R5 973 Find Cheap Flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa

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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 R662 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 R753.

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 February, when tickets cost R13 088 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is R22 171 and R20 766 respectively.

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 2 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 R15 094.


Good to know

Low seasonMay
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flightR5 973
Best time to beat the crowds (17% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (31% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Cape Town

FAQs for booking flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa

  • 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 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.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to South Africa?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to South Africa is Tuesday when return tickets can be as cheap as R17 420. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, when return prices are R20 428 on average.

  • 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 round-trip flights cost R782 on average. Morning departures are around 25% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R1 096.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of the United Kingdom

  • 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.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from the United Kingdom 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 1363 reviews
7,2Food
7,8Boarding
8,4Crew
7,6Comfort
7,1Entertainment
Airline reviews

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

6,0 GoodKathleen P, Jun 2025EDI - AMS
Read more KLM reviews

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

The service was great. However the lounge only gets passing grade

I appreciate that KLM was proactive in informing me of the 2 hour delay which enabled me to replan my travel. It was a bit stressful not knowing whether my connection from Montreal to Ottawa was happening. But the ground and air crew did a good job at comforting and assuring me.

Cabin crew professional, polite and friendly, boarding was seemless, but come on KLM surely you can do better than a pack of cheesy biscuits as an inflight snack

Cabin crew were excellent, very proffesional, polite and friendly, in flight snack was underwhelming, a packet of cheese biscuits, im sure KLM could run to a sandwich!

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.

You should not have to pay for WiFi in business class

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.

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.

Food was excellent. Service was very good. Staff was very helpful to all passengers.

The crew was excellent as ever on Virgin. The special meal was poor unfortunately. More significantly when we arrived at Manchester Airport there was no air bridge provided and we had to exit the plane down a rickety stair case. This is unacceptable for a transatlantic flight. Whilst I understand that this is the airport’s fault at the end of the day the airline is responsible for our transportation and needs to do something.

Super friendly and helpful staff, from check-in desk to cabin crew.

Following a paid seat upgrade for enhanced comfort, I encountered an unacceptable odor in my assigned area. It took three hours for the crew to relocate me, and the replacement seat was unacceptably close to the lavatory, offering no improvement.

Good overall. Cannot fault the airlines. I have had better entertainment systems before ie ice in Emirates but it was not too bad. Food was decent and staff were friendly.

I did not fly by vergin atlantic from bangalore to vasco da gama

Your flight delayed at Heathrow n I almost missed my mother funeral.you idiots. I had to waste 10 hours in different airports. Thank your stars I'm not suing you.

Miami airport needs more thorough signage. It was a long walk from my transport point to the check in desk,

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.

Im if Ethiopian can allow customers to use their mileage for in flight connexion it will be great.

United was best airlines I have seen since I got there choose united airlines

It was wonderful best Air lines covert and all very happy with their service they have been very helpful and friendly

No Asian Vegetarian food was available on this sector but only fish and chicken and pasta were offered.

It was very bad experience with Ethiopian airlines . The flight was delayed in both ways . On the way coming back one of the crews dropped hot coffee on my whole body and other crew dropped used dirty glasses on top of me . The same crew that dropped hot coffee on me hit me with the food trolley on my knee while I was sleeping . I couldn’t sit properly due to the pain on my knee caused by those irresponsible crews . Very unprofessional 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.

Very bad experience flight was over 5 hours delayed 😑 not a chance to be put on another flight we had to stay at the hotel we lost 2 days on our vacation. Never again I will fligh with Ethiopian airlines.

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

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.

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.

After boarding we were waiting in the plane for more than one hour to take off without AC with very high temperature inside

The flight was an hour late leaving Heathrow. The food was mediocre. When we got to Austin, my husband’s luggage was missing. He filled out information at baggage claim. We are waiting to hear something. His name is Henry Jacob Braunig.

Only for BA because we had to get to Edinburgh at a certain time. Baggage lost, late boarding with only one person checking, again, our passports and boarding passes until the despatch controller had to step in to get us away. Will never fly BA again.

