need to work on the serving of soda,they should be abled to serve cain soda not on cup.At least each passenger should be entitled to one cain of soda not serving on cup.thanks.

Same but worse than international. The inter African flights are worse.

Food was great. They never to add more current entertainment like movies and shows

Paid an extra USD 100 for so-called Comfort seats. All of these (the bulkhead seats) had parents with babies and infants who were screaming much of the time. One mother even decided to change nappies on the seat. This was anything but comfort!

Good flight. Paid for seats sat the frront section of the economy. Better than rear cabin.

Apart from delay of 3 hrs in Nairobi for onward flight to Dar all fine. Looked like operational issues caused it.

I booked a round trip flight and boarded a Kenya Airways trip from New York (JFK) to Nairobi (JKIA). First flight from New York to Nairobi was uneventful with no issues. However, the return flight was beyond disappointing. To begin with I had paid an extra $60 each for premium seats (me and my wife) in economy aisle 15 (B & A). However, upon settling down in the middle seat, I noticed that the controller had been ripped off meaning I would not have access to some of the seat functionalities like the individual lighting etc. I proceeded to alert a flight attendant that the controller was missing and she politely responded to me by telling me if I need anything, to use my wife’s seat controller (on the window seat) to call for assistance and I would be assisted accordingly. I was surprised by the response that she gave as it felt like my comfort and request for a service that I paid for was undermined, but nonetheless I opted to play it nice and kept my calm. After this I engaged in a conversation with a passenger (Caucasian / White male) who sat next to me on the aisle seat. In the process of having this conversation I asked him if he had paid for his seat. He went ahead to politely tell me that he had been moved from a seat in the back by one of the flight attendants and had not paid any extra fees. During this conversation, he noticed that the charging docks were not working and he needed to charge his iPad to watch his Netflix show (it was on pause). Alarmed by this, he went ahead and flagged one of the flight attendants who without wasting any time acted astonished and as fast as lightning was able to find him a better seat a few rows in front. Please note, all the charging plugs were not working for the three seats. In summary, below are the reasons for the low rating: 1. Charging for a broken seat: Kenya Airways should not charge for a defective seat. If a seat is defective and is paid for, the airlines should work out a way to either refund the customer or move the customer to a better seat – regardless of skin color. 2. Below Par Customer Service: Do not debilitate a customer’s request especially when a paid for service is not delivered – regardless of skin color. Assuming that I am comfortable with having to either keep alerting the flight attendant or relying on my wife’s seat to perform some of the functionality I may need is ridiculous. 3. Biasness / Inequality / Prejudiced Behavior: The Caucasian/ White male was treated with more favor. Not only was he moved around to make sure he was comfortable (free of charge) but all his complaints were resolved immediately without any hesitance. On the contrary, I being a black man of African descent who had paid an additional premium for his seat, I was completely ignored and told to settle for what I got.

It has been 1 week since arriving at my destination and I still have not recieved my kite surfing bags. Office will not communicate properly on location or when my bags will arrive. No advice on what to do on luggage that has not arrived in over a week. Simply not happy with Kenya airways at the moment.

Excellent. They canceled our flight & put us up for the night. Then upgraded us. We are impressed

On a long flight us customers need more rehydration by the crew. Some of us have water bottles but no crew is coming around to offer water. I’m not saying issue us all with plastic water bottles.

My flight from Nairobi to nyc. My seat made noise and moved around. The two toilets in the back didn’t work well cause you didn’t know if someone was in there cause the light didn’t work. The bathroom doors didn’t lock well either, so I walked in on someone. The crew wasn’t quick or super helpful. When I went to get something they were chatting and they would look at me, continue on with their conversation and finally I would interrupt to get a drink.

The flight attendants on this flight were incredible! One even gave me her own dinner when my special meal order wasn’t transferred due to a flight delay! She insisted and I was so grateful. That is going above and beyond! The issue I had with the flight was with Lufthansa support. I missed my connection due to a flight delay and they wouldn’t rebook online, only in person. This took a lot of time and visits to the airport waiting for a Lufthansa agent to arrive 5 hours later than posted and almost paying full-fare price for the new flights and refusal to add my special meal orders. It made for a challenging journey home and I didn’t feel valued as a customer.

Our flight was delayed by over 6 hours. We then had to deplane, stay overnight in a hotel then fly out the next day, 23 hours late.

I would have preferred something lighter for the second meal. Maybe a small sandwich .

They cancelled our flight the morning of departure at 4:30am.

Flight bumpy but good. 1 hr 20 mins for luggage not so good.

We were told to check our bags at the last minute, and the communication was poor.

