Affordable Flights Between Jo’burg and Cape Town: A Look at the Cheapest Days and Airlines
- Travellers flying between Johannesburg and Cape Town in February are paying far more if they choose weekend departures instead of quieter weekday slots
- Late evening flights are significantly cheaper than early morning departures, with some fares nearly double depending on the time selected
- The price gap between the cheapest and most expensive airlines stretches into the thousands and leaves budget-conscious passengers weighing convenience against cost
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Locals flying between Johannesburg and Cape Town this February are paying at least R1,540 for a return ticket. However, this is only if they travel during the week.
Source: Getty Images
That is according to a 17 February 2026 report by TopAuto, which compared current fares across the country’s biggest airlines.
The prices were checked on 16 February 2026 for flights departing the next day. The data showed weekday travel is far cheaper than a weekend trip. This is especially on the busy Johannesburg - Cape Town route used by business travellers and families moving between Gauteng and the Mother City.
Relief for weekday travellers
The cheapest one-way ticket from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Tuesday, 17 February, came in at R670 with FlySafair. The late evening flight departing at 19:35 was the lowest fare available at the time of the search.
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Other airlines were significantly more expensive. Lift charged R750 for a similar evening slot. Airlink priced its seat at R1,128. CemAir and South African Airways were the priciest, both charging over R1,460 for a one-way trip.
The pattern revealed that late-night flights were cheaper. Morning departures cost more. An 8am FlySafair ticket, for example, was going for R970.
The return leg on Wednesday, 18 February, was more expensive across all airlines. FlySafair again had the lowest fare at R870. Lift followed at R980. The rest climbed well above the R1,000 mark, with Airlink emerging as the most expensive return option.
About Joburg - Cape Town route
The Johannesburg-Cape Town corridor is one of the busiest domestic routes in the world. Many professionals live in Cape Town but work in Gauteng during the week. Others travel for meetings, events, or government business.
Airlines adjust their pricing according to demand. Weekends see higher traffic. That pushes fares up. A FlySafair ticket for a Friday flight was priced at R1,280. That is almost double the Tuesday fare.
The combined totals showed a big gap between airlines. A return trip with FlySafair would cost R1,540. Lift came in second overall. CemAir, Airlink, and SAA were far more expensive, with some totals nearing R3,000.
The difference between the cheapest and most expensive options was more than 78%. That is a steep jump for a one-hour domestic flight.
See the full TopAuto report here:
Source: Getty Images
More stories about travelling
- A Durban content creator shared a travel hack on how to get to travel from South Africa to other countries for cheap.
- A South African woman claimed to have seen Kenny G on the same FlySafair flight as her to Durban.
- A local private jet pilot went viral after sharing a video detailing the high cost of chartering a private jet from Johannesburg to Mthatha, Eastern Cape, which totals to nearly R100K.
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Source: Briefly News
