R12 160 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to South Africa departing on 23/11. 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
1 adult, Economy

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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to South Africa

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stopR19 619
Durban
Durban1 stopR21 457
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stopsR25 911
George
George2 stopsR26 706
East London
East London2 stopsR29 888
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stopsR31 372
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stopsR32 132
Skukuza
Skukuza2 stopsR30 241
Cape Town
Cape Town1 stopR19 619
Durban
Durban1 stopR21 457
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stopsR25 911
George
George2 stopsR26 706
East London
East London2 stopsR29 888
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stopsR31 372
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stopsR32 132
Skukuza
Skukuza2 stopsR30 241

Book Cheap San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco to South Africa

Thu, Sep 11 - Tue, Sep 16
Cathay Pacific Logo
0:05 - 7:40SFO-JNB
46h 35m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
11:20 - 22:40JNB-SFO
44h 20m1 stop
R19 601Cathay Pacific
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Mon, Oct 20 - Thu, Oct 30
Turkish Airlines Logo
18:45 - 11:50SFO-CPT
32h 05m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
17:15 - 17:45CPT-SFO
33h 30m1 stop
R19 619Turkish Airlines
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Sun, Jan 18 - Sat, Jan 31
 Logo
22:40 - 15:50SFO-JNB
31h 10m2 stops
 Logo
17:00 - 14:12JNB-SFO
31h 12m2 stops
R19 707
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Sun, Jan 18 - Sat, Jan 31
British Airways Logo
20:40 - 7:35SFO-JNB
24h 55m1 stop
British Airways Logo
22:00 - 18:40JNB-SFO
30h 40m1 stop
R19 742British Airways
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Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Feb 12
American Airlines Logo
16:15 - 7:35SFO-JNB
29h 20m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
19:35 - 15:00JNB-SFO
29h 25m1 stop
R19 813American Airlines
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Mon, Jan 26 - Mon, Feb 9
Singapore Airlines Logo
9:40 - 9:25SFO-CPT
37h 45m2 stops
Singapore Airlines Logo
10:40 - 7:50CPT-SFO
31h 10m2 stops
R19 884Singapore Airlines
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Wed, Nov 5 - Sun, Nov 9
American Airlines Logo
20:40 - 10:25SFO-JNB
27h 45m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
22:00 - 20:37JNB-SFO
32h 37m2 stops
R19 919American Airlines
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Fri, Nov 7 - Sat, Nov 22
British Airways Logo
20:40 - 10:25SFO-JNB
27h 45m1 stop
British Airways Logo
22:00 - 20:14JNB-SFO
32h 14m2 stops
R20 096British Airways
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Tue, Feb 24 - Tue, Mar 10
Singapore Airlines Logo
9:40 - 9:25SFO-CPT
37h 45m2 stops
Singapore Airlines Logo
10:40 - 8:50CPT-SFO
31h 10m2 stops
R20 326Singapore Airlines
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Tue, Nov 25 - Tue, Dec 9
 Logo
15:30 - 10:00SFO-CPT
32h 30m2 stops
 Logo
12:30 - 15:00CPT-SFO
36h 30m1 stop
R20 697
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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to South Africa flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to South Africa?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to South Africa is March, when tickets cost R20 608 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is R31 832 and R27 996 respectively.

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

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to South Africa on a Wednesday and more expensive on a Monday. On your return trip to San Francisco, you should consider flying back on a Tuesday, and avoid Saturdays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco to South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flightR12 160
Best time to beat the crowds (18% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (36% more expensive on average)
Flight from San Francisco to Johannesburg

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • Is it a good idea to buy a ticket with an airport change during a layover?

    It depends. Some tickets from SFO to South Africa require you to change airports within a city during a layover or to collect your bags and check in again for the next leg of your flight. This can be time-consuming, and getting across town to another airport could get expensive. Before you book a ticket with a re-check-in or an airport change, make sure that the ticket leaves you enough time to do it and that all aspects of the change or the re-check-in are feasible.

  • What documentation do I need in order to fly to South Africa?

    US citizens flying to South Africa need a valid passport that is still valid at least 30 days beyond the date when you enter South Africa. This passport must have two consecutive empty pages per entry. You do not need a visa if you plan to leave South Africa in 90 days or fewer.

  • Does SFO have therapy dogs?

    Yes. When you are at SFO waiting for your flight to South Africa, you might encounter the Wag Brigade, therapy dogs roaming Departures with their trained handlers. SFO hopes these therapy dogs can delight, distract, and comfort passengers waiting to travel. The Wag Brigade includes several dogs, a pig, and a rabbit.

  • Does SFO have a hotel at the airport?

    Yes. If you would like to stay at the airport the night before your flight to South Africa, consider staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at SFO. Connected to all of the terminals by way of the free AirTrain, this upscale hotel offers free Wi-Fi, room service, a fitness center, a business center, and much more.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 evening, when retur flights cost R1 448 on average. Morning departures are around 2% more expensive 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 R1 664.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a hub for Alaska Airlines. When you fly from the shores of the San Francisco Bay to South Africa, you will have many choices of destination city, airline, flight time, and price.
  • When you fly from SFO to Johannesburg, chances are you will be landing at the O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). Turkish Airlines, Delta, and KLM are among the airlines that offer one-stop flights from San Francisco to Johannesburg. Some common layover cities include Istanbul, Atlanta, Amsterdam, and others. Alaska Airlines, Ethiopian Air, and United are among the carriers that offer two-stop flights from SFO to JNB.
  • If you want to fly from SFO to Cape Town at the southern tip of South Africa, you'll most likely be landing in the Cape Town International Airport (CPT). Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, and KLM are among the carriers that offer one-stop flights from SFO to CPT, with layovers in cities such as Istanbul, Zurich, and Amsterdam. KLM, Ethiopian Air, and Delta are among the airlines that offer two-stop flights from SFO to CPT.
  • If you want to fly to Durban on the east coast of South Africa, you will most likely be landing at the King Shaka International Airport (DUR). Qatar Airways, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines are among the many carriers that offer two-stop and three-stop flights from SFO to DUR., with stops in Istanbul, Johannesburg, Paris, and others.
  • If you are flying into the city of Pietermaritzburg, about an hour inland from Durban, you will most likely be landing at the Pietermaritzburg Airport (PZB). You can find two-stop flights from SFO to PZB on airlines such as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, with stops in cities such as Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Doha.

Reviews of the top airline flying from San Francisco to South Africa

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco 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.
7,3
Turkish AirlinesOverall score based on 3955 reviews
7,4Food
7,7Crew
7,3Comfort
7,4Entertainment
7,3Boarding
Airline reviews

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.

2,0 MediocreMostafa, Aug 2025EWR - IST
Read more Turkish Airlines reviews

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.

Bough tickets with luggage, but made me pay at Airport as well

The economy seat was so uncomfortable, had not enough leg room for 13 hours flight, front seat basket was broken and couldn’t hold anything, food quality was horrible( we got food poisoned ) we charged for logged which used to be free. We paid too much for this flight and very disappointed. Turkish air line better to make satisfy and respect people instead of find different way to scam people.

This is really the rating of two flights. JFK to IST then IST to NQZ. New York to Istanbul was good. Good crew and all positives. The flight to Astana was so bad that brought it all down. Crew was nonexistent above the minimum, seats were cramped, and it was hot on the plane. Turkish Airlines seems to be slipping down to US based carriers level.

The 2 agents on the check in counter were super nice , helpful and very polite. Boarding was like a 1 2 3, I would recommend Turkish airlines for your next trip.

Everything was very good, except that the plane was an hour and a half late

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to South Africa

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