£287 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 29/4. 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.
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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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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£459
Durban
Durban3 stops£556
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth1 stop£747
George
George2 stops£566
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£680
East London
East London2 stops£615
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg3 stops£616
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops£800
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops£663
Cape Town
Cape Towndirect£459
Durban
Durban3 stops£556
Port Elizabeth
Port Elizabeth1 stop£747
George
George2 stops£566
Hoedspruit
Hoedspruit2 stops£680
East London
East London2 stops£615
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg3 stops£616
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein2 stops£800
Mthatha
Mthatha2 stops£663

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

Sat, 2 May - Fri, 8 May
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
09:00 - 21:30
LGW
-
CPT
11h 30mdirect
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
23:30 - 10:15
CPT
-
LGW
11h 45mdirect
£459Norse Atlantic UK
Mon, 4 May - Sat, 16 May
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
09:00 - 21:30
LGW
-
CPT
11h 30mdirect
Norse Atlantic UK Logo
23:30 - 10:15
CPT
-
LGW
11h 45mdirect
£459Norse Atlantic UK
Sun, 1 Feb - Sun, 8 Feb
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:00 - 13:45
LGW
-
CPT
25h 45m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
13:50 - 05:40
CPT
-
LGW
17h 50m1 stop
£463Ethiopian Air
Sun, 25 Jan - Wed, 25 Feb
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:00 - 13:45
LGW
-
CPT
25h 45m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
14:35 - 05:40
CPT
-
LGW
17h 05m1 stop
£464Ethiopian Air
Wed, 21 Jan - Tue, 10 Feb
Lufthansa Logo
06:35 - 07:05
LHR
-
JNB
22h 30m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
10:10 - 22:55
JNB
-
LHR
14h 45m1 stop
£491Lufthansa
Sun, 25 Jan - Sun, 8 Feb
Lufthansa Logo
17:30 - 09:30
LHR
-
JNB
14h 00m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
10:10 - 22:55
JNB
-
LHR
14h 45m1 stop
£493Lufthansa
Tue, 12 May - Tue, 26 May
British Airways Logo
19:00 - 07:00
LHR
-
JNB
11h 00mdirect
British Airways Logo
19:25 - 05:35
JNB
-
LHR
11h 10mdirect
£496British Airways
Mon, 11 May - Thu, 21 May
British Airways Logo
19:00 - 07:00
LHR
-
JNB
11h 00mdirect
British Airways Logo
19:25 - 05:35
JNB
-
LHR
11h 10mdirect
£497British Airways
Sun, 25 Jan - Wed, 4 Feb
KLM Logo
20:05 - 12:40
LCY
-
CPT
38h 35m2 stops
KLM Logo
18:25 - 16:35
CPT
-
LCY
24h 10m2 stops
£600KLM
Mon, 19 Jan - Tue, 17 Mar
KLM Logo
20:05 - 09:45
LCY
-
CPT
35h 40m2 stops
KLM Logo
15:20 - 16:35
CPT
-
LCY
27h 15m2 stops
£634KLM
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 £343 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 £522.

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 £612 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 £547 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is £882 and £823 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 Monday 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 the flight from London to South Africa, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from London to South Africa

Low seasonJune
Cheapest flight£287
Best time to beat the crowds (4% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (19% 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 Airways
LHR
-
JNB
Apr 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 Airways
LHR
-
JNB
Dec 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 £535 on average. Morning departures are around 21% 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 £774.

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.
7.5
Virgin AtlanticOverall score based on 675 reviews
6.9Food
8.2Crew
7.7Boarding
7.3Comfort
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Food has been disappointing in both legs of flight to india

10.0 ExcellentRanj, Nov 2025
DEL - LHR
Read more Virgin Atlantic reviews

Food has been disappointing in both legs of flight to india

Great staff great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Great staff, great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Food was the worst I’ve had on a VA flight. Normally it’s a lot better

I was my pleasure to fly virgin on my birthday for my first solo trip ever 🫶🏼

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.

The friendly staff. They kept time. Was suprised to get some drinks.

We did not even get on this flight as the plane never left London. I missed the email that was sent mid morning USA time, so we were not aware the flight was cancelled. There was absolutely no help from the staff at the Norse check in gates, we were told to take a picture of the board they were holding up, to try and claim our money back. We were told to book our own flights to London which ended up costing $10000 due to the last minute. And now we have to return to Miami in 2 weeks. I am not holding my breath about getting on board for that flight either.

Great experience. The flight was smooth with very little turbulence. We were in premium classic, so lots of leg room.

Didn’t know you had to pay for earbuds and food on flight. Sounds awesome and better way to not waste food or items. Comfort of flight is was amazing other than that

Unexpectedly was surprised with the space on flight in economy and the price.

I was not expecting having to pay for headphones, water and basic food in a 9 hours flight. Price for this flight was as high as any other, still I had to pay 4 lbs for a can of sprite. On top of that flight attendance gave a bothered look when I asked her for some ice for my soda. She reluctantly when to get it, brought me literally 3 cubes and walked away without looking at me to avoid another request. I couldn’t believe it. She was soooo rude. I will never book on Norse again and I will let everyone I know about this. Unforgivable, very bad customer service.

Great crew. Customer support is pretty much non existent. I had 2 tickets that were not used, the flight was overbooked. I think I should have been reimbursed for the unused tickets.

The movies were super old. The crew did not offer WATER???? 5 hours os flight and did not get WATER? Norse is the worst company I ever used and never will use again.