The food was very good and it came multiple times

Flight from LGW to JFK delayed by 4 hrs No explanation given until the pilot said the delay due to planned maintenance on the aircraft

We arrived late to London, and consequently were 5 min. late to be allowed through security for our next flight. Even though dozens of people missed the same flight, BA did not radio ahead to hold open security for an extra 5-10 min. to allow people to get on the flight. This caused an additional 6 hour delay in London after waiting over an hour in Customer Service to get rebooked. They did not have enough staff on hand to help people in a timely manner. Not at all happy with the BA's customer care or customer service.

All service prior to the flight was terrible: online check-in not working, no customer service tel,, multiple airport scanners not working, A huge mess.

CONSTANT ERROR MESSAGE THAT THE WIFI COULD NOT BE PURCHASED DUE TO INABILITY TO CONNECT PAYMENT SYSTEM VIA SATELLITE. THIS HAPPENED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THE MAIN REASON I TRAVEL IN PRIORITY IS TO BE ABLE TO WORK FOR WHICH I NEED ACCESS TO INTERNET. .

They lost my luggage. Lady who was helping with it in Austin was rude. Not very helpful!

Waited 3.25 hours in plane only to have the flight cancelled.

Book cheap flights from the United Kingdom to South Africa

Recent return flight deals

5/10Sun
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
13/10Mon
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 45mCPT-LGW
R8 398
6/10Mon
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 35mLGW-CPT
13/10Mon
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 45mCPT-LGW
R8 644
30/10Thu
1 stopEthiopian Air
15h 55mLGW-JNB
17/11Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 40mJNB-LGW
R10 295
6/10Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 45mLGW-JNB
22/10Wed
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 55mJNB-LGW
R10 383
5/11Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
22h 45mLGW-JNB
12/11Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
23h 05mJNB-LGW
R12 825
16/8Sat
1 stopKLM
32h 40mLHR-CPT
5/9Fri
1 stopKLM
19h 35mCPT-LHR
R13 159
30/9Tue
1 stopKLM
23h 30mLHR-CPT
23/10Thu
1 stopKLM
14h 10mCPT-LHR
R13 176
2/12Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
19h 45mMAN-CPT
12/12Fri
1 stopTurkish Airlines
21h 50mCPT-MAN
R14 248
11/9Thu
1 stopEmirates
24h 20mSTN-JNB
25/9Thu
1 stopEmirates
27h 50mJNB-STN
R14 353
11/9Thu
1 stopEmirates
24h 20mSTN-JNB
25/9Thu
1 stopEmirates
18h 45mJNB-STN
R14 388

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Recent one-way flight deals

3/11Mon
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
R5 973
5/10Sun
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
R6 131
10/11Mon
directNorse Atlantic UK
11h 30mLGW-CPT
R6 202
3/11Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
16h 20mLHR-CPT
R10 840
27/10Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
14h 45mLHR-CPT
R10 945
18/9Thu
2 stopsKenya Airways
31h 05mLCY-JNB
R11 173
19/8Tue
2 stopsKenya Airways
26h 10mLCY-JNB
R11 191
24/12Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
16h 00mMAN-JNB
R12 702
22/7Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
18h 40mMAN-JNB
R13 510
31/7Thu
1 stopEmirates
31h 15mMAN-JNB
R14 476

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

7/7Mon
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 40mMAN-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopEthiopian Air
19h 00mJNB-MAN
R13 053
6/7Sun
multi-stopRwandAir
16h 00mLHR-JNB
7/7Mon
multi-stopRwandAir
15h 10mJNB-LHR
R13 668
8/7Tue
multi-stopKLM
13h 50mLHR-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopKLM
18h 00mJNB-LHR
R14 213
8/7Tue
multi-stopKLM
13h 50mLHR-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopKLM
19h 20mJNB-LHR
R14 722
9/7Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
16h 30mLHR-CPT
16/7Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
24h 25mCPT-LHR
R15 355
9/7Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
13h 55mMAN-JNB
24/7Thu
multi-stopBritish Airways
17h 50mJNB-MAN
R17 498
7/7Mon
multi-stopEmirates
28h 55mSTN-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopEmirates
24h 35mJNB-STN
R19 220
10/7Thu
directBritish Airways
11h 35mLHR-CPT
16/7Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
18h 25mCPT-LHR
R20 397
9/7Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
28h 05mLGW-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
17h 00mJNB-LGW
R20 748
6/7Sun
multi-stopEmirates
28h 55mSTN-JNB
21/7Mon
multi-stopEmirates
21h 25mJNB-STN
R20 783

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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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