R9 878 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago 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 Chicago to South Africa departing on 31/10. 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
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from Chicago to South Africa

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stopR16 041
Durban
Durban2 stopsR22 151
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stopsR115 165
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stopsR34 511
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stopsR23 714
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stopR16 041
Durban
Durban2 stopsR22 151
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stopsR115 165
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stopsR34 511
Polokwane
Polokwane2 stopsR23 714

Book Cheap Chicago to South Africa Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Chicago 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 return flight deals from Chicago to South Africa

Fri, Jan 23 - Sun, Feb 1
Turkish Airlines Logo
20:20 - 11:50ORD-CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
17:15 - 18:25CPT-ORD
33h 10m1 stop
R16 041Turkish Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Mar 18 - Mon, Mar 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
21:20 - 11:50ORD-CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
17:15 - 11:05CPT-ORD
24h 50m1 stop
R16 440Turkish Airlines
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Thu, Jan 29 - Wed, Feb 4
Turkish Airlines Logo
20:20 - 11:50ORD-CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
17:15 - 18:25CPT-ORD
33h 10m1 stop
R16 457Turkish Airlines
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Sat, Nov 29 - Fri, Dec 5
Multiple Airlines Logo
18:30 - 13:05ORD-JNB
34h 35m3 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:30 - 17:20JNB-ORD
34h 50m3 stops
R16 475Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, Apr 18 - Sun, Apr 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 - 0:15ORD-JNB
33h 45m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:15 - 12:41JNB-ORD
42h 26m2 stops
R16 648Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 19 - Wed, Nov 26
Ethiopian Air Logo
9:45 - 14:35ORD-CPT
20h 50m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
14:35 - 7:40CPT-ORD
25h 05m2 stops
R16 961Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Wed, Nov 5 - Tue, Nov 11
Ethiopian Air Logo
9:45 - 14:35ORD-CPT
20h 50m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
13:50 - 7:40CPT-ORD
25h 50m2 stops
R17 099Ethiopian Air
Find Deal
Mon, Jan 12 - Mon, Mar 2
Kenya Airways Logo
7:30 - 0:25ORD-JNB
32h 55m2 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
1:35 - 12:44JNB-ORD
43h 09m2 stops
R17 794Kenya Airways
Find Deal
Wed, Mar 4 - Sun, Mar 8
Etihad Airways Logo
13:10 - 8:20ORD-JNB
35h 10m1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 7:35JNB-ORD
29h 45m1 stop
R18 245Etihad Airways
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Wed, Jan 14 - Wed, Feb 25
Kenya Airways Logo
7:30 - 0:25ORD-JNB
32h 55m2 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
1:35 - 17:37JNB-ORD
48h 02m2 stops
R18 263Kenya Airways
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to South Africa flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to South Africa to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly, and much more.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to South Africa?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago 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 Chicago to South Africa is February, when tickets cost R15 850 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is R26 161 and R25 606 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to South Africa?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago to South Africa clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from Chicago to South Africa, you should consider leaving on a Wednesday and avoid Mondays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Saturdays.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago 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 from Chicago 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 Chicago to South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonApril
Cheapest flightR9 808
Best time to beat the crowds (17% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (16% more expensive on average)
Flight from Chicago Midway Airport to Johannesburg

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • What can I do at the Chicago Airports?

    You can rehydrate at the airport showers at ORD, which are open to all passengers. At Gates D, in the passenger area, there is a Transit Hotel that is open around the clock. Further, there are numerous places where people can get employment. In addition, there are those at the Service Center's parking lot 2 and the Family Services facility at Gates E. On the other hand, at MDW, you can visit the yoga room in Concourse C airside and stretch out your muscles before your trip.

  • Do Chicago airports have USO lounges?

    Military personnel flying out through MDW can use the USO lounge located in Concourse C. On the other hand, if you are flying through ORD, you will find the lounges in Terminals 2 and 3. USO lounges allow the US military and their families to access their services at no extra cost.

  • Can I have access to limited mobility services at South African Airports?

    Passengers with limited mobility arriving at any South African airport can access accessibility services to ease their navigation within the airport. The airports are equipped with elevators, and you can also get extra assistance upon request. However, if you want to access these services, ensure that you contact your airline 48 hours before your travel date.

  • Which airline is ideal when flying from Chicago to South Africa?