Why call us to board if we’re going to be made to stand in the tunnel for 20 minutes. Really hard for people with little children. Plus it took me ages to check in because my seat in Premium was overbooked so I didn’t actually have a seat. I did end up receiving my seat in Premium but there was a lot of stress and confusion beforehand. Hope is it possible to overbook seats? Especially in Premium!

We flew one way from Gatwick, London to JFK NY For 2 people $1200 and no food offered not even water. You had to buy food. Norse advertises as a low fare transatlantic airline, they may want rethink that. Crew, flight was fine. Ironically we flew American from JFK to Heathrow for $1000 (2people) and included food and drinks.

It is nice and great but the houstees crew are all the way back arguing with customers and behavior issues same of the crew i saw that also all the trips were very much butter!

I have my baggage left either in Jeddah or Addis and undelivered to Abuja

The crew was not helping us in the airports ..Very bad experience..the washrooms are not meeting the expectations..need more good service... The hotel service was good but there is a very long wait time which wasted time to go through..

They only gave us 30 minutes to make an international connecting flight. We didn’t make the connection but they did do a good job rebooking us despite the chaos. Our bags didn’t make it back and their process for customer support is pretty bad when it comes to luggage.

My recent experience with ASKY Airlines was disappointing. The check-in process was disorganized, and I was provided with inaccurate information regarding baggage requirements, resulting in unforeseen expenses. Additionally, the ground staff demonstrated a lack of professionalism and appeared insufficiently trained to handle passenger needs effectively. Regrettably, this initial encounter has left me reluctant to consider future travel with the airline.

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.

For a long haul flight, the seats were too narrow. Paid for extra legroom but wish I could have paid for width! I was pressed against another person for the whole donation of the flight.

Delayed flight made my day very long, but other than that KQ got me to my destination in good shape.

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.

Nice lounge but had a 5 hour layover which is a lot

Flight on time and priority boarding worked. I travelled economy although business was available as no flights are cheap these days and at least with BA loyalty card I get a baggage allowance for nothing. That made the flight comparable or even cheaper than the ‘budget’ alternative. As for catering and entertainment - not on a BA short haul economy ! At least we were offered biscuits and water! Catering for economy short haul has been reduced to the minimum - no tea or coffee or other drinks than water (from a large bottle with a paper cup on offer). They will say this is better for the environment, which it is, but proper waste management is still needed for empty packets etc. so actually it’s a money saver.

Audi visual not working for a whole group of seats in first class. How does a plane leave the main hub in such poor condition? How much that we can’t see so immediately is also compromised?

main meals are horrible but then you dont fly for the food

It was good. Couldn’t Check in online and select seats

It was great. Enough space and room for legs . Great service to.

⭐ British Airways Review — A Journey of Highs, Lows, and Lessons ⭐ I recently flew Business Class round-trip from Boston to Mumbai with British Airways, and my experience was a tale of two extremes — from disappointment to exceptional service, and then back to inconsistency. Boston → London: A Surprisingly Poor Start My journey began on a disappointing note. On a 6-hour Business Class flight, I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a single proper vegetarian meal option available. I was offered a few bakery items only after repeatedly requesting something to eat. The flight attendant shrugged, offered no solution, and eventually — quite literally — threw some bread at me after much delay. This was not only disheartening, it was extremely surprising given my wonderful Business Class experience with BA last year. I stepped off that flight genuinely hungry and had to make a mad dash to the lounge just to get a proper meal. London → Mumbai: A Complete Turnaround The next sector restored my faith in British Airways. The entire crew was warm, welcoming, attentive, and genuinely caring. A special shoutout to Phiroze and the entire team serving the Business Class cabin — their professionalism, hospitality, and thoughtful service were extraordinary. They truly embodied what makes British Airways a global leader, and I am deeply grateful for the experience they provided. This is the BA I know and love. Mumbai → London: A Strange Meal Schedule This sector was generally fine, but the meal timing was puzzling. Lunch at 10:30 AM — for a Business cabin — felt unusual, and most passengers, including myself, barely touched it. The rest of the service was smooth, but the scheduling definitely needs a rethink. London → Boston: Mixed Experience Again The flight itself was decent, but the Business Lounge at Heathrow for this leg was a letdown. Arrived during lunch hours: no hot vegetarian options available Lounge area: dirty dishes everywhere Even after politely alerting the staff, the dishes were ignored and left uncleared For a premium cabin passenger — and at one of the world’s busiest international hubs — this was disappointing. Overall Impression My journey with British Airways felt inconsistent — two great sectors sandwiched between two that fell short of the BA standard. When BA is good, it is world-class. When it misses, the gap is noticeable. I genuinely hope the airline takes this feedback as constructive insight. I continue to believe in British Airways, and I commend the outstanding crew on the London → Mumbai sector — they were the highlight of my entire trip. With a little more focus on vegetarian meal availability, lounge service, and consistency across crews, BA can ensure every Business Class passenger experiences the premium journey they promise.

We were in business class and I had seat # 1. This was a night flight and after dinner was served, lights were dimmed and I went to sleep. The crew were loud and noisy so I didn’t get much sleep. I expect the crew to enjoy themselves but would Appreciate some decency in staying quiet while the passengers sleep

Have travelled business class with other airlines who profess to be the best in the world. They can however not beat the service and comfort that BA provide.

Great on board entertainment Tasty food Cattle class obviously crammed but not as bad as shorter hall flights

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.