£187 Find Cheap Flights to South Africa

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 21/4. 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.
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Best South Africa Flight Deals

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

Cape Town
Cape Towndirect£508
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops£599
George
George2 stops£556
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£783
East London
East London2 stops£658
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops£2,323
Mthatha
Mthatha1 stop£694

Cheap Flight Deals to South Africa

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return 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.

Recent return flight deals to South Africa

Recommended return deals departing in the coming months from the most popular airlines that fly to South Africa.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Choose your dates
10:10 - 03:55LGW-JNB
16h 45m1 stop
14:30 - 06:20JNB-LGW
16h 50m1 stop
£415Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Mon, 5 May - Mon, 19 May
10:10 - 03:55LGW-JNB
16h 45m1 stop
14:30 - 06:20JNB-LGW
16h 50m1 stop
£416Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Mon, 12 May - Mon, 26 May
21:20 - 14:20LHR-JNB
16h 00m1 stop
16:50 - 07:00JNB-LHR
15h 10m1 stop
£473RwandAir
Find Deal
Sun, 13 Apr - Mon, 5 May
21:20 - 14:20LHR-JNB
16h 00m1 stop
16:50 - 09:00JNB-LHR
17h 10m1 stop
£477RwandAir
Find Deal
Tue, 6 May - Sun, 18 May
11:10 - 21:20MAN-JNB
33h 10m1 stop
23:15 - 10:20JNB-MAN
36h 05m1 stop
£521KLM
Find Deal
Wed, 14 May - Tue, 10 Jun
20:10 - 21:20LCY-JNB
24h 10m1 stop
23:15 - 11:40JNB-LCY
13h 25m1 stop
£530KLM
Find Deal
Fri, 2 May - Fri, 23 May
21:10 - 16:15STN-JNB
18h 05m1 stop
19:10 - 12:55JNB-STN
18h 45m1 stop
£647Emirates
Find Deal
Mon, 12 May - Mon, 26 May
21:10 - 20:50STN-JNB
22h 40m1 stop
19:10 - 12:55JNB-STN
18h 45m1 stop
£648Emirates
Find Deal
Mon, 5 May - Mon, 19 May
21:40 - 16:10MAN-JNB
17h 30m1 stop
13:55 - 09:45JNB-MAN
20h 50m2 stops
£663British Airways
Find Deal
Mon, 28 Apr - Tue, 6 May
21:40 - 10:50MAN-CPT
36h 10m1 stop
13:00 - 11:35CPT-MAN
23h 35m2 stops
£730British Airways
Find Deal
Sun, 1 Jun - Thu, 19 Jun

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 return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United Kingdom found in the last 72 hours was to Cape Town, at £529 return. The most popular route is London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £672.

What is the cheapest day to fly to South Africa?

The average price of all flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to South Africa is Tuesday when return tickets can be as cheap as £735. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, when return prices are £849 on average.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.
The cheapest month for flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa is May, when tickets cost £563 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is £935 and £912 respectively.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.
The cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the afternoon, when round-trip flights cost £712 on average. Morning departures are around 21% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is £1,027.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United Kingdom to South Africa?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to South Africa, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.
To get a below-average price on the flight from the United Kingdom to South Africa, you should book around 2 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 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 £501.

Good to know - Cheap tickets to South Africa

Low season

June

High season

December

Cheapest flight

£187
Best time to beat the crowds (13% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (38% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Cape Town

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Do I need a visa for South Africa?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United Kingdom to South Africa is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from the United Kingdom to South Africa with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from the United Kingdom to South Africa?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from the United Kingdom to South Africa up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

