R7 809 Find Cheap Flights from the United States 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 States found in the last 72 hours was to Cape Town, at R1 525 return. The most popular route is Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was R1 735.

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 March, when tickets cost R24 173 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is R34 911 and R32 249 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 2 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 14 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 R14 264.


Good to know

Low seasonApril
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flightR7 809
Best time to beat the crowds (7% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (28% more expensive on average)
Flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg

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 Wednesday when return tickets can be as cheap as R25 290. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Thursday, when return prices are R28 243 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 at night, when round-trip flights cost R1 303 on average. Morning departures are around 26% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is R1 955.

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 serving 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.
7,4
Qatar AirwaysOverall score based on 3596 reviews
7,9Crew
7,4Comfort
7,5Boarding
7,4Entertainment
7,3Food
Airline reviews

The flight was smooth Thank God but the delays and changing gates for 3-4 times made me so tired of walking back and forth with heavy bags I thought I was going to pass out with heavy headaches but Thank God finally found the final gate and home safe. These delays happen anytime for important reasons so just be patient when you come across these situations.

10,0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jun 2025LAX - LAS
Read more Qatar Airways reviews

The flight was smooth Thank God but the delays and changing gates for 3-4 times made me so tired of walking back and forth with heavy bags I thought I was going to pass out with heavy headaches but Thank God finally found the final gate and home safe. These delays happen anytime for important reasons so just be patient when you come across these situations.

This trip was the most comfortable one I have ever experienced, the team was excellent and very helpful. I am so glad I picked Qatar Airways.

All the crew members were too slow and rude. Most of the times the registers were empty, while hundreds of customers were waiting in line, and it was impossible to get a supervisor. Despite being in line on time, I missed my freight, plus a some customers who were ahead and behind me.

Well organized boarding, efficient and on time. Nice crew on the plane. Thank you!

The Qatar Airways staff pre-boarding and also on the flight from Dallas to Doha were incredibly mediocre and arrogant. Consider retraining these individuals Other flights were ok.

My experience with Qatar airway was very unsatisfactory. They lost my child’s stroller and I was told they found it and will send it to the hotel which was a lie. I had to go back to the airport baggage claim and pick up myself after trying to contact them many times!. There was a lack professional and communication. I am very disappointed in Qatar airway and will not be recommending them to friends and family nor will I be flying with them in the future.

Worst air experience in whole life . Boarding and checking was hassle as they did 3 times. Crew team was clueless about passengers need. Despite of passengers raising hand , they were resetting the program

The food is not good and also if you ask crew to bring something they say ok I will bring but you will never get it. Please they should listen good to passengers

No difference between US airline and Qatar. Both cramp as many people. The airline seems to change planes without notice choice is seating when making reservations online doesn’t match the plane a passenger is on. Especially paying extra. Nothing special No different than US carriers.

Did not like anything. Seats were crammed, leg space was minimal and food was terrible. This was the first time traveling overseas in American Airlines and was the worst experience ever. Have learned a lesson to never travel in American Airlines.

Survey sent before we actually left. Delay after delay. Now a crew problem.

I love flying with United. Unfortunately, I flew on an older plane with minimal upgraded technology (no Bluetooth functionality or handy charging ports). Otherwise, the flight was great and even arrived early.

They changed my seats after I checked in and I was stressed from the time I saw that information until just before boarding, when the gate attendant fixed it, but it shouldn't have happened. And if it couldn't be prevented, then the people on the phone I spoke with should have done something to help, which they did not, nor did they offer me compensation, just meaningless apologies.

online check in was not available so i had to get to airport extra early. The flight was delayed and my luggage was lost. I had an argument with the person behind me who wanted to keep her bag on the floor and not allow my seat to recline on a 9hr plus flight. So overall, lots and lots of areas for improvement.

