R8 585 Find Cheap Flights from the United States to South Africa

1 adult

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to South Africa

Travellers love KAYAK
41 299 237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 26% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Free to useThere are no hidden charges or fees.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Useful Info
Useful Info

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to South Africa

Get data-powered insights and trends for 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 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to South Africa from the United States found in the last 72 hours was to Cape Town, at R1 383 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 435.

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 January, when tickets cost R25 309 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is R37 926 and R35 176 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 16 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 R22 075.


Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flightR8 585
Best time to beat the crowds (14% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (26% 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 R26 717. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Thursday, when return prices are R29 507 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.

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.
7,8
KLMOverall score based on 1334 reviews
7,7Comfort
7,1Entertainment
8,4Crew
7,2Food
7,8Boarding
Airline reviews

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.

8,0 ExcellentShereen, Apr 2025AMS - YUL
Read more KLM reviews

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!

Legroom not all it could be, especially when the seat in front is reclined. Otherwise it was good, food and beverage were nice.

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

Transfer at Amsterdam airport is very convenient and the airport is easy to navigate. Boarding was also quick and easy. Cabin crew were excellent and the meals were good, although lacking in options.

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

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

I flew premium economy and this was a good option. Although the seats didn’t recline much, I was able to get some sleep with my head propped against the window. The food was good and the entertainment was wonderful The staff were very attentive and professional

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

A bit rush for transit. Food and entertainment are not available

Boarding was a little difficult. The gate area at O'Hare was very small and crowded due to multiple gates in the area. Could not hear the intercom, so had to rely on signage to see when my group was boarding and the signage was blocked by passengers standing in the gate. Flight was great and we arrived in Montreal on time.

Multiple delays and not straight answer from the United team

For economy, it was very good. Staff was great, they even let some of us change seats for more leg room... Put an empty seat between us which was fantastic for a 12hr flight. Onboard entertainment was excellent, I think over 200 choices of movies/tv/etc The bad was the barely/nonfunctional wifi that cost either $16.99 or 1700 miles (full flight). It was atrocious... Definitely the worst of the last 3 long haul major airlines I was on the last few months.

Stewardess spilled orange juice on my clothes/seat no help no apology just threw napkins at me to clean the mess up. Not Happy.

Smooth flight. Boarding was chaotic. Could not hear the gate agent over the intercom. People were lined up in the wrong lines. Groups one and two were told to board through line one and group 3 through line 2. All very confusing. Once in the air, the flight was smooth. There was no entertainment option on this aircraft, even though it was a larger aircraft.

The plane pushed back from the gate on time. However, it stopped on the ramp, and we waited for over 20 minutes before the aircraft pulled back to the gate. Apparently, something of importance had to be removed from the aircraft by the gate agent. I found this to be odd. The delay was not significant, but I felt that whatever was on the aircraft that had to be taken off, should’ve been done before we pushed back from the gate.

I didn’t get on plane. Passport being processed by consulate with visa application. Tried to cancel through underpricer after purchasing cacelling for any reason. No dice, they are thieves.

Electric plugs didn't work. Entertainment system wasn't working

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.

The Etickets had been changed (Why?) without notice ; Hence, that caused troubles when checking in. Not until I contacted my ticket agent and was given correct Etickets could I then check in.

Make sure to request a vegetarian meal in advance. They printed out menus for all passengers with the options but by the time they were halfway through (for breakfast and dinner), the vegetarian options were already all taken.

Cleanliness of seats, trays, storage pockets need more attention, but everything else was good.

A great airline, no complaints at all. My experience with Cheap Tickets was very disappointing however. Two hours after purchasing the flight they called to tell me that the ticket price had gone up. I’ve never heard of such a thing. That is called false advertising; I will never use this ticketing service again and will warn all friends to never use it.

One of the worst check in process at the DIA as well as the boarding counter Changed seat at the last minute and assigned middle seat while I paid for window seat. Requested many times but to no avail . horrible customer service and very poor process Requesting refund for seat that was changed last minute

Good overall flight. Excellent crew. Food options could be improved.

Vegan food tasted good. Restroom could be kept cleaner. Seat tray table was a bit tilted so food tray kept sliding down a bit. Flight crew can be a little more friendly, caring and approachable. Their faces lacked smiles and tone was stern.

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

I liked nothing of Ethiopian airlines except the price of the fare.

I felt all of the food tasted the same. And we had five meals over the 16 hrs in the air.

Too much long line at the TSA and Security. Prepare for long walk for baggage claim.

The flight from Seattle was delayed, which made me miss my connection to Florence. I was re-booked NINE HOURS LATER!!! That’s basically a vacation day lost. British Airways needs to partner with other airlines when possible to get a more realistic travel time, if delays occur. I realize there aren’t many flights to Florence from London, so I would book differently were I to return. The actual flight from Seattle was very comfortable and the crew was great, no faults there. I enjoy British Airways, this was an anomaly.

The crew could not have been more helpful, my meal was excellent, I slept peacefully until right before landing, and the BA lounge was a godsend. The only negative I encountered was the coffee both on the plane and in the lounge. Not to my taste but that’s a personal preference.

