What is the best month to fly to South Africa?

If there's one country that has it all, it is South Africa. The best time to visit South Africa is from May to September. Winter mornings and nights are cold. May and September are wonderful because it is less cold and, especially in September, the wildlife viewing is excellent.



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Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa. Book at least 4 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price. High season is considered to be January, November and December. The cheapest month to fly from the United States is April.

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The best time to visit South Africa on safari is widely considered to be May to September. This is when the east of the country - where the main safari parks such as Kruger National Park are located - experiences its dry season. With less vegetation, wildlife watching opportunities are greatly improved.

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Johannesburg is South Africa's gateway and an entry point for direct flights from the U.S. All direct flights from the U.S. land in Johannesburg from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).

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Here are some of our favorite airlines that fly to South Africa.
  • South African Airways: Direct flights from New York or Washington, D.C.; easy connections to other destinations in South Africa.
  • Emirates: Indirect flights with stopovers in Dubai and other Middle East locations; exceptional inflight service.


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For domestic flights Saturday afternoon travel is generally cheaper. For international flights leaving South Africa on Sundays to Thursdays and returning Tuesday to Thursday is generally cheaper.

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For most first time international travellers to South Africa we would recommend 8-12 days as a starting point, as South Africa has an extensive variety of attractions on offer. Cape Town cannot be justified in less than 4 days. A night (or two) in the nearby Cape Winelands or Whale Coast is a great add-on.

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An African safari costs anywhere between $125 and $1,500 per person per night. A budget safari averages $150 per night, mid-range $350 and luxury $750. The extreme top-safaris can easily go up to $1,500 per night, or more!

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Seasonality for Africa Flights: For most of the year, you'll want to book flights to African countries as early as you can. Spring is one exception, where you can find the best deals quite a bit closer to your travel dates. You can book about 3 months in advance and still get a good price, on average.

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Discovery Bank and Visa have identified two major reasons that drove steep increases in flight prices in 2022 – high aviation fuel prices and reduced flight capacity.

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From the US there are three nonstop flights a week from New York (JFK) to Johannesburg operated by South African Airways (SAA) in partnership with United Airlines (wunited.com). These take between fifteen and sixteen hours. Most other flights stop off in Europe, the Middle East or Asia and involve a change of plane.

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MIA/JFK TO CMN, ROYAL AIR MAROC This Royal Air Maroc flight from two key eastern USA hubs to Casablanca is the shortest direct flight from the USA to anywhere in Africa. In fact, the overnight routing means that it's possible to have dinner in the US and then start the next day with breakfast in Morocco.

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The general rule is that for domestic flights, travelers should start searching for flight tickets one to three months in advance. For international flights, the best prices are typically available from two to eight months in advance. Prices can also vary widely among airlines.

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In our experience, while fantastic deals can pop up at any time, the best time to book a flight (what we call the Goldilocks Window) is 1–3 months ahead for domestic travel and 2–8 months ahead for international travel—unless your trip is around a popular holiday or peak travel time, or you have very specific travel ...

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Flying from the United States to South Africa
  1. South African Airways: New York City (JFK) to Johannesburg (JNB) Flight time: 15 hours.
  2. South African Airways: Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Johannesburg (JNB) Flight time: 17 hours.
  3. Delta Air Lines: Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg (JNB) Flight time: 15 hours.


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