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

My flight was delayed a very short period of time but they did not hold my connecting flight to San Diego, also through United. So they closed the doors before we got off our plane. They would only have to help the door open for another five to ten minutes. So I missed a court deadline for a manditory mediation settlement conference for my client. I had to get an associate to be there in person and be on the phone with him relaying what he needs to do the entire time. The court was very upset with me and so was my client. United cannot be trusted.

Very rough getting into denver. my kid threw up it was so rough.

We were given vouchers we couldn’t use with a 5.5 hour delay

Cramped seat even in economy plus seat 10A. Over booked flight, no space for the bags

Why wasn't this flight departure scheduled eith another crew so that it could leave on time? When we arrived in Denver we had so little time between flights we had run to the connecting flight. We should received some credit for the inconvenience.

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

flight with heavy turbulence old boeing 777 rest wasnt clean dashboard doesn’t work

Light and recline did not work on my seat. Very uncomfortable and could not read in the dark

Bad experience; they are not good anymore. They charge too much for luggage seat are so uncomfortable, Flight delays which may miss your next flight, they don’t care if you miss the flight or not. Zero customer services for front desk representatives Istanbul's airport I’m not using this airline any more.

I’ve been traveling for 20 years. I tried Turkish airline for the first time horrible horrible service and it would be my last time even if I get offer for a free ticket, I will not accept it. They have races and the worst Flight attendant

It wasn't good. I didn’t understand. They changed 320 dollars for 2 luggage. My ticket was regular and I paid almost 1200.00 dollars. Why they did charge? I want my money back.. thanks Yılmaz polat

Very punctual, the onboard staff was friendly and correct, the flight was fortunately very calm, the toilets were clean, in short, an excellent experience Thanks

Ordered Vegan meal - it was ok, but not exceptional. Seat ok row 39 middle section aisle. Nearly full flight - crew was busy but they did the best they could. There was a USB A port at the seat. I listened to my own music and only looked at flight information. One nice thing was the connection information was made available in the screen.

Very nice and friendly crew. Boarding system can be improved.

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

Flight was delayed an hour. Also, I bought an extra legroom seat online; but the actually plane was a different configuration so I didn't get what I paid for . This happened on the Addis to Lusaka leg of my trip.

Needs improvement because some of the tvs and charging ports weren’t working

My experience was great. The flight attendants were very helpful and nice, and the food was very good.

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.

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

The airline was efficient and accommodating to work with though there was a delay. Appreciate the service and smooth experience!

Flight was good but seat in 12D was not comfortable, better on the Airbus 321 from Tampa to Charlotte. No breakfast was served before landing in zLonfon only a coffee and orange juice.

I was transferred to an American Airlines flight. The boarding was late and unorganized. The seating was extremely tight and uncomfortable. Will not use AA again.

The entertainment selection was ok, but overall not bad! The crew was great.

Good crew and boarding process. Horrible food and one of the most uncomfortable aircraft seats I have ever sat in. The cabin temperature was warm which made it hard for my family to sleep.

bad, made it to connecting flight and they didnt let me board

We were never able to take this flight because our first flight from Austin to Dallas was cancelled.

Our flight was cancelled on Sunday morning. We were supposed to take a short flight to Dallas from Austin, then a nonstop to Barcelona. We were rerouted from Austin to Miami on American Airlines due to storms we sat at the gate for 2 1/2 hours, pilot announced we needed fuel. In air pilot said we were rerouted to Fort Myers 30 minutes from Zmiami. Sat on tarmac waiting for a gate. Deplaned at 10:09. Pilot gave conflicting info about what to do. Missed Miami flight to Barcelona. Pilot announced crew was timed out and we would have to wait for a new crew. Waited a couple of hours. Got to Miami at 2:30 am. Gate agents at Fort Myers told us to go to D30 for hotel vouchers. No one was there. So we slept a little on the floor. Husband is 80 and I am 74. Rerouted to JFK at 9:54 am on Monday, then flight to Barcelona at 5 pm. We arrived in Barcelona a day late and missed the first night of our Oceania Marina cruise. We feel that we are due a lot of compensation for this trip from hell.