Lost our luggage in Heathrow. Showed up 3 days into a 7 day vacation. Very inconvenient and disappointing!!

My luggage never arrived to Zurich. They can't confirm when it will arrive

Late again. 3 out of 4 late. One cancelled flight and one lost bag.

Charged an extra 65 pounds for overweight suitcase, Not told how much overweight but had no choice but to pay the price. Compare to Delta Airlines where I flew internationally a few days before with this suitcase and no extra charge by Delta. Comfort was horrible. I am just under 6 feet tall, and good that the flight was only 1 1/2 hours, because my knees were in the seat back in front of me the whole flight. I felt that my knees were part way up to my chest. No reason to have the seats that close. I will say to the positive was the flight crew, very friendly and efficient.

The flight was delayed as they were waiting on catering. Catering. Was eventually delivered but they still had no food. No meals for us in business class - just a bag of nuts.

Book Cheap South Africa Plane Tickets

Cheapest flights to South Africa from the United Kingdom found in 2024

Recent return flight deals

15/6Sat
1 stopLufthansa
14h 30mLHR-CPT
11/7Thu
1 stopLufthansa
14h 55mCPT-LHR
£403
15/6Sat
1 stopLufthansa
14h 30mLHR-CPT
11/7Thu
1 stopLufthansa
23h 55mCPT-LHR
£416
3/6Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
25h 55mLGW-JNB
10/6Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 50mJNB-LGW
£487
6/6Thu
1 stopEthiopian Air
25h 55mLGW-JNB
10/6Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 50mJNB-LGW
£490
5/6Wed
1 stopKenya Airways
15h 30mLHR-JNB
16/6Sun
1 stopKenya Airways
29h 05mJNB-LHR
£505
28/5Tue
2 stopsKLM
16h 55mLHR-JNB
13/11Wed
1 stopKLM
18h 06mJNB-LHR
£507
13/6Thu
1 stopKLM
13h 50mLHR-JNB
4/7Thu
1 stopKLM
19h 20mJNB-LHR
£508
19/6Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
17h 15mLGW-JNB
4/7Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
19h 50mJNB-LGW
£508
29/5Wed
1 stopKenya Airways
15h 30mLHR-JNB
24/6Mon
1 stopKenya Airways
24h 15mJNB-LHR
£516
18/6Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
15h 00mLHR-JNB
26/6Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
23h 45mJNB-LHR
£517

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Recent one-way flight deals

6/11Wed
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
£269
6/11Wed
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
£275
29/5Wed
1 stopKenya Airways
15h 30mLHR-JNB
£371
10/6Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 45mLGW-JNB
£383
30/5Thu
1 stopEthiopian Air
32h 50mLGW-JNB
£384
19/5Sun
1 stopKenya Airways
20h 25mLHR-JNB
£391
19/8Mon
1 stopKLM
23h 25mLHR-JNB
£466
18/8Sun
1 stopKLM
23h 35mLCY-JNB
£475
30/5Thu
directVirgin Atlantic
11h 00mLHR-JNB
£564
25/5Sat
directVirgin Atlantic
11h 00mLHR-JNB
£600

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

16/5Thu
multi-stopKLM
13h 50mLHR-JNB
23/5Thu
multi-stopKLM
22h 40mJNB-LHR
£483
15/5Wed
multi-stopRwandAir
16h 40mLHR-JNB
26/5Sun
multi-stopRwandAir
18h 05mJNB-LHR
£484
16/5Thu
multi-stopKenya Airways
28h 50mLHR-JNB
17/6Mon
multi-stopKenya Airways
30h 30mJNB-LHR
£505
16/5Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
32h 50mLGW-JNB
22/5Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
16h 50mJNB-LGW
£521
19/5Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
25h 55mLGW-JNB
10/6Mon
multi-stopEthiopian Air
16h 50mJNB-LGW
£538
16/5Thu
multi-stopKenya Airways
20h 25mLHR-JNB
21/5Tue
multi-stopKenya Airways
24h 15mJNB-LHR
£541
16/5Thu
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
15h 00mLHR-JNB
30/6Sun
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
29h 30mJNB-LHR
£664
17/5Fri
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
17h 35mLGW-CPT
30/6Sun
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
18h 15mCPT-LGW
£710
16/5Thu
multi-stopLufthansa
14h 30mLCY-JNB
23/5Thu
multi-stopLufthansa
21h 35mJNB-LCY
£946
19/5Sun
multi-stopLufthansa
13h 40mLCY-JNB
10/6Mon
multi-stopLufthansa
13h 15mJNB-LCY
£951

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Flights to South Africa

Return flight deals:

South Africa - United Kingdom

Cabin classes:

£4,367
£3,081
£1,254
£382