R8 071 Find Cheap Flights from the United States to South Africa – Compare and Save

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 States to South Africa departing on 11/10. 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.
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Cheap Flights from the United States to South Africa

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

Fri, Sep 18 - Sun, Oct 4
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:35 - 13:25
ATL
-
JNB
20h 50m
1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
8:20 - 8:55
JNB
-
ATL
30h 35m
2 stops
R15 597Ethiopian Air
Fri, Sep 18 - Sun, Oct 4
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:35 - 13:25
ATL
-
JNB
20h 50m
1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
8:20 - 8:55
JNB
-
ATL
30h 35m
2 stops
R15 613Ethiopian Air
Mon, Nov 9 - Tue, Nov 17
Kenya Airways Logo
7:00 - 13:35
IAD
-
CPT
47h 35m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
7:20 - 16:17
CPT
-
IAD
39h 57m
2 stops
R16 738Kenya Airways
Mon, Nov 2 - Wed, Nov 18
Kenya Airways Logo
7:00 - 13:35
IAD
-
CPT
47h 35m
3 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
23:25 - 17:28
CPT
-
IAD
49h 03m
2 stops
R16 738Kenya Airways
Wed, Nov 4 - Thu, Nov 19
Etihad Airways Logo
21:20 - 8:20
ATL
-
JNB
28h 00m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 15:50
JNB
-
ATL
37h 00m
1 stop
R16 937Etihad Airways
Wed, Nov 4 - Wed, Nov 18
Etihad Airways Logo
21:20 - 8:20
ATL
-
JNB
28h 00m
1 stop
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 15:50
JNB
-
ATL
37h 00m
1 stop
R16 970Etihad Airways
Tue, Sep 29 - Fri, Oct 9
Qatar Airways Logo
22:00 - 4:00
JFK
-
JNB
24h 00m
1 stop
Qatar Airways Logo
14:05 - 15:10
JNB
-
JFK
31h 05m
1 stop
R20 393Qatar Airways
Tue, Nov 3 - Wed, Nov 11
Qatar Airways Logo
21:00 - 9:40
JFK
-
JNB
29h 40m
2 stops
Qatar Airways Logo
20:20 - 15:00
JNB
-
JFK
25h 40m
1 stop
R20 559Qatar Airways
Fri, Oct 16 - Sat, Oct 31
United Airlines Logo
20:35 - 17:10
EWR
-
CPT
14h 35mdirect
United Airlines Logo
20:50 - 6:50
CPT
-
EWR
16h 00mdirect
R26 629United Airlines
Sun, Jan 17 - Mon, Jan 25
United Airlines Logo
20:35 - 18:00
EWR
-
CPT
14h 25mdirect
United Airlines Logo
20:50 - 5:50
CPT
-
EWR
16h 00mdirect
R26 629United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to South Africa

Get data-powered insights and trends into 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 5 days.

The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United States found in the last 5 days was to Cape Town, at R27 458 return. The most popular route is Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT) and the cheapest return ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was R27 458.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United States 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 States to South Africa is February, when tickets cost R13 910 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is R19 368 and R19 351 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United States 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 States to South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 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 Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB), with an average flight price of R26 190.

Good to know

Low season

February

Cheapest flight

R8 071
Best time to beat the crowds (16% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (17% more expensive on average)
Flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport to Cape Town

FAQs for booking flights from the United States to South Africa

  • Are there nonstop flights to South Africa?

    Although there are flights from the United States available to over a dozen different small and large cities throughout South Africa, the only nonstop flights from the US to South Africa arrive in Johannesburg. Some of the nonstop flights to Johannesburg are available from Atlanta and Washington, DC.

  • Do I need a visa to enter South Africa?

    To visit South Africa for a duration of up to 90 days, United States nationals are not required to acquire a visa in advance. Instead, a visitor’s visa can be obtained at the port of entry on arrival. Official visa rules can be found on South Africa’s government immigration website and are subject to change without notice.

  • Where should I fly to if I want to visit Kruger National Park?

    If you’re one of the many tourists heading to South Africa to visit the Kruger National Park, it can be handy to fly into Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP). Although there are no direct routes, this airport gives direct access to the southern section of Kruger National Park. One of the most common layovers is in Johannesburg and you can find that more than one airline operates the route. Some of the companies are South Africa and jetBlue.

