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Find cheap flights from the United States to South Africa from R8 034

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 26/4. 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
Thu 18/4
Thu 25/4

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Low season

April

High season

December

Cheapest flight

R8 034
Best time to beat the crowds (1% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (24% more expensive on average)
Flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport to OR Tambo Airport, 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 to South Africa from the United States is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers 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 to South Africa with an airline and back to the United States 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 to South Africa from the United States up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

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.
See more tips

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 KAYAK reviews.
7,8
KLMOverall score based on 1716 reviews
73entertainment
84crew
78overall
78boarding
76comfort
73food
Airline reviews

Overall a good experience. We were disappointed when we had to check our carry on due to the plane being full. KLM hadn’t notified us and we had valuable items in the carry on but they still made us check it. Some of the food was great and some was mediocre. Crew is really kind and funny.

Read more about KLM

Overall a good experience. We were disappointed when we had to check our carry on due to the plane being full. KLM hadn’t notified us and we had valuable items in the carry on but they still made us check it. Some of the food was great and some was mediocre. Crew is really kind and funny.

The worst airline. Cancelled flight 30 min before boarding and rebooked on flight after 3 days.

Mostly fine. Minor delays departing and arriving. Quite a cramped plane, not so much as regards legroom but very narrow seats. Quiet nice food. Non-working USB charger. Flight attendants were helpful but not particularly proactive — one had to work to get their attention (but all was fine once they notice you), very Dutch style:)

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 .

The plane was clean and the staff was friendly. Food and drinks as expected on international flights. The entertainment system was old style, with a pullout controller, and selections not as extensive as on other flights.

The food quality is poor. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The entertainment program was limited. I experienced a delay of 30 minutes due to two issues. Passenger luggage had to be removed and there was a technical issue with the stairs not detaching from the aircraft. The pilot managed to compensate and we arrived only 15 minutes later. The luggage at Dubai airport was very slow. I waited over an hour.

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

The boarding was one of the worst I’ve ever experienced. The fault lays on Ohare Airport and not so much the airline. The waiting area by the gate was the size to accommodate a regional flight for 20-30 people and right next to a busy walkway. When you cramped nearly 300 passengers into that space is was unbearable.

Well, in my case; the flight was delayed 1 hour, we have to wait in the plane to get green light. And the plane (probably because was a short trip) did not have entertainment or WiFi. No a good experience.

The seats are too cramped in that plane. If you’re above 1,80m consider alternatives or first class I guess… There were no emergency exits to seat somewhere with more legroom

Quality of service on board was very inconsistent. FA service primarily seemed robotic and they barely engaged with passengers

I’m unclear why I had to pay extra for assigned seats as Turkish airlines did not honor the seating. We were placed across the aisle from each other on TK 34, and were seated behind one another on TK 694. Because my name was misspelled on e-ticket (Klawiter, instead of Klawitter) I could not log onto website to get the connection gate number in Istanbul. The monitors in the airport were a jumbled mess 1/2 Arabic and 1/2 English.

On line check in needs a lot of improvement. I tried and gave up.

Food not good, flight attendants not the best, not accommodating very ruff

the female flight attendant was racist towards me. I could tell she treated the two other passengers next to me with more softness.

Oh my god! For an13 hour flight they serve you food just one time. Also don’t be thirsty they give you a little small cup of soda to drink. They seem like their goal is to feed you one so they don’t have to be bothered with you. It quite surprise for such a long flight there are several times to eat at least three and the food was well lackluster. The food and lack of offering drinks which were always hot no ice provided.

We were traveling first class. Checkin counter lady and her manager, both were in bad mood and did not treat us well about checking in the handbag. The gate agent took care of it right away. I travel Turkish twice a year in first class. No one has ever refused to check in the hand bag. Not sure, why this agent and her manager refused. Everything else was excellent.

The 787 economy was a disaster for long haul. The space was too little compared to 777 or 747. Also the extremely low tray table behind the seat made any dining effort a nightmare. However, the movies were up to date, and the food taste was good, despite of terrible serving process caused by small space.

A little bit more comfort. It’s tight space around the seats. But all else is great and a smooth flight!

0ur assigned seats were given to other individuals when we boarded the plane. We were given new boarding passes with new seats all the way at the back of the plane. The reason given to us was that there were issues with the seats. We found out that there were no issues, and someone else's were seated on those.

Good movies, iffy pay WiFi, food ok- on time though and that was great!

Some of these FA’s need attitude check. Snarky bitches

Flight from CLT to DUS via MUC ticketed by United Airlines and operated by Lufthansa. 2nd leg of flight from MUC to DUS was cancelled and no notification provided. At check in , Lufthansa agents at airport were unable to locate record and wanted us to contact United Airlines directly.

