R8 760 Find Cheap Flights from the United States to South Africa

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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 Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport, at R1 100 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 100.

What is the cheapest day to fly to South Africa?

The average price of all flights from the United States to South Africa clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to South Africa is Monday when return tickets can be as cheap as R26 586. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Thursday, when return prices are R30 030 on average.

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 770 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is R38 617 and R35 305 respectively.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa?

The average price for all round-trip flights from the United States to South Africa depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.
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.

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.

Good to know

Low season

February

High season

December

Cheapest flight

R8 760
Best time to beat the crowds (14% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (24% 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.

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 verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7,8
KLMOverall score based on 1323 reviews
7,8Boarding
7,7Comfort
8,4Crew
7,3Food
7,1Entertainment
Airline reviews

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

8,0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025AMS - INL
Read more KLM reviews

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

Great boarding, great short flight but no entertainment whatsoever and no wifi. Prepare to disembark by a staircase.

Great boarding, great short flight but no entertainment whatsoever. It was supposed to have wifi but that did not work.

Transfer at CDG to connecting KLM flight to Amsterdam was a NIGHTMARE. LONG WALKWAYS, NO MOVING WALKWAYS, POOR signage, Have to take a train & No staff visible to help navigate the maze. AVOID TRANSFER AT CDG AT ALL COST.

The design of the light switch on the arm rest is ridiculous.

Smooth boarding process. Early departure, smooth flight, early arrival. The entertainment package has very good recent movie options. The flight crew were friendly and professional.

leg space better than expected. two washrooms for one plane isn't enough.

My suitcase was completed destroyed. The top part is broken and unusable now.

When I booked it on Kayak it aaid that I wasn't allowed hamd luggage. I called United Airlines and it took them 6 minutes to figure out if I was allowed free hand luggage. Surely something that simple they should be able to tell me instantly.

The gate attendant let me walk right by her with a bag too big for the overhead compartment

I do prefer to fly United and have always had excellent service, except for bad weather. Flights are on time and staff is alway curtious and helpful

I just got back from a trip with 3 flights each way. The flights were good and we were happy with out experience. There was one steward on our first flight that was harsh and grump with passengers. It did not leave a good impression. All of the other flight crews were great on the other five flights.

Food and flight attendents with positive dispositions and friendly behavior, more professional attitudes

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

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.

Flight was delayed then we had to redirect for medical emergency during which time we had no information on what is the plan. The connecting flight was also delayed.

No Asian Vegetarian food was available on this sector but only fish and chicken and pasta were offered.

It was very bad experience with Ethiopian airlines . The flight was delayed in both ways . On the way coming back one of the crews dropped hot coffee on my whole body and other crew dropped used dirty glasses on top of me . The same crew that dropped hot coffee on me hit me with the food trolley on my knee while I was sleeping . I couldn’t sit properly due to the pain on my knee caused by those irresponsible crews . Very unprofessional airlines

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.

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!?

Service was very good. Because I use a cane, I was allowed to use Priority Boarding. Biggest problem was extremely limited leg room in Economy class seats. For airplane food, it was alright.

Was late but that airport/storm fault. Flight was full but comfortable. Food quite nice. Unfortunate that I had a rather miserable attendant, others were much friendlier

Experience was good. Could have been better if we didn’t have to board an hour before the flight to ghana and miss relaxing time in the lounge. That process was very stressful

Boarding crew is unfriendly as i was asked to handover carryon luggage too upto final destination Bangalore I was not prepared for that and i had to travel without my diabetic and hypertension medicines

I was charged fees for check in bags at the airport by British Airways. It was supposed to be no charge but Kayak messed up my booking apparently and I had to pay for check in bags. I paid $175.

They took my carry on and checked it in. Staff in general at Heathrow are not friendly or helpful

The crew were professional and friendly. It was the most uncomfortable international flight I've ever flown. Crammed in passengers. No overhead space to put my bag. No leg room and unable to recline seat due to seats too close together so it upset passenger behind me! Upgrade price to get 2 inches of more space unreasonable.

