£331 Find Cheap Flights from London to South Africa

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from London to South Africa departing on 21/2. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy

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Cheap Flights from London to South Africa

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Cape Town
Cape Towndirect£474
Durban
Durban2 stops£616
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops£710
George
George2 stops£562
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£658
East London
East London2 stops£598
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops£755
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops£836
Cape Town
Cape Towndirect£474
Durban
Durban2 stops£616
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth2 stops£710
George
George2 stops£562
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£658
East London
East London2 stops£598
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg2 stops£755
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops£836

Book Cheap London to South Africa Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from London to South Africa that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals from London to South Africa

Mon, 10 Nov - Sat, 29 Nov
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
20:30 - 10:00LGW-CPT
11h 30mdirect
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
12:30 - 22:15CPT-LGW
11h 45mdirect
£474Norse Atlantic UK
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Sun, 12 Oct - Sat, 18 Oct
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
09:30 - 22:00LGW-CPT
11h 30mdirect
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
00:30 - 11:15CPT-LGW
11h 45mdirect
£477Norse Atlantic UK
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Sat, 22 Nov - Fri, 28 Nov
RwandAir Logo
08:35 - 14:20LHR-JNB
27h 45m2 stops
RwandAir Logo
03:10 - 06:20JNB-LHR
29h 10m1 stop
£527RwandAir
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Sat, 20 Sep - Sun, 5 Oct
Kenya Airways Logo
11:00 - 00:25LGW-JNB
36h 25m1 stop
Kenya Airways Logo
12:10 - 06:50JNB-LGW
19h 40m1 stop
£527Kenya Airways
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Sat, 4 Oct - Sun, 30 Nov
Kenya Airways Logo
11:00 - 10:55LGW-JNB
22h 55m1 stop
Kenya Airways Logo
17:00 - 06:25JNB-LGW
15h 25m1 stop
£528Kenya Airways
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Tue, 14 Oct - Tue, 21 Oct
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:10 - 03:55LGW-JNB
16h 45m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
22:50 - 06:25JNB-LGW
32h 35m1 stop
£529Ethiopian Air
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Sat, 27 Sep - Sat, 18 Oct
RwandAir Logo
15:05 - 14:20LHR-JNB
22h 15m2 stops
RwandAir Logo
16:50 - 07:00JNB-LHR
15h 10m1 stop
£529RwandAir
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Tue, 16 Sep - Sun, 8 Mar
Ethiopian Air Logo
21:00 - 13:05LHR-JNB
15h 05m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
22:50 - 14:25JNB-LHR
17h 35m1 stop
£531Ethiopian Air
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Thu, 11 Sep - Tue, 21 Oct
Virgin Atlantic Logo
22:15 - 10:20LHR-JNB
11h 05mdirect
Virgin Atlantic Logo
20:40 - 06:45JNB-LHR
11h 05mdirect
£561Virgin Atlantic
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Tue, 9 Sep - Tue, 23 Sep
Virgin Atlantic Logo
22:15 - 10:20LHR-JNB
11h 05mdirect
Virgin Atlantic Logo
20:40 - 06:45JNB-LHR
11h 05mdirect
£562Virgin Atlantic
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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for London to South Africa flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from London to South Africa to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest London to South Africa flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to South Africa from London found in the last 72 hours was to Cape Town, at £333 return. The most popular route is from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £655.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from London to South Africa?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a stopover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 3 stops stopover the cheapest option at £605 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from London to South Africa?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from London 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 London to South Africa is March, when tickets cost £539 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is £907 and £805 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from London to South Africa?

The average price of all round-trip flights from London to South Africa clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to South Africa on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Friday is the most expensive day to fly from London to South Africa. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Tuesday and avoiding Saturdays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from London 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 from London 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 a flight from London to South Africa, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 7% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 2 weeks before departure.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from London to South Africa

Low seasonJune
Cheapest flight£331
Best time to beat the crowds (11% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (21% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Cape Town

Flights from London to South Africa: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from London to South Africa 
GerhardFlew with British AirwaysLHR-JNBApr 2024
dont rely on the departure boards in the BA lounge. And prepare to have to tag and check in your own bag, even when flying business class
GregFlew with British AirwaysLHR-JNBDec 2023
Leave at least an hour for luggage to arrive at JNB.