Flight was on time. Staff were friendly. I paid for Economy Plus but was required to check my standard carry-on luggage due to lack of space on the aircraft. This cost me 30 minutes, unexpectedly, in waiting at the baggage claim. This experience did not meet my expectations.

737 Max was leaking water into the cabin through the windows. Overhead bins opened on landing. Bad bad plane.

I was not able to buy food in the flight. They refer to include your Credit card in the APP, and if you are not from USA (i have a credit card form Canada) it is not possible

Very bad , airplain had problem with engines , had to evacuate, had a delay on my trip for almost 4 hours , lost my rental car in london..

The plane boarded and deplaned twice before the crew timed out. Flight was 7 hours late departing. Horrible experience!

Aircraft has better leg room than any of United's larger planes. We had requested mobility assistance for this and related flights. United's response to all was superb.

No snacks served! Seating in the kast row in uncomfortable.

Luggage delayed for one day. I called customer service, and they had no info and no empathy. Boarding was very disorganized and chaotic. We went nearly 7 hours with no food or snacks on the flight. This is not an airline that has respect for its passengers.

The entertainment (movies) blockbuster and classics never change. I am a frequent Ethiopian flyer and this should be addressed. Not much changed from my summer flight and my December flight. It is annoying - surely you can update the selections more often. Same with food options. It becomes extremely boring to be offered the same exact meals from Washington to Addis to Maputo every trip, each time. AS

Entertainment was very poor. Couldn’t watch anything. Ear pieces were the wrong type .

Food was horrible. Our flight was not comfortable due to turbulence, seats was not comfortable, Very tight barely can not move anywhere.

The check in staff was amazing. Best customer service! The plane was old! My entertainment on the first flight didn't work at all, in my seat or in the seat next to me. The bathroom doors were old and troublesome. One of the bathrooms, the whole sink panel was broken. Everything felt old and falling apart. The airline stewardesses were amazing and quite hospitable. When there were delays, they kept us well informed. Transit was GREAT! I wasn't sure how I would make it to my next flight in 1 1/2 hours but the security lines were short and efficient. The C gates in Addis Ababa were CROWDED! That whole space downstairs was too crowded and challenging to manuever. I usually fly Ethiopian within Africa and was interested to see how the experience would be intercontinental. Overall, I would choose it again if it was cheaper than Delta/Air France or Lufthansa/KLM. I wouldn't make it a first choice if the prices were the same because the planes are so old! The food and entertainment also weren't as good. Good selection of movies but as I mentioned, on the first flight they didn't work at all (I slept so it was okay) and the 2nd flight it was glitchy. All in all, I didn't hate it but it would be a first choice only if it's cheaper.

The wifi service was really poor I try to use it the service was extremely poor if that could be improved that will go a long way

Hot, uncomfortable and very rough take off and landing. Very regrettable.

The seats were quite uncomfortable despite having good legroom. The 350s are quite nice but the problem is on the old 777 aircraft. Special meal requests are not catered for as they should. They never had any ice for drinks.

Cons: "First of all, my flight had no option to plug my cellphone, there was no TV screen and no WiFi.. they served some loaf of bread cut in half with some spices inside and called it dinner! But the most disappointing thing is the fact is that they LOST BOTH OF MY LUGGAGE BAGS, and the most they could offer me is $50 compensation (my belongings worth thousands of dollars) And even this I would have to claim from my “home country” which is completely unreasonable as my home country isn’t the one lost my luggage, the airlines had! Beyond shocked, disappointed and aggravated, this was my first time flying this airlines and I promise you it’s the last. Won’t recommend to anyone."
Pros: "We got scammed out of the tickets from Justfly.com and Ethiopian Airlines turned us away without looking at our tickets. I am upset. Now I have to get more Covid Testing done and that will cost approx. $700 and new plane tickets. JustFly.com's customer service is misleading and deceiving. And they blocked my number."
Cons: "Background check your booking agencies and their agents."

The crew on this flight were attentive, efficient and friendly. It really made for an enjoyable flight.

The crew on this flight were excellent. They were friendly and attentive. It really made the flight more enjoyable.

They canceled my flight , they put me on a different flight that was delayed and the connection was lost . They lost my luggage. And now I’m stuck with any of my belongings.

British Airways canceled our plane and gave us a new flight scheduled to leave in only three hours, so we had to drop everything and rush to the airport. The new itinerary only left us a one hour layover in Madrid, which was too short because the plane landed late and so we missed our connecting flight. We were then booked onto a flight scheduled to take off 8 hours later, and were not given any compensation or remedial measures.

