Planning a trip to South Africa from Los Angeles (LAX) requires careful consideration of several factors, including flight options, costs, and safety. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you navigate your travel plans.
Flight Options and Availability
If you want award flights to Johannesburg (JNB) or Cape Town (CPT), my advice is to book on the 330 day horizon (as soon as they are available on your airline's award booking engine). If you have AA miles and want to book on QR, the flights form the US to DOH as well as the flights from DOH to JNB/CPT disappear very quickly (in 1 - 3 days after you first see them available). The same applies for booking Star Alliance awards using UA miles. Award availability using UA miles does not disappear as quickly as it does for using AA miles but the high demand dates do get snapped up in a week or so.
Flights to Africa from the USA can follow many routes - Europe has always been a great drawcard for the American traveller, and those travelling to Africa can make an easy stop there on the way, creating a truly memorable two-continent adventure.
Here are some airlines and routes to consider:
- Kenya Airways: Operates a daily direct 13½ hour flight from JFK to Nairobi (NBO), with connections to other parts of Africa.
- United Airlines: Offers direct service between Newark (EWR) and both Johannesburg & Cape Town.
- Delta Airlines: Provides direct flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg & Cape Town.
- Ethiopian Airlines: Flies from Newark, JFK, Washington, Atlanta, and Chicago to Addis Ababa, with connections to numerous African destinations.
- Qatar Airways: Connects US cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Washington, Boston, and JFK with African destinations such as Rwanda, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Mozambique via Doha.
- Emirates: Links 14 major US cities with African destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mauritius, and the Seychelles via Dubai.
- Turkish Airlines: Connects major American cities with African destinations via Istanbul.
- Air France: Flies from most major US cities to South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, and Madagascar via Paris.
- KLM: Serves a number of secondary US cities and connects them to African routes via Amsterdam.
- British Airways & American Airlines: Offer connections to South Africa, Kenya & Mauritius via London.
If you are using money to buy tickets, my only advice is to be flexible with dates and routings. You can get some very attractive business class fares from JFK to South Africa on KQ. But you need to be able to fly when the fares are lower and be willing to book well in advance.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide: Nairobi - Johannesburg Flights
Indirect Flights: If you want to save money or don’t mind a stopover, there are several options for indirect flights. Dubai, U.A.E., and Doha, Qatar, are both safe, lively cities that make great stopover destinations in the Middle East; from there, it’s around 5-6 hours to Johannesburg. Or, you can choose to take a break in Europe; London and Amsterdam are common stopovers.
Direct flights to South Africa from the USA are available from Atlanta with Delta Airlines, who serve Johannesburg & Cape Town non-stop whilst United Airlines are the only carrier to offer a direct service between Washington Dulles and Cape Town, perfect for those on the East Coast planning a trip to South Africa.
The massive benefits of flying directly from the USA to Africa - less journey time, less stress, less hanging around, less chance of missed connections or lost luggage - should never be dismissed, but with relatively few non-stop options, for many it will mean taking at least a one-stop trip.
SAA route map
Costs and Booking Tips
In our experience, you can expect to spend around $1,200-1,500 USD per person for a return-trip, economy class ticket to South Africa on a reputable airline.
Read also: Flights to Cape Town from New York
Consider these factors when booking:
- Layover Length: How long is the layover?
- Airline Safety and Comfort: Is the airline safe and comfortable?
- Flight Duration: When flying to South Africa, you will be in the air for at least 10 hours.
- Time of Year: Airfare is always cheaper in the off season, but the weather may not be ideal for your trip.
- Booking Source: From our experience, we do not recommend booking flights through third-party sites.
Shop for fares, set alerts. Recently bought Sea-jnb//cpt-sea on Tk for $3,700.
Example Business Class Fare
I booked my biz class ticket in January to travel in October of this year. I booked on Kenya Airways from JFK-NBO-JNB. I've taken the nonstops on both Delta and United in the past five years and they are great products for sure. The tipping point for me was that at the time I booked, DL was something like $8500 r/t, United was $5400 I think and Kenya was around $2700 r/t. I KNOW Kenya isn't gonna compete w/ either DL or United. Kenya has 2x2 seating in biz, the food reportedly isn't as great, no PJ's are offered etc. Honestly, though, for me all I really need is a flat bed and all the rest is easy. Again, that's just for me. I plan on taking Amtrak to NYC then head over to JFK and on the return I found a cheap $70 flight from JFK back to DC. That's a lot of "moving" parts and some may not want to endure all that but it's all worth it to me.
Navigating South Africa: Transportation within the Country
South Africa is well developed for tourism, and there are several ways to get around the country.
- Commercial Flights: Will bring you between major cities.
- Private Airstrips: Many safari lodges have private airstrips that you can fly into via light aircraft. A soft-sided bag without a frame is a must, and a weight limit of 15-20 kg for all of your luggage (including cameras and handheld bags) is strictly enforced.
- Private Car Transfers: Are an excellent option for short distances, such as traveling from Cape Town to the Winelands. Keep in mind, a road transfer to your safari lodge is not the most comfortable option. The locals call it an “African massage” due to the bumpy, unpaved roads.
- Self-Driving: If you’re comfortable driving on the left side of the road, self-driving can be a great option to get around. Car rentals are affordable in South Africa, and the roads in tourist areas such as Cape Town, the Winelands, and the Garden Route are well paved and easy to navigate.
- Ubers or Taxis: In major South African cities, you can easily get around town using Ubers or taxis.
- Luxury Rails: If you aren’t in a rush and want to indulge in the classic African luxury experience, consider a trip on one of South Africa’s luxury rails, like the Rovos Rail or the Blue Train. The onboard experience hearkens back to a romantic bygone era, though the spacious cars have been updated with modern comforts.
Transport in South Africa
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Safety and Security Considerations
Obviously, the think most people (including me) worry about in South Africa is crime. I've spent months in the country before, so I certainly have at least some understanding of the situation. For a tourist, my belief was SA was "safe enough." Is that still the case, or is it now materially less safe?
Safety hasn't reached a tipping point yet, but will be close to it as elections approach next year. Crime is as bad as it has ever been, but not significantly worse either.
Is it Safe to Travel to South Africa?
Yup, that sounds right. Came across a horrific story of violence (nothing I haven't heard before from South Africans -- they all have these stories) but the crime numbers suggest a slow but steady increase. One could argue that it would be wise to go now because, eventually, it is almost certain you won't be able to go.
Current Economic and Infrastructure Challenges
SA is quite miserable right now with the load shedding and the general collapse of the economy and infrastructure. Its fine at the top hotels, etc.. with redundant systems, but the last couple of years have taken their toll generally on the country and I see a significant (negative) change in most everything.
From a tourist perspective, how would this downturn affect us? Otherwise, from an infrastructure standpoint, is there now unreliable power? Are the roads terrible? Do basic things not work, like the food supply chain?
As a tourist it is minor inconveniences. As a business visitor, slightly less minor but still not really bad. Supermarkets have more products out of stock than I recall them ever having over the past 20 years, but not so much as to be particularly noteworthy.
We just got back from Cape Town last week -- see my TR here: 9 Nights in Vic Falls, Okavango Delta & Cape Town: Trip Notes . I wouldn't have even known about the load shedding if it weren't for our Cape Peninsula guide mentioning it. Everything was smooth at the airports, our 4-star hotel, the nice tourist sites, Ubers, etc.