FAQs - booking South Africa flights

  • Can I relax at a lounge in London Airports?

    Before you fly from London to South Africa, you can enjoy some tranquil time in one of the airport lounges. At Heathrow Airport, you could take advantage of the Plaza Premium Lounge, which offers a choice of foods and drinks. You’ll also be able to use the showers ahead of your flight. Prices start from around £32.50 per person, and the lounges are accessible from all four terminals.

  • I’m planning on renting a car at the airport when I arrive. Do I need a child seat for my kids?

    If you plan to hire a car from the arrivals hall at one of the airports in South Africa, it’s wise to keep up to date with the local driving laws. Children under the age of three must be secured in a suitable child seat, whilst those under 14 must wear a seat belt.

  • How can I lower my carbon footprint by taking specific flights?

    To help reduce your carbon footprint, you can choose an airline that operates a greener service. For instance, KLM’s flight from Heathrow to Johannesburg Airport emits around 43% less CO2 than the industry average. On this route, rather than 2372kg of CO2 per passenger, it equates to only 1111kg of CO2 per passenger.

  • Are there currency exchange offices at the airports in South Africa?

    Once you have touched down in South Africa, you can access currency exchange bureaus in the arrivals area of the major airports. At Johannesburg Airport, you can find an American Express Foreign Exchange just after passport control.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from London 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 London to South Africa.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from London to South Africa?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from London 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 London 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 London 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 London 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 London to South Africa up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the afternoon, when retur flights cost £712 on average. Morning departures are around 23% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to South Africa is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is £1,059.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from London to South Africa

  • London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a great departure airport if you are travelling with kids. There are plenty of facilities for your children, such as ‘Mr Adventure Stay and Play’ areas, offering slides and soft play zones to keep the kids occupied before take-off. There is a play area in each terminal, so it doesn’t matter which one you fly from.
  • Out of all the London airports, Heathrow tends to offer the widest choice of direct flights to South Africa, so it’s a good option if you don’t want a stopover along the way. You can get to Heathrow easily from central London, with the Heathrow Express taking around 15min from Paddington Station and the Piccadilly Line from Covent Garden requiring approximately 45min.
  • Direct flights from London are only available to either Johannesburg Airport (JNB) or Cape Town Airport (CPT). If you want to experience the South African coastline, Cape Town is a better option for you. Otherwise, flights to the country’s largest city Johannesburg will give you a greater choice of connecting flights to other locations in South Africa.
  • As a British citizen, you do not need a visa to enter South Africa as, on arrival, you will be granted a short-term stay of up to 90 days. However, you will need to make sure that you have at least six months remaining on your passport from your planned date of departure.
  • You can save yourself time on duty-free shopping at Heathrow by using the airport’s Reserve and Collect online service. With it, you can order your duty-free items before you get to the airport and simply collect them on arrival at the airport.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from London to South Africa

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from London 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.
7.6
RwandAirOverall score based on 36 reviews
6.8Entertainment
7.2Food
7.7Comfort
7.7Boarding
7.8Crew
Airline reviews

Pleasant, relaxed flight. I had 2 seats to myself, which was a bonus. I couldn't find a flight tracker ap so I could know where we were but that's a minor complaint. On the plus side, the passenger announcements did not come through my earphones but were on main speakers only. That was a nice touch.

8.0 ExcellentIan, Aug 2024KGL - LHR
Read more RwandAir reviews

Pleasant, relaxed flight. I had 2 seats to myself, which was a bonus. I couldn't find a flight tracker ap so I could know where we were but that's a minor complaint. On the plus side, the passenger announcements did not come through my earphones but were on main speakers only. That was a nice touch.

Flight delayed by 3 hours 45 mins and no explanation given or apology. Rebooked on a flight departing to final destination 48 hrs later and baggage not delivered.

My outbound flight was grounded in Lusaka so we never made it to Paris. DO NOT fly this airline you will be stranded and your plans will be completely disrupted

Inflight entertainment with electronic charging stations can help during a long flight.

