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South Africa Travel Guide

Plan your trip to South Africa

Choose a city and airport first, then compare airlines and routes.

South Africa’s airport information distinguishes O.R. Tambo International Airport from Cape Town International Airport. Match your arrival and departure airports to the intended region before arranging ground access and baggage.

Capital
Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
Currency
Rand / ZAR
Common language
CLDR territory-language data records commonly used languages including English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda. Usage varies by region; CLDR population figures are estimates.
Time
IANA time zone Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2, no daylight saving time); confirm local times on your itinerary

Major airports in South Africa

Compare location, airlines and ground transport to choose the most convenient airport for your trip.

JNB

O.R. Tambo International Airport

JNB

CPT

Cape Town International Airport

Cape Town

BFN

Bram Fischer International Airport

Bloemfontein

DUR

King Shaka International Airport

Durban

ELS

King Phalo Airport

East London

GRJ

George Airport

George

HDS

Eastgate Airport / Air Force Base Hoedspruit

Hoedspruit

HLA

Lanseria International Airport

HLA

KIM

Kimberley Airport

Kimberley

Airlines for travel in South Africa

An airline’s hubs can determine whether your trip is nonstop or requires a connection.

Airlines, codes, key hubs and networks for travel in South Africa
AirlineCodeKey hubsNetwork
South African AirwaysSAJNB / CPT / ACC / GRU / MRU / ABJ / DAR / DUR / FBM / FIH / GBE / HREExplore SAA information and check route and cabin exceptions against the booking.

How to travel around South Africa by air

What to expect when flying between cities or connecting after an international arrival.

Flying between cities in South Africa

  • Check the SAA domestic baggage category
    SAA lists travel wholly within South Africa separately from other travel within Africa. For a domestic sector, check the route, cabin and allowance attached to the booking rather than copying another African itinerary’s category.

Arriving from another country

  • Report baggage problems before leaving
    ACSA’s O.R. Tambo guidance advises reporting damaged or mishandled baggage immediately to the airline before leaving the airport. Keep flight and baggage details for follow-up.

Popular cities to visit in South Africa

Open an airport guide to compare airlines, nonstop destinations and practical travel information.

Pretoria HLA / JNB

Administrative capital.

Cape Town CPT

Legislative capital.

Johannesburg HLA / JNB

Johannesburg is located in South Africa (region code: ZA-GT) and is served by candidate airport code(s) HLA, JNB. Visitors can explore Johannesburg's town center, local markets, cultural sites, and surrounding regional landscapes.

International routes to South Africa

Compare arrival airports and plan for time zones, baggage and onward connections.

Popular international flight routes to South Africa
RouteArrival airportRegion
LHR to JNBJNBGB
LHR to CPTCPTGB

Before you fly to South Africa

Complete these checks before departure.

Pack using the allowance attached to your SAA booking

SAA notes route and ticket-class exceptions to its standard allowance and prioritises the allowance attached to the booking. Check your own booking before packing.

Explore South Africa travel information

Continue to detailed pages for cities, airports, airlines and routes.

Cities

PretoriaCape TownJohannesburg

Airports

JNB JNBCape Town CPTBloemfontein BFN

Airlines

South African Airways

To

London → JNBLondon → Cape Town

South Africa flight and airport FAQs

Which points does the Gautrain Airport Service link?

The official description links O.R. Tambo International Airport, Sandton and Marlboro, separately from commuter services.