Australian carrier Qantas has announced that it will launch the first non-stop service between Sydney and Cape Town in October 2027, with tickets already on sale.
The flights will run until at least March 2028, adding nearly 30,000 seats between Australia and South Africa, on flights departing on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
This is thanks to a new Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft arriving in late 2027, which will be part of the largest fleet renewal in the Australian airline’s history.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the fleet renewal will create new opportunities for its people.
“The arrival of our new 787s as part of our historic fleet renewal gives us the flexibility to grow our international network in places we know our customers want to travel,” he said.
The launch of the new route comes 75 years after the Australian airline operated its first scheduled passenger service to South Africa, which landed in Johannesburg.
According to Qantas, the Wallaby Route took 66 hours in 1952, stopping in Perth, the Cocos Islands and Mauritius before arriving in the City of Gold.
From next November, flights from Sydney to Cape Town will land the same day they take off, while the other direction won’t work out quite the same due to the time difference.
Wallace called Cape Town a “true bucket-list city”, adding that Australia’s appetite to visit has never been stronger.
“Each year, tens of thousands of customers use our existing Johannesburg services to connect to Cape Town through our partner airlines Airlink, so we know there’s strong demand for a non-stop service,” he said.
Increased connectivity between South Africa and Australia
In 2025, more than 120,000 Australian tourists visited South Africa, and according to Qantas, that demand continues to grow.
Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa’s third-largest overseas source market in June this year, with arrivals from Down Under increasing 19% year-on-year.
Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said the route is the first direct link between Australia and Cape Town and is a fantastic outcome for the tourism industry.
“More planes in the sky means more options for Australian travellers and exporters, and of course international visitors to explore our wonderful sights,” he said.
Qantas noted that the route will also bring families and friends closer together, with almost 225,000 South Africans calling Australia home, with around a quarter of them living in New South Wales.
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro – the tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape – said direct air access is one of the most important drivers of tourism growth.
“That is why the launch of the new Sydney-Cape Town service is such a significant development for the Western Cape,” she said.
“Australia is an important and growing tourism market for our destination, and this route will unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment and business exchange, while making it easier than ever for Australian travellers to visit our region.”
According to the CEO, the new route will also support job creation and help grow the visitor economy across the Western Cape.
This, she said, will further cement Cape Town and the Western Cape’s position as a leading gateway to Africa and a destination that is open for business.
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