Flights to South Africa
Offering iconic road trips, epic wildlife experiences and some of the world’s finest wine regions, South Africa is a destination for big adventures. Plan your itinerary well and you’ll be able to play safari bingo and check off the Big Five in one of the world’s best-known national parks, sip Chardonnay in Stellenbosch’s vineyards, gaze down at Cape Town from the flat-topped Table Mountain and discover to the country’s other great cities, Johannesburg and Durban – all in one trip.
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Discover Africa's Rainbow Nation
Fly to South Africa with British Airways and begin your adventure in either Cape Town or Johannesburg.
Touch down in Cape Town to explore sites including Robben Island and the nearby winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, before beginning a journey along the magical Garden Route. The 300km road trip stretches from the Western Cape along the country’s south-eastern coast, serving up majestic views of the Indian Ocean.
Stop off in the charming town of Hermanus, South Africa’s whale-watching capital. Or fly direct to “Jo’burg”, the country’s largest city, where you’ll be on the doorstep of Kruger National Park. Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometers, and home to 150 mammal species, it’s the ultimate safari destination. Book your holiday to South Africa today.
Flight time
11 hrs
Time zone
GMT+2
Currency
South African Rand
Our best flight and holiday deals to South Africa
South Africa flight FAQs
A flight from London to Cape Town takes just under 12 hours. Flying to Johannesburg takes approximately 11 hours.
British Airways flies direct to both Cape Town and Johannesburg from London Heathrow.
There are great deals on flights to South Africa year-round with British Airways. If you’re planning to travel during the country’s peak season, which runs between November and March, it’s worth remembering that the price of accommodation might be higher. For those on a budget, consider a visit during the South African winter from June to August.
It’s possible to tailor your trip to South Africa to suit any budget. Renowned for its excellent tourist infrastructure and huge variety of accommodation, there are plenty of affordable options too. A safari may set you back a bit, but you can always choose to reduce the cost by swapping luxury accommodation in a private game lodge for a self-drive camping experience.
That depends on your itinerary. Peak whale-watching season is in the spring, between October and November, when southern right whales arrive from Antarctica to breed. Autumn, between March and May, and winter, running between June and August, are great times to visit Kruger National Park, when the weather is cooler and leaves have fallen, making it easier to spot the wildlife.
Despite the large distances, it’s easy to travel around South Africa. The comprehensive network of internal flights means it’s entirely possible to embark on a multi-city trip, even during a short visit.
The MyCiTi bus network is a good option for travelling around Cape Town and covers the city centre and most districts and suburbs.
The Gautrain is the most efficient way to reach Johannesburg city centre from the airport. Once there, the Rea Vaya bus system is a reliable way to get around.
You can also hire a car with British Airways if you want to see more of what South Africa has to offer. You’ll receive great benefits, with all mandatory charges included and 24-hour customer support, plus you’ll collect Avios points on every rental.
You can book a hand baggage-only ticket or make the most of our generous baggage allowance. If you choose economy standard or one of our British Airways Holidays’ packages, each passenger can check in a bag weighing up to 23kg – in addition to a handbag, laptop case or other small bag. Families travelling in any cabin with younger children can also check in one car seat and one fully collapsible pushchair. Read more about baggage allowances for children.
If you’re flying in our business cabin, you can check in two bags weighing up to 32kg each. Read our baggage guide for full details.
British passport holders don’t need a visa for travel to South Africa, as long as you’re visiting for 90 days or less. You can find out more information at the IATA Travel Centre.
Discover outstanding service from the moment you book. Fly with just hand baggage and you can carry two bags free of charge. Choose our checked baggage option and you can travel with hand baggage and a 23kg bag checked into the hold, plus enjoy free seat selection 24 hours before you fly.
On board you’ll find HEPA-filtered air, quality on-board catering, and a warm, uniquely British welcome. Simply relax and let us take care of you, every step of the way.
South Africa highlights
Cape Town
- Catch a cable car to the top of Table Mountain and take in the panoramic views of Cape Town.
- Roll out your towel on one of the city’s seven Blue Flag beaches.
- Take the ferry to Robben Island Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
Johannesburg
- Take a guided tour of Soweto to learn about the city’s remarkable history.
- Visit the Cradle of Mankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring fossils dating back millions of years.
- Browse the bustling Kwa Mai-Mai market with its traditional healing treatments and indigenous arts, crafts and souvenirs.
Our cabins
All our cabins offer an excellent – and uniquely British – experience. Choose your perfect way to fly, from economy to First.
Economy
Our World Traveller cabin offers all the touches you need to enjoy your flight at an affordable price.
Premium economy
Discover our World Traveller Plus cabin and treat yourself to a wider seat and more legroom in a separate, quieter cabin.
Business
Work or relax in our Club World cabin and enjoy lounge access, a dedicated check-in area and fully flat beds for a restful sleep.
First
Choose First to enjoy a range of comforts, from fine dining to your own private suite and access to our elegant departure lounges.
Other countries we fly to
- Algeria flights
- Egypt flights
- Ghana flights
- Kenya flights
- Morocco flights
- Nigeria flights
- South Africa flights
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Terms and conditions
- Flight only prices are updated every 24 hours and are accurate when published. Flights at these prices are limited and may sell out quickly.