    There are multiple airlines offering exceptional flight services along Chicago South Africa route. However, these airlines offer different onboard services at different rates. For instance, Emirates offers inflight assorted meals and sleeping blankets. So, your choice of airline when flying to South Africa from Chicago depends on your budget and preferences.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago 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 Chicago to South Africa.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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 time of day to fly to South Africa?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the afternoon, when retur flights cost R19 573 on average. Morning departures are around 20% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R26 786.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa

  • Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is the primary airport serving Chicago. Therefore if you are flying from Chicago to South Africa, it is bound to be your departure airport. Alternatively, you can fly out through Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), which also serves international flights in Chicago.
  • You have many options if you are looking for a parking space at any of the Chicago airports. At ORD, you can park at the long-term parking lot, the Economy Parking Lot F, which is located on MMF floors 4 and 5. If you want to park short-term, you can use the parking lots in Terminal 5. On the other hand, MDW has long-term parking lots near the main terminal, while the short-term parking lots are located in Terminal garage levels 2 and 6.
  • The primary South African Airport which serves major international flights is Oliver Tambo International Airport (JNB). From Chicago to South Africa, you can also land at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and King Shaka International Airport (DUR).
  • When you land in any of the South African airports, it is possible to escape the commotion and clamor of the airport and take advantage of complimentary refreshments, snacks, and sitting in a more relaxed setting. There are many lounges at these airports; some are exclusive to particular airlines, and others are accessible to everyone.
  • When looking for a location to exercise after arriving in South Africa, you can make reservations at your arrival airport onsite hotel. Visitors are welcome to use the airport's onsite hotels' fitness and wellness facilities for their own delight.

Reviews of the top 3 airlines flying from Chicago to South Africa

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Chicago 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.
7,4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 8994 reviews
7,7Boarding
8,1Crew
6,6Food
7,3Comfort
7,1Entertainment
Airline reviews

Excellent flight. Smooth, efficient boarding. Quick flight. Arrived early at STL.

10,0 ExcellentDr. Joseph, Oct 2025ORD - STL
Read more United Airlines reviews

Excellent flight. Smooth, efficient boarding. Quick flight. Arrived early at STL.

Not the fault of United—weather, reroute around weather, time sitting on tarmac, arrived couple hours late, too late for train into city necessitating a much pricier cab but weather…can’t be helped.

I will never book a flight through Cheap fare. They booked me from Portland Main . And would not give me a refund, so I bought 2 tickets one for 299. From Portland Main to ORD. Then I had to buy a ticket from Oregon PDX to ORD that was another 440. So Just so you know they even told me it was there fault but no refund. Bad bussniess. I did inform United but they said they couldn't help me due to the fact I booked through Cheap Tickets. Never again. And I'm spreding the word. I let everyone know at my 50th class reunion

The flight attendants were rude. Seemed like they didn’t want to be there. Except for one girl that was really nice. Seats are sooooo uncomfortable. They give you a piece of paper and a thin cushion for a pillow and blanket that does nothing. Airlines have gone way downhill, especially United international flights. Food was disguting. Definitely flying ANA next time.

Crew and customer service were excellent. This flight also had plenty of leg room and seat mounted screens for entertainment. A very pleasant flight all around!

It would have been better if the crew has supported my husband's reasons for needing to keep the space clear around his feet, rather than insisting that he put his knapsack in that space.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

Once we got in the air the pilot made up some of the time of the delay. So that was really nice.

We had a layover from YVR to Denver. We bought 4 bottles of Absolut Vodka at the YVR Duty Free for $116.20, after going through security and American Customs Pre Clearance at YVR, Vancouver. When we landed in Denver, United put us behind the American Customs as well as TSA again for some reason. We were forced to go through American Customs and TSA again. TSA confiscated our rightfully owned Duty Free Absolut Vodka bottles. Because United incorrectly forced our flight behind American border and TSA again, we missed the connecting flight. After United put us on a later flight, we eventually arrived in Chicago very late, with hardly any sleep. I am looking for compensation from United for our incorrectly confiscated Absolut Vodka bottles worth $116.20, as well as compensation for incorrectly putting us behind American Customs and TSA again, causing us to miss our connecting flight, making us arrive extremely late in Chicago.

The staff at IST airport could have been more helpful. Too much wasted time and the plane from IST to KHI was just horrible. The plane was not clean and smelled bad!

