FlySafair is bringing back its birthday sale in 2026, with flight tickets selling for as little as R12.
The company announced that it is celebrating its birthday today (Wednesday, 6 May 2026) with its annual flight sale.
The sale will start at 09h00 today and end at 23h59 this evening.
A total of 50,000 seats are up for grabs across its flight network at a price of R12 each to celebrate FlySafair’s 12th year of operations in South Africa.
However, this price is still subject to fuel charges and other taxes.
The tickets are valid for flights booked until 30 November 2026, though only domestic flights are included.
The airline stated that the sale will take place exclusively on FlySafair’s official website, which currently has a countdown page where eager travelers can wait to buy their tickets.
“To manage traffic, we’ll be admitting customers to our website in batches, it said.
“Be patient and stick around, because at any moment, you could be the next lucky person to access the sale. And when that time comes…you’ll need to dash in a flash!”
The page also has a notice entitled “This year’s sale works a bit differently.”
“Soaring fuel prices have trumped us, which means this year’s sale will work a little differently.”
“The base fare will still be a super low R12, but to that, fuel surcharges and taxes will need to be added. Sorry folks, it’s out of our control, but it’s still the best birthday bargain around.”
Anyone who doesn’t plan on participating in the Birthday Dash sale can still purchase normal tickets through the FlySafair app.
Best time to buy flight tickets in South Africa
Even with the surcharges, this is still an opportunity for South Africans to purchase exceptionally low flight tickets.
The price of flying has shot up over the last two months due to the war in Iran, which has affected jet fuel prices and prompted airlines like FlySafair to add a temporary surcharge to their tickets to offset the higher operating cost.
While motorists have been grappling with higher petrol and diesel prices over the same period, Aviation analyst Guy Leitch argues that the impact on jet fuel has been far more severe.
Speaking to 702, Leitch said that the price of jet fuel has more than doubled over the last month due to the conflict in the Middle East.
This price shock is already taking its toll on local pricing strategies, as some airlines have added explicit fuel levies while others are adjusting their fares more dynamically.
“Some of the airlines locally have imposed an explicit fuel levy. Others are simply adjusting the prices as the cost of jet fuel shoots up and down,” Leitch said.
He added that the real increase may be even higher than the official numbers suggest, and that fuel prices may have jumped from around R11.50 per litre to as much as R28 per litre.
Fuel typically accounts for roughly 30% to 35% of a flight’s operating costs, so it will have a considerable effect on ticket prices.
“It’s still absolutely horrendous,” he said, warning that it will be a while before the market stabilizes.
The impacts of this change are already being felt, as airlines are reducing the number of flights on less profitable low-traffic routes.
“That’s already happening. We’re already seeing flights being combined or cancelled on the less profitable routes,” Leitch said.
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