  • I want to visit Table Mountain in South Africa, which city should I fly to?

    Table Mountain is another extremely popular tourist destination in South Africa, and it lies just outside of the city of Cape Town. To get there, you can fly into Cape Town then take one of the many available buses or taxis to the base of Table Mountain, where you can either hike or take a cable car the rest of the way.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United States 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 States 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 States 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 States 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 States 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 R23 748. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, when return prices are R34 591 on average.

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

  • Getting to South Africa will almost certainly involve a layover, which commonly also includes a change in airline. One of the most common (and most affordable) routes to South Africa from the United States is from New York City (JFK Airport) to Johannesburg. This route is nonstop and is operated by South Africa Airways.
  • When booking your flight to South Africa, you’ll have no shortage of airports to choose from. There are more than 15 international airports in South Africa that you can fly to from the United States, with the airports in Johannesburg and Cape Town seeing the most international air traffic.
  • Heading to the Valley of 1,000 hills? This popular attraction is located in the Durban area. To get there, you’ll have to fly into Durban King Shaka International Airport (DUR). Located in the city of La Mercy, the airport is reachable via a layover in Johannesburg.
  • If you’re one of the many tourists heading to South Africa to hike up to Lion’s Head, you’ll have to fly into Cape Town for convenient access. Common layovers between the US and Cape Town include Madrid and Johannesburg.
  • To reach Ballito (nicknamed the Dolphin Coast), your best option is to fly into Durban King Shaka International Airport. Direct flights to this airport aren’t available from the US, with most involving a layover in Johannesburg.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from the United States to South Africa

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from the United States 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 1552 reviews
7,7Comfort
7,3Food
7,2Entertainment
8,4Crew
7,8Boarding
Airline reviews

I think I previously submitted my feedback about flight lead Katherine in a different field by mistake. Please see those comments. Comments for Hyd to AMS are it was good. The flight lead and service met expectations for satisfactory high quality service but the flight lead did not stand out as exceptional as did the leads on the other two flights so I don’t remember anything specific one way or the other besides the fact I was satisfied.

10,0 ExcellentEmily, Jul 2026
ORD - MSP
Read more KLM reviews

I think I previously submitted my feedback about flight lead Katherine in a different field by mistake. Please see those comments. Comments for Hyd to AMS are it was good. The flight lead and service met expectations for satisfactory high quality service but the flight lead did not stand out as exceptional as did the leads on the other two flights so I don’t remember anything specific one way or the other besides the fact I was satisfied.

Had to cancel and rebook, KLM connection was cancelled prior to departure, ended up flying to Munich on non-Delta carrier.

The crew were unprofessional with a racist element. I was physically abused as well from one of the crew members

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

Over 1 Hr delay. No APU so no AC on ground. Plane was hot during boarding and then they closed the doors over 20 minutes before engine start so interior of plane was steamy hot and stuffy. Could have been helped by opening doors until ready to depart.

My flight was delayed by 6 hours then I missed BOTH of my connecting flights, I then had to stay in the AIRPORT at JFK because soooooo many people also suffered from missing flights and there was no hotels available. I would like to be compensated for this experience! I had to stay in the airport for over 16 hours!

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!

Overall very positive. Boarding was quick and organized. Cabin was clean and seats were reasonably comfortable. Cabin crew was excellent and the meals provided were also of good quality

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 .

Amazing KLM service and brilliant economy comfort seats. Well worth the extra.

Check in at the desk was very slow pus Security, although not Virgin issue at JFK was a nightmare. 50 minuet wait no time to explore airport and get last minuet gifts. total wait 1.5hours

Seating and zone. The minor I went with didn’t even seat close to me

Great staff great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Great staff, great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

I was my pleasure to fly virgin on my birthday for my first solo trip ever 🫶🏼

Overall, flight was excellent but check in was very slow for Premium Economy. Economy queue was shorter but we weren't allowed to use it.

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.

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.

Very good airline. There is still some room for improvement but overall I’m happy

Mediocre movies Too cold Didn’t have extra blankets Check in was too long (60-70 min coming 3 hours early) Breakfast was terrible Great WiFi however And smooth ride Dinner was decent

Really good food and service. Qatar Airways is again and again provided an exceptional experience.