The flight was delayed with no notice. No inflight entertainment. Communication is vital in any business.

Poor communication: Flight come directly to kigali , didn’t come via mumbasa. Favouring to Rwandan passenger to move from economic to bussiness class after flight depart. Where they don’t asked other older passenger who need more comfort. Rude staff : chekin airport at Mumbai. Talking in local language (marathi) while serving and no sorry no thank you attitude.

These are one of the older seat arrangements facing away from the windows! Not particularly convenient sets. No storage spaces. NO COAT HANGING HOOKS. Inconvenient business class seat compared to any other airlines of similar class. Staff are excellent! Extremely professional, friendly. Food is good too.

Overall, flight was excellent but check in was very slow for Premium Economy. Economy queue was shorter but we weren't allowed to use it.

The staff was not very polite but the flight was very very nice and comfortable and the entertainment was great

Great crew - old style upper class seats on the older fleet now feels dated

Premium economy more comfortable than economy, but not by much. Did was awful, do not try the omelette. Flight crew were helpful. Flight was delayed by over an hour. Overall but bad, arrived safely and thank God.

Food was excellent. Service was very good. Staff was very helpful to all passengers.

The crew was excellent as ever on Virgin. The special meal was poor unfortunately. More significantly when we arrived at Manchester Airport there was no air bridge provided and we had to exit the plane down a rickety stair case. This is unacceptable for a transatlantic flight. Whilst I understand that this is the airport’s fault at the end of the day the airline is responsible for our transportation and needs to do something.

Super friendly and helpful staff, from check-in desk to cabin crew.

Following a paid seat upgrade for enhanced comfort, I encountered an unacceptable odor in my assigned area. It took three hours for the crew to relocate me, and the replacement seat was unacceptably close to the lavatory, offering no improvement.

Good overall. Cannot fault the airlines. I have had better entertainment systems before ie ice in Emirates but it was not too bad. Food was decent and staff were friendly.

The Boeing 737 MAX on this route, flown in the middle of the night, is an UTTER FAILURE for business travellers. The whole point of business travel is to arrive alert and recover from travel quickly, and this little aeroplane with its quarter recline uncomfortable business seats does nothing for that. It’s a small step up from economy in that you have decent legroom, but that’s it. Absolute margin at the cost of the traveller.

The food was terrible and the seating was uncomfortable, but the airline did a great thing letting us board in Abbis Ababa on our connecting flight after our original flight was very delayed.

It was an old aircraft, stiff seats almost wooden chairs with thin cushions. Food was ok.

Traveling with Ethiopian is always a good experience. I also enjoy the stay at skylight hotel in Addis

The flight is packed and it feels like the space per individual has gotten smaller. Excruciating for a 14hr flight.

worst was delayed luggage. could see luggage was still in Singapore but they insist I wait till all luggage are unloaded before filing a report. took 2 days to arrive and I had to collect it myself from the airport

The flight itself was fine. The exception is that my luggage was destroyed, and I filed a claim that I haven't heard from anyone.

i send you separate claim of what happens ,I buy ticketed from you and you said that it is confirmed and shall send the ticket in 24 hrs but you did not send and when we go to Ethiopian air line counter they say it is pending and we dont know why ,and we forced to buy another ticket ,and this all because Ethiopian air lines canceled the return flight from Adi Ababa to Amman, please note that we buy all the tickets through your app and hold you responsible for all loss and discomfort.

United was best airlines I have seen since I got there choose united airlines

For Vegetarian Food was very poor. Though we had opted for Asian Vegetarian Food they didn’t serve but only what was available was served. We were offered Smoked Salmon!

The nice treatment and lovely pilots who accepted my son inside for a photo.So lovely of them

Got delayed for over 24 hours. Fight was cancelled. Was put up at a nice hotel whose kitchen was unfortunately not prepared for the sudden influx of guests The headphone jacks on the seat were loose and sound kept getting dropped over the headphones. Food was good though. Certain items (Amarula) were not available for purchase over the on-plane duty free. Had been told i would pick my luggage at my final destination*wrong* had to pick it up in JFK and recheck it and then got charged for it**** too tired to argue with the Delta staff on the issue.... after a 15 hr flight.