This is my 2nd time with the Turkish airline. Would definitely recommend. In stability we connected to Indiago would not recommend, very cramped seating. No inflight entertainment..service was inferior.

I wouldn't know what the flight was like. AI canceled my flight reservation!! There's no way to speak to an actual human to fix the issue! NEVER AGAIN! ALWAYS BOOK YOUR FLIGHT DIRECTLY WITH THE AIRLINE NEVER GO THROUGH KAYAK OR JUSTFLY.COM!!

Paying extra for premium seats was wasted. Turkish Airlines takes 2 seats for bassinet. The lady next to me had a baby with bassinet Bassinet was in front of my seat

Rude staff. I would avoid using the word racist but definitely partially or discriminatory. My 72 yrs old mother who is also disabled was traveling on this flight. She was the second passenger boarded to the plane. The First elderly couple ahead of my mother were allowed to use the airplane bathroom but my mother was denied entry stating it was for safety reasons. My mother objected the the couple in front of her were allowed but hostess still stated that due to the flight safety reasons she can’t use it. Even my mother explained that he is using blood pressure medication that’s why she have to use the restroom frequently but the crew continued arguing her. At one point the Mae attendent even suggested that if that’s the case my mother can urinate in her seat. The level of disrespect against an elderly lady is beyond my comprehension. This matter will be taken to the social media to shame the employees involved.

my experience was great with Turkish airlines . the problem i encountered was with kayak booking. When I booked . it showed that im allowed a bag . and when I got to the airport, i had to pay $165 for one bag.

Not up to Business Class standards. Two of the three toilets were out of order. The hostesses were aware and didn’t show any responsible act to do something. Food quality was not what we expect from Turkish hospitality. Overall we were not impressed and disappointed.

During mid flight, try to get a flight attendant to help I couldn’t find one Otherwise, everything was perfect

I was not given basinett seat.The connecting flight was missed due to airline fault i was not accomodated for hotel.Drinks were normt served frewuently.Never travelling again on tirkish airlines.I always travel wiyh family by turkish airline but no more.zero stars

The crew were very hospitable and pleasant. The food was pretty good. Unfortunately, there was a flight delay of more than 2 hours. We're not sure why but it appeared to be outside the control of Turkish Airlines.

Our first flight was delayed and when we got off that plane, nobody was really helping to direct us to the next gate. It was very frustrating. One staff simply said hurry, which wasn’t helpful. We had to go a long way to get to the next gate. Another issue on the plane itself was the bathrooms were disgusting and filthy and it didn’t seem like anybody was checking on them were cleaning them and it was a long flight. There was urine on the floor and they stunk. Also, the screen in front of my seat did not work, and I tried different headphones and still had no sound. You would think somehow those things are reviewed occasionally for working order.

The Boeing 737 MAX on this route, flown in the middle of the night, is an UTTER FAILURE for business travellers. The whole point of business travel is to arrive alert and recover from travel quickly, and this little aeroplane with its quarter recline uncomfortable business seats does nothing for that. It’s a small step up from economy in that you have decent legroom, but that’s it. Absolute margin at the cost of the traveller.

The food was terrible and the seating was uncomfortable, but the airline did a great thing letting us board in Abbis Ababa on our connecting flight after our original flight was very delayed.

Food hardly ever changes Videos not often updated for often travel.

The flight is packed and it feels like the space per individual has gotten smaller. Excruciating for a 14hr flight.

Were not told that carryon laggage has to be only 12 kgs but my bag was heavier asked to pay an additional $550.00. I could have upgraded to a bussiness class for that price and no one at the gate to upgrade but able to take money for the extra weight. I felt like this was a setup scam.

Lost suite case and pillow that’s used by senior and they didn’t leave it at the airport

Forgotten Suite inside of the top compartment but went back to ask and they didn’t leave at the lost and found place. Also the checking in was so horrible. I had multi city and one of the passenger saint have visa go go go Dubai. The Ethiopian airlines never had information about requirement for US permanent resident so couldn’t go to Dubai. And when coming back to US we were told we can not use our Addis to Washington ticket and they forced us to get new ticket. Very horrible experience.

I had a comfortable seat that makes my trip wonderful. I appreciate the Ethiopia crew, they were very helpful

The flight itself was fine. The exception is that my luggage was destroyed, and I filed a claim that I haven't heard from anyone.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago 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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