Extremely uncomfortable seats with very little cushioning, unable to recline enough to sleep comfortably on this 13 hour overnight flight. My body was in pain by the end.

When we checked in at the Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia, we were only given three boarding passes and told that we would have to check in with American when we arrived in Boston. This was a source of stress for us. After we landed in Boston, we had a long passage from Terminal E to Terminal B (American Airline ticketing counter). Because the electronic ticketing kiosks for check-in would not recognize our Confirmation Code, we had to wait for an hour in a long line where only two AA reps were taking care of Special Services passengers. In many years of both business and recreational travel, I have never had this experience. I would expect more from AA being in partnership with other airlines to do a better job with this.

Our experience on the Doha to Hyderabad segment was extremely stressful due to prolonged delays and a lack of clear communication from the airline. We were traveling as a family, including children, and the uncertainty around timing and next steps caused significant distress. There was very little proactive information provided during the delay, and we were not given clear written explanations about what was happening or how long it might take. This made it difficult to manage the situation, especially while caring for children in a transit environment. In addition, one member of our party was ultimately unable to continue travel, which added to the emotional strain and disruption of the trip. Overall, the experience highlighted gaps in communication, customer care, and handling of unexpected situations. We are sharing this feedback so that future passengers, especially families, are supported with clearer communication and better assistance during irregular operations.

The seat cushions are absolutely lacking, not sure if they know the passengers are traveling for 14 hours straight, but the padding made our back and butt ache like crazy. The entertainment console had its own problems, either the headphone jack wasn't working or the power outlet via usb or ac outlet was not working. Not to mention the seat handles were not adjustable in some planes in the middle or on the aisle. Qatar/Indigo may be operating a very old fleet of planes to make as much profit as possible, but passengers may not be following them for long, should this treatment of its customers continue. Qatar/Indigo, wake up and do it right by your customers, or they may not be your customers anymore.

It would help id flight crew were not rude and showed some courtesy. They were shouting at passengers and yelling instructions as if we were school children at lunch cafeteria!!

I am a big person and have back pain and swelling in my legs, so this was a challenging flight due to confined space. I didn't find the crew very friendly either. I will think twice before flying long distances with Qatar again, due to the lack of legroom.

All good. Over four hours flight if provided snacks like Qatar Airways would be better

Lobster starter in business class was not good, tough, served cold, and without butter. Movie selection was missing latest releases, did not offer older classic, high quality movies

Flight staff and all was fine. Food always sucks on planes so nothing new.

The flight crew were very helpful. The seats were very close together. There was barely room to sit without touching the person next to you.

I’m an EP on AA every year for more than a decade but this was a very pleasant and surprising experience. Clean and sizable plane for HOU to CHI. 5 row first class. And excellent food in first class the steak option was really good. Your flight attendants even better. Seat 5A

It was hot and not as comfortable as the flight to Chicago. Must have been a different plane that needs to be worked on or replaced.

My flight was delayed so bad i missed u it so i just said never mind

Wonderful flight! The crew was good, check-in was good and orderly and the flight was uneventful and good.

Gluten free snack options and meals that offer both gluten free and dairy free.

Staff on the plane was incredible. Check-in was very complicated with no staff to help at the airport. I was charged for a second bag even though my ticket says 2 bags are free

Staff could’ve been a little more cordial. The men were much more friendlier than the women. My daughter and I also missed the 2nd to last meal as we were sleeping but that is on us.

The food needs to be improved, up to the standard of the people and the accommodation.

It was a great experience for my first time flying with this airline. I will be flying with them a lot more now. Plane crew was amazing.

The flight was very smooth, however, the quality of food was mediocre.

The TV wasn't working No music for the whole flight from JFK to LOS It was too burring.

Flight was delayed by two hours. This really messed things up because I missed my connecting flight in Addis. I had a meeting in Entebbe which was scrapped because my flight from Addis landed later in the day.

I paid for internet that did not work and had to pay more to have it

The crew was unfriendly and very rude to name a few (Helina). I felt unsafe due to most of the cabinets were open while on flight. All in all the flight was ok, but the crew needed more training on customer service most of all for international flights.

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

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

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.

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.