This one is not bad even it is late, but they apologize and every time they announced the update.

I’m very disappointed for this trip and I will never travel again in this airline. In addition, I don’t recommend to any human being to travel to Kenya Airways. They keep me at Nairobi for 4 days without care. I was at Nairobi from 6 a.m Morning up to 10 a:m Thursday. For that reason, I have trouble for my work and may be I will lose my job. During for those 4 days I didn’t have my medicine, I didn’t have clothes to change because all my clothes were in my checked bags. On Thursday, when I got flight, they don’t even apologize for all consequences I had. During for those 4 days, I learned many things for this airline. It is their system to treat passengers like this because they had hundreds or thousands passengers around Nairobi waiting for their flights after their original flights cancelled. If I lose my job, I planned to file claim to the airline. This is not airline to travel with.

They weight duty free goods at check in and count the weight as carry on luggage. Results : for 4 bottles I had to opay $150. rip off. Be careful to avoid any duty free shopping at Dubai airport

The boarding was fast, the food was great; however, the seats & leg space were tight.

I enjoyed my flight I arrived safe with all my luggage

No complaints just improve on the food service. Provide enough dinner. People are complaining about that.

Was very good, was happy with the way staff were smiling and how they were approachable

A child was loud throughout which made the trip less than optimal. Crew was great and professional. They need to change the automatic seat belt announcement which is too loud and had other unneeded words like "this is XYZ announcement number one'

Horrible experience. They broke the handle of my checked in suitcase and then refused pay for damages

We had a pretty good experience. Enjoyed both the flights. Crew was very good and helpful.

The flight was very delayed in taking off - which was out of control of the crew, but then the pilot worked hard so we only arrived about 30 minutes late. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating!

They issued seat assignments and sat my 2 year-old in the row behind me, separate from me and my daughter. Communication/ customer service was terrible. They told me to change it in London, then in London, they told me to talk to the cabin crew, then a supervisor came and stuck us in the back of the plane when we were supposed to be in row 25. Overall, they need to really work on their customer service. Additionally the food was terrible and they ran out of meals and didn’t have any kid options. To top it off there was no in-flight entertainment for the first hour of the trip.

We missed the connection because we had to wait for a shuttle from the plane to the Terminal. Also, we needed assistance and none was available.

When we arrived at the airport - 1st step - printing out your boarding pass - no issue. Not long lines as these machines. 2nd step - processing your bag drop off. There was only one associate there to help 10 kiosks. We had a family in front of us for 20 minutes trying to work on the machine and figure out every step for 4 pieces of luggage. My husband alerted the associate who was able to assist the family. Highly suggest that there are more associates to assist in this process. Besides this issue, security check went very quickly. Our flight was direct to Philadelphia. We had to carry our bags down two flights of steps, then out to the tarmac to a bus, then carry our bags up two flights of stairs to the plane. No one on the flight was expecting that long trek. I could see some people were struggling a bit. All in all - great flight crew, plane was clean and food was great!

The space is tight. Either you sit straight up the whole time, but the minute you relax, your knees hit the back of the seat in front of you. My seat would not recline so I was quite uncomfortable. Didn’t use my tray table bc it was stained and sticky and nasty. I was also seating in one of the last rows and one crew member and people going to the bathroom kept hitting my elbow resting on the armrest.

Flight was delayed for 2h. Announcements were poor and I was given 1 biscuit and a bottle of water as consolation. Not happy.

There were no gluten-free vegan options available, so food was very limited on this flight, and some of the crew weren’t especially helpful about it. To make matters worse, a passenger was sick on board, and although the area was cleaned, the smell lingered for the rest of the journey. On top of that, we ended up circling for an extra hour, which only made the unpleasant situation drag on even longer.

The crew’s professionalism was top notch and the food and drinks available were excellent. I only ask that we get the refurbished 777’s on the London to Bermuda route that I had for the London to Singapore leg. The updated infotainment system is much better than the older version

Everything you need to know for your flight from London 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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