I don’t understand why a reputable airline like BA would delegate their London flights to AA. Makes no sense to me, as most domestic carriers do such a poor job these days. Terminal 3 at LHR is a total dump

The boarding process was quite loud and chaotic. The flight attendants kept barking over the PA system about people needing to only stow large items in the overhead bins. During the one and only service, I was hit by the service cart. At the same time, a passenger was returning from the bathroom and the crew definitely saw him but stopped a few seats short of allowing him to sit down before starting service and made him wait a good 10 minutes before passing his seat and allowing him to sit down, after which he had to ask for his snack and beverage or he would have been passed over. Neither flight attendant thanked passengers as they left; in fact, I did not see them again once the plane door was opened.

Cancelled flight minutes before boarding. Rescheduled flight was two days later

The flight attendants were EXTREMELY personable and appreciated the service, lights going off after dinner (probably the norm, but I haven’t flown evening overnight flights in a while). Thank you!

Business class seats were very dated on my plane. Very little storage, charging ports were not easily accessible, tv screen kept flopping away. Vegetarian food was disappointing: hardly any protein and severely under-seasoned. Crew was lovely.

The food was ok, but not great. They delayed boarding in Portland and did not enforce group boarding. But the crew was excellent, went above and beyond.

The food was pathetic. There wasn't much leg room and recline space for such a long flight. No tea/ coffee for a 2-3 hour connecting flight without purchasing! Really!?

Book cheap flights from the United States to South Africa

Recent return flight deals

11/5Sun
1 stopEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
22/5Thu
1 stopEthiopian Air
26h 55mJNB-EWR
R16 129
27/8Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
21h 50mJFK-JNB
11/9Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
23h 05mJNB-JFK
R16 204
19/10Sun
2 stopsQatar Airways
55h 00mJFK-JNB
31/10Fri
1 stopQatar Airways
33h 05mJNB-JFK
R17 616
19/10Sun
2 stopsQatar Airways
55h 00mJFK-JNB
3/11Mon
1 stopQatar Airways
33h 05mJNB-JFK
R18 378
20/8Wed
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
28/8Thu
1 stopBritish Airways
30h 40mCPT-BWI
R21 685
1/9Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
8/9Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
30h 40mCPT-BWI
R21 704
21/9Sun
directUnited Airlines
14h 45mEWR-CPT
2/10Thu
directUnited Airlines
15h 30mCPT-EWR
R24 788
20/10Mon
directUnited Airlines
14h 55mEWR-JNB
3/11Mon
directUnited Airlines
16h 20mJNB-EWR
R24 788
15/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
23h 55mEWR-CPT
29/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
24h 24mCPT-EWR
R26 907
1/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
22h 10mLGA-CPT
8/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
24h 15mCPT-LGA
R27 018

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Recent one-way flight deals

7/8Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
37h 35mATL-JNB
R8 585
30/7Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
R8 603
15/8Fri
1 stopEthiopian Air
20h 10mEWR-JNB
R13 491
11/8Mon
1 stopEthiopian Air
20h 05mEWR-CPT
R13 714
12/8Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 35mEWR-CPT
R20 775
19/9Fri
directUnited Airlines
14h 45mEWR-CPT
R20 961
6/9Sat
directUnited Airlines
14h 55mEWR-JNB
R20 961
14/6Sat
2 stopsKLM
24h 30mDCA-CPT
R23 135
22/6Sun
1 stopBritish Airways
28h 15mJFK-JNB
R39 431
22/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
24h 05mEWR-JNB
R53 423

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

5/5Mon
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
34h 00mJFK-CPT
20/5Tue
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
36h 05mCPT-JFK
R17 987
5/5Mon
multi-stopKenya Airways
42h 00mJFK-CPT
20/5Tue
multi-stopKenya Airways
38h 05mCPT-JFK
R18 303
6/5Tue
multi-stopEthiopian Air
33h 15mEWR-CPT
15/5Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
35h 55mCPT-EWR
R18 731
5/5Mon
multi-stopEthiopian Air
35h 20mATL-JNB
11/5Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
30h 35mJNB-ATL
R18 898
5/5Mon
multi-stopQatar Airways
34h 20mJFK-JNB
14/5Wed
multi-stopQatar Airways
25h 05mJNB-JFK
R21 388
5/5Mon
multi-stopQatar Airways
34h 20mJFK-JNB
14/5Wed
multi-stopQatar Airways
25h 05mJNB-JFK
R21 797
6/5Tue
multi-stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
12/5Mon
multi-stopBritish Airways
30h 40mCPT-BWI
R23 320
6/5Tue
multi-stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
12/5Mon
multi-stopBritish Airways
40h 35mCPT-BWI
R24 621
6/5Tue
directUnited Airlines
14h 40mEWR-JNB
17/5Sat
directUnited Airlines
16h 15mJNB-EWR
R30 363
4/5Sun
directUnited Airlines
14h 40mEWR-JNB
15/5Thu
directUnited Airlines
16h 15mJNB-EWR
R35 938

Search by stops

Search by airline

Search by price

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.

Not what you’re looking for? Find thousands of other hotels, flights and car hire with KAYAK.