Whether it's an interview in another city, a new job, studying overseas or getting home to family, here's how to compare and book a flight directly with the airline — no booking fees, no middleman. It covers South Africa's domestic airlines, 110 airlines from around the world, and how to get to or from the airport by Gautrain or e-hailing once you land.
Snapshot as of October 2026 — airline routes, fares and partnerships change often; always confirm on the airline's own site before you payFive airlines currently fly South Africa's main domestic routes. Book directly on the airline's own website or app — it's the same price as, or cheaper than, a travel agent, and you deal with the airline directly if anything changes.
South Africa's largest low-cost carrier by domestic flights. Usually the cheapest option on routes it flies, especially booked a few weeks ahead.
flysafair.co.za ↗The widest domestic and regional network — over 45 destinations, including smaller towns and cities other airlines don't serve.
flyairlink.com ↗Flies the busiest trunk route — Johannesburg ↔ Cape Town — plus Durban, with WiFi on board and a loyalty programme.
lift.co.za ↗Reaches smaller destinations like George, East London, Margate, Kimberley and Hoedspruit, as well as the main cities.
cemair.co.za ↗South Africa's flag carrier. Since January 2026, SAA and CemAir fly under a codeshare — meaning you can sometimes book a single SAA ticket that connects onto a CemAir flight to a smaller destination, with your baggage transferred for you.
flysaa.com ↗| Route (weekend round trip) | Cheapest found | Most expensive found |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg ↔ Durban | R1,252 · FlySafair | R3,787 · Airlink |
| Johannesburg ↔ Cape Town | R2,107 · Airlink | R4,208 · SAA |
| Johannesburg ↔ Gqeberha | R1,502 · FlySafair | R3,102 · SAA |
| Johannesburg ↔ George | R1,698 · Airlink | R3,428 · CemAir |
Flying overseas for study, work or a visit? Here are 110 airlines from every region, with a link to each one's own official website. Always book on the airline's own site. Tap Serves South Africa* to see the ones that connect to or from South Africa.
No airline matches that. Try a shorter word, or choose All.
The same process works on every airline's own website or app.
Once you've booked your flight, here's how to actually get to O.R. Tambo (Johannesburg) or your destination airport — and home again.
The Gautrain's Airport Line runs between O.R. Tambo International and Sandton, with a change at Sandton for Rosebank, Park Station (Johannesburg city centre), Pretoria, Hatfield and other stations on the main line. The full trip between the airport and central Johannesburg or Pretoria takes about an hour including the change.
Check live fares, train times, and station maps directly on gautrain.co.za.
E-hailing apps pick you up directly from arrivals and drop you at your exact address — the trade-off is cost and surge pricing at busy times, versus the Gautrain's fixed fare and fixed schedule.
Fixed upfront price shown before you confirm. Widely available at O.R. Tambo and most SA airports.
uber.com/za ↗Often a cheaper fixed-price alternative to Uber on the same route — worth comparing both before you order.
bolt.eu/en-za ↗You and the driver agree a fare together instead of a fixed price — SA's third most-used e-hailing app, and data-free to use on several networks.
indrive.com ↗