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: Cheap flights to South Africa from London Gatwick £669, from London Heathrow £1,883
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest South Africa flight deals.
  • There are a number of international airports in South Africa that provide onward connections to other destinations within the country. Oliver Tambo International Airport (ORT) in Johannesburg is the central hub and from here you can get flights to all other cities in South Africa. If you want to visit the south of the country, you can fly into Cape Town International Airport (CPT), while King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban will give you easy access to the coastline of KwaZulu-Natal.
  • If you are travelling to South Africa with children, you will need to ensure that you are carrying full unabridged birth certificates for each child under the age of 18, especially if only one parent is travelling with the child. While this rule may not apply if both parents are travelling, the South African authorities reserve the right to ask to see the birth certificate and will turn you away at the border if you cannot produce it.
  • Visitors looking at flights to South Africa to visit the world-famous Kruger National Park in the north-east of the country should consider flying into Oliver Tambo in Johannesburg and catching an onwards domestic flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMI) in Nelspruit. The flight takes approximately 45min. It is also possible to fly to Nelspruit from Cape Town and Durban. In Nelspruit you can hire a car or catch a brebooked transfer to travel to Kruger.
  • If you are planning on driving the Garden Route, you could book a flight to George Airport (GRJ), which is situated at one end of this drive from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town. George Airport only has a domestic terminal, so you would need to book a connecting flight from your point of entry into South Africa to George, where you can then collect a hire car for the rest of your journey along the coast.
  • There is a limit to the amount of South African currency that you can carry into the country in cash and it is advisable to check this limit before you fly as it changes frequently. You can also carry a limited amount of cash in foreign currency that you can change at a bureau du change in the airport or, alternatively, use your credit or debit card at an ATM in the airport.
  • It pays to consider African airlines when you want to find cheap flights to South Africa. These are quite numerous, and usually only make one stopover en route, typically in their home country. A good example is Kenya Airways, which flies from London Heathrow (LHR) to OR Tambo (JNB) in Johannesburg, with a single stopover at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO).
  • South Africa is a vast country compared to the British Isles that just begs for a road trip or two. It's a really good idea to book a hire car through KAYAK when you find cheap flights to South Africa. An SUV or MPV will do you well, to handle the challenging roads through some of its major natural tourist attractions, like Namaqualand or the Karoo.
  • You can often find cheap flights to South Africa by choosing those operated by different airlines in tandem. For example, fly London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Cape Town International (CPT) on Turkish Airlines, switching to South African Airways at Istanbul International (IST). Or fly from Edinburgh Turnhouse (EDI) to King Shaka Airport (DUR) in Durban on a combination of Turkish Airlines and Airlink, switching at OR Tambo.
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 1318 reviews
8.4Crew
7.1Entertainment
7.7Comfort
7.8Boarding
7.3Food
Airline reviews

This portion of the flight was through Indigo. A local carrier. So all economy seating. No real service some refreshments for purchase standard economy stuff.

6.0 GoodPaul, Mar 2025BOM - MLE
Read more KLM reviews

This portion of the flight was through Indigo. A local carrier. So all economy seating. No real service some refreshments for purchase standard economy stuff.

This fight left ahead of time which meant it arrived early which was great. Staff were very professional, but as with all these Short hop Flights the food was a disappointing snack There was no entertainment on this flight, but I did not expect any

They only had vegetarian food left on the flight which I wasn’t happy about. I didn’t get any food to eat at all.

Great boarding, great short flight but no entertainment whatsoever and no wifi. Prepare to disembark by a staircase.

Great boarding, great short flight but no entertainment whatsoever. It was supposed to have wifi but that did not work.

Good flight with KLM, friendly staff. Food was good, had much worse on other airlines. Selection of drinks also good enough for us. Entertainment was also good. The economy seats are ok and that’s it. For a 12 hour flight I think a little more comfort in the economy seats in pitch and softness would be highly appreciated by the customers and can makte the difference.

Good food. Excellent crew service. Clean aircraft. Narrow seats and isle.

Seats were comfortable crew members support was very good but AVML ordered or selected by us needs a lot of improvement.

Transavia flight, was booked as KLM but i couldnt select seat or access boarding pass with KLM at all. Crammed seating and very no frills experience all around. First and last time.

Transavia flight. Couldn't select seat or anything prior to flight. No connection with klm systems. Seats are very crammed. Extremely no frills.

Flight took off an hour late. Had to stay on the tarmac for half an hour after landing. Both annoying.

We had an unfortunate experience where we had to leave the aircraft after boarding, shortly before the scheduled takeoff time, and re-board. The reason given was that a passenger felt ill and had to cancel their plans and therefor their luggage had to be found and removed.

We’ve used VA before many times the experience is always been good they have lovely staff and the food is always delicious.

Everything about the flight was amazing from check in to boarding entertainment was okay food we didn’t try.

Seats were old and dirty, for a long haul flight you expect to be able to recline and for the av to work properly. Choice for vegans was fruit….

The Virgin Atlantic crew was very good. However, the equipment was OK, the seats were OK, but her bags did not arrive with me. Two bags showed up a day later and I’m still waiting for my third back.