- Package vacation prices (flight + hotel or flight + car) prices are updated every 24 to 48 hours and are accurate when published and may vary upon reaching subsequent pages. Availability may be extremely limited particularly during peak periods.
- Return fares displayed are the lowest adult return prices in the cabin specified including taxes, fees and carrier charges, based on a 7-day return journey.
- Package vacation prices (flight + hotel and flight + car) shown are in USD per person based on 2 adults sharing one room or one car and prices include taxes, fees and carrier charges unless otherwise specified. Flight + car prices based on drivers aged 30-70 years.
- Additional charges will be applied for payments made using a corporate credit card.
- Advertised fares are available on ba.com. Additional charges may apply if purchased through British Airways outlets or travel agents.
- Combine and save on Vacations: Guaranteed savings are only available when booking a Flight + Hotel or Flight + Car booking including one land product, it does not apply to a ‘Customise your trip’ vacation including more than one hotel and / or car.
- Standard British Airways terms and conditions apply.
1. Vacation Sale offers can be booked online at ba.com or through the British Airways call centre from January 6, 2026 and January 22, 2026 at 23:59 EST.
2. Vacation sale offers are valid on travel between January 6, 2026 and September 30, 2026. All travel must be completed by September 30, 2026. For travel from all British Airways operating airports in the US.
3. To qualify for the up to $400 discount per booking offer certain booking requirements must be met.
4. The savings are $50, $100, $200 or $400 and apply to new Vacation Package bookings only where a minimum spend is met:
a. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $8,000 per booking can save $400 per booking.
b. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $5,000 per booking can save $200 per booking.
c. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $3,000 per booking can save $100 per booking.
d. Vacation Package bookings with a total cost of $1,500 per booking can save $50 per booking.
5. The savings are per booking.
6. A Vacation Package booking means any booking including round trip flights and either a hotel, car or combination of both for the duration of the travel period. Hotels/cars added to flights only after a flight has been selected or booked will not be eligible. To be eligible for savings, we invite you to choose ‘Flight + hotel’ or ‘Flight + car’ when commencing a search. Quotes in our ‘Create your trip’ booking tool will not include this offer and are discounted in a different way.
7. Flight + car Vacation Package savings are applied before any Extras (insurance waiver, car seats etc.) are added to the booking.
8. Prices advertised on ba.com include the additional discount where applicable.
9. Vacation sale lead-in prices include all airline-related taxes, fees, and carrier charges.
10. Economy flight and hotel package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 5 nights for double occupancy accommodation.
11. Economy flight and car rental package lead-in prices are based on 2 adults traveling on the same itinerary, round trip in Economy Class, pricing per adult person, based on 7 days Avis or Budget car rental in a ‘Group A Economy Manual’ car. Prices are based on drivers aged 30-70 years. (Automatic car rental available at higher prices).
12. Car rental prices do not include fees charged locally such as airport charges, additional driver, insurance, navigation aids and similar options.
13. All prices are liable to change at any time and are subject to flight, hotel and car rental availability. Availability is strictly limited.
14. Offers are valid for new bookings only, made during the promotional period. Valid only when combined with British operated flights or BA code share flights departing from a US gateway.
15. Prices are based on travel during dates and board basis stated.
16. Limited availability of flights at these prices. Individual travel dates are subject to availability. Promotional travel is subject to availability and capacity control, and availability may be limited over holidays and peak periods. The number of seats available on each flight at a particular fare may be restricted and it is possible that seats allocated to a particular fare on a particular flight may be fully booked even though seats are still available for sale at a different fare or booking class in the same cabin.
17. Deposits can only be paid for bookings created as flight + hotel or flight + car packages. All flight only, hotel, car and experience only bookings, and any hotel, car or experiences added to a flight only booking are excluded from this offer. The following deposit levels apply based on the total spend per booking:
I. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $1000-$1999 - pay from $198 deposit per booking
II. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2000-$2499 - pay from $250 deposit per booking
III. Flight + hotel and flight + car vacations between $2500-$2999 - pay from $300 deposit per booking
18. The deposit balance will be due 28 days prior to your departure date. The actual payment date will be displayed on the payment details page. You can pay the balance in as many instalments as you want. This allows you to spread the cost of the vacation over a longer period. You will have full flexibility of when you make the payments and how much they are, the only requirement is that you must have paid the full balance by the balance due date.
19. British Airways holidays standard terms and conditions and conditions of carriage apply. For full terms and conditions please refer to https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/package-booking-terms-and-conditions
20. All travel on BA operated flights is subject to BA's General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage (see ba.com http://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/british-airways/general-conditions-of-carriage) and the notice and conditions of contract contained on each ticket and itinerary. Passengers carried by code share services are subject to the ticketing carrier's conditions of carriage.
21. British Airways is not liable for the reproduction of this offer or indirect access via third party websites of these terms and where such reproduction misstates or omits any of the information or terms and conditions connected with this promotion.
22. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a hotel purchase apply.
23. Normal booking conditions, including amendment and cancellation charges, of a car purchase apply.
24. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
25. This offer may be withdrawn or limited by British Airways without notice.
26. Other significant restrictions may apply.
We reserve the right to cancel any bookings that violate any of these terms and conditions.