The check-in of my luggage was terrible. When purchased my tickets, one luggage and one carry-on was part of the fight. My flight was switched from British to American Airline. During check-in of luggage at the airport, I was denied and had to pay extra $75. How do I get reimbursed for this extra luggage payment?

More Indian vegetarian food options would have been better Availability of seat selection free of charge 72 hours before departure would be great

Book cheap flights from the United States to South Africa

Recent return flight deals

22/10Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
39h 05mIAD-JNB
28/10Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
23h 35mJNB-IAD
R14 660
18/8Mon
1 stopTurkish Airlines
39h 05mIAD-JNB
2/9Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
23h 55mJNB-IAD
R14 891
27/10Mon
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 15mIAD-JNB
12/11Wed
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 30mJNB-IAD
R16 559
5/10Sun
2 stopsQatar Airways
45h 00mJFK-JNB
18/10Sat
1 stopQatar Airways
24h 45mJNB-JFK
R16 630
21/9Sun
1 stopQatar Airways
26h 15mJFK-JNB
30/9Tue
2 stopsQatar Airways
46h 10mJNB-JFK
R16 648
5/10Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
14/10Tue
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 25mJNB-EWR
R17 074
22/10Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
19h 45mDCA-JNB
5/11Wed
2 stopsUnited Airlines
26h 24mJNB-DCA
R17 624
28/11Fri
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 35mEWR-CPT
10/12Wed
1 stopBritish Airways
26h 15mCPT-EWR
R18 015
19/11Wed
1 stopBritish Airways
21h 05mJFK-CPT
1/12Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
26h 20mCPT-JFK
R18 015
8/9Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
24h 54mBWI-JNB
22/9Mon
2 stopsUnited Airlines
32h 42mJNB-BWI
R18 441

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Recent one-way flight deals

11/9Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
R7 809
27/7Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
R8 466
25/8Mon
1 stopQatar Airways
23h 10mIAD-JNB
R9 087
6/8Wed
1 stopQatar Airways
23h 10mIAD-JNB
R9 123
28/9Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
R12 708
10/8Sun
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
R12 797
28/9Sun
directUnited Airlines
14h 55mEWR-JNB
R13 045
15/9Mon
1 stopUnited Airlines
19h 45mDCA-JNB
R13 595
23/8Sat
1 stopBritish Airways
27h 40mBWI-JNB
R63 450
6/7Sun
1 stopBritish Airways
30h 05mBWI-JNB
R75 005

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

4/7Fri
multi-stopKLM
22h 30mDCA-JNB
13/7Sun
multi-stopKLM
23h 50mJNB-DCA
R18 849
6/7Sun
multi-stopQatar Airways
37h 00mJFK-JNB
13/7Sun
multi-stopQatar Airways
46h 10mJNB-JFK
R19 541
6/7Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
27h 35mATL-JNB
27/7Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
30h 35mJNB-ATL
R20 091
2/7Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 05mIAD-JNB
8/7Tue
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 25mJNB-IAD
R20 269
4/7Fri
multi-stopUnited Airlines
18h 20mIAD-JNB
10/7Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
31h 55mJNB-IAD
R21 990
6/7Sun
multi-stopBritish Airways
32h 05mJFK-CPT
14/7Mon
multi-stopBritish Airways
28h 40mCPT-JFK
R28 273
6/7Sun
directUnited Airlines
15h 05mEWR-JNB
16/7Wed
directUnited Airlines
15h 30mJNB-EWR
R29 036
2/7Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
9/7Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
25h 00mJNB-ATL
R31 929
5/7Sat
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
29h 15mJFK-CPT
14/7Mon
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
24h 20mCPT-JFK
R33 118
6/7Sun
multi-stopBritish Airways
32h 05mJFK-CPT
1/8Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
22h 15mCPT-JFK
R35 994

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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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