The crew was very good. However, the equipment was a bit dated. Some of the electronics were not working. To top it, three bags didn’t arrive with me. Two of them were delivered a day later. I’m still waiting for the third bag, I was so looking forward to this virgin Atlantic flight, but, I am disappointed.

My only complaint is that the pocket in front of me was ripped and my things, like iPad and airline magazines, kept slipping to the floor.

Flight delayed yet again. Crew apathetic and unhelpful re affect on connecting flight.

I think Virgin is one of the best flying experiences, especially from/to the UK. The staff are so helpful and fun, the food is good, seats comfortable, goof entertainment and great value. Check in and boarding is pretty pain free. I also find that the other passengers are generally so kind and considerate than when I've flown other airlines.

The plane was overbooked and the crew was very rude. My luggage was never put on the plane. I got to NY and waited 2 hours just to find out that my luggage was left.

Terrible customer service I lost my bag luggage and I still haven’t received any information

The flight delayef for over 2 hours so my route was changed leading to arriving to my destination without my luggage

The ailine departed and arrived late foe every leg of the trip, causing myself and my travel companions to miss every connecting flight. It was very unorganized given theat there was a lot of miscommunication. The flights offered are unrealistic and when you call they assure you that the plane waits for you. I missed an. entire day of my vacation and any entire day of rest back home because of the airline. I do not plan to support the airline again. Thank you

I liked nothing of Ethiopian airlines except the price of the fare.

Food was really not appealing. There was a blocked sink in the toilet. Toilet is cramped and the wall between the 2 toilets are not secured properly.

I felt all of the food tasted the same. And we had five meals over the 16 hrs in the air.

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

Like: It arrived, Dislike: Boarding was a separate corridor with no counter announcements at the passenger waiting area. Very dirty airplane and toilets, food options were terrible - everything even the vegetarian option was a curry spice. Many other passengers using the toilets would not lock the door and kept door partially open during use - flight attendants would not enforce or direct them to lock it and light turns on, no entertainment options at all, other passengers would be singing and not peaceful. Atrocious flight experience.

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

Pleasant, relaxed flight. I had 2 seats to myself, which was a bonus. I couldn't find a flight tracker ap so I could know where we were but that's a minor complaint. On the plus side, the passenger announcements did not come through my earphones but were on main speakers only. That was a nice touch.

Flight delayed by 3 hours 45 mins and no explanation given or apology. Rebooked on a flight departing to final destination 48 hrs later and baggage not delivered.

My outbound flight was grounded in Lusaka so we never made it to Paris. DO NOT fly this airline you will be stranded and your plans will be completely disrupted

Inflight entertainment with electronic charging stations can help during a long flight.

The flight was delayed with no notice. No inflight entertainment. Communication is vital in any business.

Poor communication: Flight come directly to kigali , didn’t come via mumbasa. Favouring to Rwandan passenger to move from economic to bussiness class after flight depart. Where they don’t asked other older passenger who need more comfort. Rude staff : chekin airport at Mumbai. Talking in local language (marathi) while serving and no sorry no thank you attitude.

They overbooked the flight by 3 people. It is completely unacceptable to tell 3 people, with paid tickets, that need to get home for children etc, that they need to stay another night. No compensation. No apology.

It was a short flight but everything was great! I would fly with British Airways again.

Delayed flight due to lack of crew caused me to miss my connection

Please make sure the number of seats matches the number of overhead bins and passengers don't carry on more than one bag.

It was difficult to board from London to accra. Had to get there an hour before and almost missed the flight. Did not get enough rest time at the lounge

Seating is tight if you don’t upgrade. Food was decent. Boarding and unboarding was efficient. Smooth flight. Could make upgrades more affordable

American Airlines seemed to run a 'dry' flight. No alcohol was offered at any point with meals. Breakfast was a bit tasteless. The 'hot pocket' whatever that is, was horrid breadish pastry with very little filling. Decaf coffee was horrid. Seats didn't seem as wide or spacious as usual, especually for a ten hour flight.

We found the bag drop/ check-in proceedure at T5 unnecessarily complicated. We paid extra for seat selection in advance and were allocated worse seats at T5. We found the check-in person was not particularly helpful although the the staff at the gate were super good.

Very dated plane. Seat was firm and uncomfortable. Entertainment system almost laughably outdated. Poor audio. Picture was always too dark.

The worst travel experience of my life. Boarding chaos, delays and disorganisation at every stage. The worst of many was sitting in freezing temperatures for 10 hours whilst asking all cabin crew to turn the heat up to no avail.

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.

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