South Africans can expect to pay less than R2,500 to fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back over the next few weeks.
This, however, depends on what time and day you choose to fly, because more convenient travel times tend to carry a certain premium, while airlines also charge varying prices on similar flights.
South Africa’s cheapest air fares
TopAuto used Google Flights data to compare the best rates for flights every major airline in South Africa has to offer this weekend.
Because most people prefer to travel over the weekend, TopAuto looked at the cheapest available flights this weekend, and noted that the most affordable ones are departing on Saturday, 25 July.
Of course, flights tend to be cheaper in the week, since the weekend is a more ideal time to travel.
While many do prefer to fly over the weekend, those who travel between Johannesburg and Cape Town may need to fly during the week, which will allow them to take advantage of lower weekday prices.
Our search was filtered for a single adult travelling one-way in economy class from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Below are the best results for FlySafair, Lift, South African Airways (SAA), and Airlink, because, interestingly, CemAir had no tickets available to Cape Town from Johannesburg on Saturday, 25 July.
Note that these figures are accurate at the time of writing and are subject to change based on the time and day you book:
| Airline | Departing Flight time (25 July) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| FlySafair | 06:25 – 08:45 | R1,062 |
| Lift | 08:00 – 10:10 | R1,223 |
| South African Airways | 16:40 – 18:55 | R1,504 |
| Airlink | 07:30 – 09:45 | R1,799 |
FlySafair, the country’s largest domestic air carrier, proved to be the cheapest option at R1,062, with a marginal R161 saving compared to the second best option, Lift.
Airlink, another major regional player, proved to be the most expensive option to the Mother City, charging over R700 more than the cheapest option.
Each of the airlines offers travellers a different departure time, which means there is a convenient option for everyone on Saturday, depending on each individual’s willingness to pay for said convenience.
Looking at return flights, we kept in mind that it is more convenient to fly at the weekend, so we filtered for flights leaving on Saturday, 1 August 2026.
Surprisingly, the cheapest listings for flights departing from Cape Town International Airport again departed on Saturday.
These were the cheapest return ticket results for each airline:
| Airline | Departing Flight time (1 Aug) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| FlySafair | 05:45 – 07:50 | R1,363 |
| Airlink | 15:20 – 17:25 | R1,529 |
| Lift | 14:00 – 16:00 | R1,654 |
| CemAir | 07:00 – 09:00 | R1,883 |
| South African Airways | 11:05 – 13:05 | R2,351 |
Return flights were more expensive across the board, yet FlySafair remained the cheapest option, offering a very early 05:45 departure for R1,363.
Once again, time slots for the cheapest flight aboard each carrier varied, offering flyers several options to suit their preference.
This time around, CemAir also had availability, and while it was more expensive than FlySafair, it was significantly cheaper than the most expensive option, which would be to fly with SAA.
Assuming you pick both of the cheapest available flights, you’ll be looking at a total spend of R2,425 to fly to the Mother City and back.
This is significantly cheaper than it would have been only a few months ago, which is likely down to the lower cost of jet fuel.
However, this is something to keep an eye on, as the conflict in the Middle East flares up again.
In May, the same flights would have cost a minimum of R3,314, while in February, prices were as low as R1,540, illustrating the effect that the Middle East conflict has had on South Africa’s travel costs.
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