Book cheap flights from the United States to South Africa

Recent return flight deals

1/5Thu
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
15/5Thu
2 stopsEthiopian Air
26h 55mJNB-EWR
R16 196
7/5Wed
1 stopEthiopian Air
20h 30mATL-JNB
20/5Tue
2 stopsEthiopian Air
24h 25mJNB-ATL
R16 215
5/5Mon
1 stopTurkish Airlines
28h 00mJFK-JNB
22/5Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
34h 50mJNB-JFK
R17 142
12/5Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
30h 30mJFK-JNB
18/5Sun
1 stopBritish Airways
26h 50mJNB-JFK
R17 180
13/5Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
28h 55mJFK-JNB
20/5Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
28h 10mJNB-JFK
R17 445
5/5Mon
1 stopTurkish Airlines
28h 00mJFK-JNB
13/5Tue
1 stopTurkish Airlines
34h 50mJNB-JFK
R17 520
21/9Sun
directUnited Airlines
14h 45mEWR-CPT
2/10Thu
directUnited Airlines
15h 30mCPT-EWR
R25 221
21/9Sun
1 stopUnited Airlines
33h 50mEWR-CPT
2/10Thu
directUnited Airlines
15h 30mCPT-EWR
R25 391
16/9Tue
2 stopsKLM
25h 55mDCA-CPT
6/10Mon
2 stopsKLM
26h 20mCPT-DCA
R27 870
18/8Mon
2 stopsKLM
23h 55mDCA-CPT
3/9Wed
2 stopsKLM
24h 11mCPT-DCA
R28 570

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Recent one-way flight deals

3/8Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
R8 760
3/8Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
30h 50mATL-JNB
R9 139
21/4Mon
1 stopEgyptair
36h 10mEWR-JNB
R9 668
15/8Fri
1 stopEthiopian Air
20h 10mEWR-JNB
R13 736
3/9Wed
1 stopEthiopian Air
20h 05mEWR-CPT
R13 963
19/9Fri
directUnited Airlines
14h 45mEWR-CPT
R21 342
30/8Sat
directUnited Airlines
15h 05mEWR-JNB
R21 342
22/6Sun
2 stopsKLM
24h 05mEWR-JNB
R54 415
10/6Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
26h 40mATL-JNB
R79 712
31/5Sat
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
R82 550

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Last minute flights to South Africa

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

20/4Sun
multi-stopQatar Airways
55h 00mJFK-JNB
6/5Tue
multi-stopQatar Airways
24h 45mJNB-JFK
R17 823
18/4Fri
multi-stopQatar Airways
31h 00mJFK-JNB
29/4Tue
multi-stopQatar Airways
30h 50mJNB-JFK
R19 223
17/4Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
30/4Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
41h 25mJNB-EWR
R19 829
17/4Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
24h 10mEWR-JNB
30/4Wed
multi-stopEthiopian Air
26h 55mJNB-EWR
R19 923
18/4Fri
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
40h 20mIAD-CPT
1/5Thu
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
25h 10mCPT-IAD
R20 718
20/4Sun
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
28h 05mEWR-JNB
6/5Tue
multi-stopTurkish Airlines
34h 45mJNB-EWR
R22 421
18/4Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
31h 40mBWI-CPT
1/5Thu
multi-stopBritish Airways
42h 35mCPT-BWI
R35 627
16/4Wed
directUnited Airlines
14h 40mEWR-JNB
1/5Thu
directUnited Airlines
16h 15mJNB-EWR
R36 573
16/4Wed
directUnited Airlines
14h 40mEWR-JNB
1/5Thu
directUnited Airlines
16h 15mJNB-EWR
R36 592
19/4Sat
multi-stopBritish Airways
31h 05mEWR-JNB
26/4Sat
multi-stopBritish Airways
28h 10mJNB-EWR
R51 009

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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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