Seat layout, flight/club attendant service, food variety and quality could have been better. Business class Standard is visibly low compared with 6 other airlines that we have traveled for the past two years.

Despite many attempts to work out a change, neither British Airways nor Kayak nor Chatdeal would allow us to cancel or change this flight so we lost all of the payments when we were not able to fly. Absolutely terrible customer service. We will never use either of the services again.

It said that there was wifi. During the flight there was no wifi and while waiting at the gate the phone services already got cut off so I wasn’t able to say I am taxiing from the gate to my husband. This left me with an uncomfortable feeling. So I was waiting on the WiFi connection during flight and that never happened.

Asked for a wheelchair multiple times. Got denied the wheelchair in London layover.

They sell 1h /1h30min connection ticket that are impossible to make

Suite door was jammed but seat itself was very comfortable.

Book cheap flights from the United States to South Africa

Recent return flight deals

26/4Fri
1 stopSAUDIA
27h 05mJFK-JNB
11/5Sat
1 stopSAUDIA
41h 20mJNB-JFK
R13 032
28/4Sun
1 stopSAUDIA
27h 05mJFK-JNB
13/5Mon
1 stopSAUDIA
41h 20mJNB-JFK
R14 108
13/5Mon
2 stopsEthiopian Air
33h 45mJFK-CPT
28/5Tue
2 stopsEthiopian Air
34h 40mCPT-JFK
R15 126
10/4Wed
2 stopsEthiopian Air
33h 45mJFK-CPT
16/4Tue
2 stopsEthiopian Air
36h 10mCPT-JFK
R15 352
6/5Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
28h 40mIAD-JNB
17/9Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 10mJNB-IAD
R18 521
3/5Fri
1 stopBritish Airways
28h 40mIAD-JNB
16/9Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 10mJNB-IAD
R19 464
30/3Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
18h 05mIAD-JNB
16/4Tue
1 stopUnited Airlines
25h 45mJNB-IAD
R20 124
30/3Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
18h 05mIAD-JNB
6/4Sat
1 stopUnited Airlines
30h 50mJNB-IAD
R21 633
21/4Sun
2 stopsKLM
22h 15mIAD-JNB
22/5Wed
2 stopsKLM
24h 06mJNB-IAD
R23 500
6/5Mon
2 stopsKLM
23h 20mLGA-JNB
20/5Mon
2 stopsKLM
25h 19mJNB-LGA
R26 951

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Recent one-way flight deals

26/4Fri
1 stopSAUDIA
27h 05mJFK-JNB
R8 034
20/4Sat
1 stopEgypt Air
37h 10mIAD-JNB
R8 223
11/4Thu
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
R13 711
19/5Sun
1 stopEthiopian Air
21h 00mIAD-CPT
R13 749
24/3Sun
1 stopBritish Airways
34h 25mEWR-CPT
R18 238
23/8Fri
1 stopBritish Airways
35h 20mEWR-CPT
R18 747
1/4Mon
1 stopUnited Airlines
23h 02mLGA-CPT
R22 142
1/4Mon
1 stopUnited Airlines
18h 25mEWR-CPT
R22 142
27/8Tue
1 stopKLM
22h 45mJFK-CPT
R43 435
27/8Tue
2 stopsKLM
22h 25mEWR-CPT
R45 359

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

24/3Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
20h 15mIAD-JNB
3/4Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 25mJNB-IAD
R16 861
23/3Sat
multi-stopEthiopian Air
33h 50mJFK-CPT
12/5Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
36h 10mCPT-JFK
R16 899
20/3Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
29h 40mJFK-CPT
22/5Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
24h 10mCPT-JFK
R23 726
20/3Wed
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
29h 40mJFK-CPT
14/5Tue
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
35h 55mCPT-JFK
R24 047
23/3Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
18h 55mIAD-JNB
9/4Tue
multi-stopUnited Airlines
25h 45mJNB-IAD
R24 877
24/3Sun
directUnited Airlines
14h 25mEWR-CPT
14/4Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
19h 35mCPT-EWR
R28 705
20/3Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
31h 15mEWR-CPT
22/5Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
25h 15mCPT-EWR
R33 194
20/3Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
21h 05mEWR-CPT
15/5Wed
multi-stopBritish Airways
29h 55mCPT-EWR
R33 326
19/3Tue
multi-stopKLM
23h 45mLGA-CPT
15/5Wed
multi-stopKLM
24h 15mCPT-LGA
R35 476
19/3Tue
multi-stopKLM
23h 45mLGA-CPT
23/5Thu
multi-stopKLM
24h 15mCPT-LGA
R36 457

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Flights to South Africa

Return flight deals:

South Africa - United States

Cabin classes:

R123 761
R81 873
R24 632

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