“Flights Are High”: Costs of Flying From Joburg to Cape Town vs Durban vs PE

• Top Auto research shows South Africans flying from Joburg to Cape Town this long weekend are looking at around R4,687 for a return trip
• Flying to Durban or Port Elizabeth from Joburg works out cheaper
• Flight prices across the board are higher than usual right now due to global jet fuel supply shortages

With the long weekend coming up, many South Africans are weighing up whether to fly or stay home, but that depends on the destination.

Warren Hawkins shared his findings on 29 April 2026, comparing flight costs from Johannesburg to Cape Town. He used Google Flights data to find the best available rates across all major airlines.

Costs of flying from Joburg to Cape Town

For those heading to Cape Town, the cheapest one-way ticket is currently R2,061 with Lift. FlySafair comes in second at R2,231, followed by South African Airways at R2,589. Airlink is priced at R2,710 and CemAir at R2,919. Most of these flights leave later in the day, which means less time in the Mother City on arrival.

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For the return journey, FlySafair offers the cheapest option at R2,626. Lift comes in second at R3,025, with SAA, Airlink and CemAir all sitting above R3,800. If you book the two cheapest options for both legs of the trip, you're looking at R4,687 in total. Google Flights notes that prices for this route are currently high, with cheaper trips usually costing between R2,350 and R4,750.

Costs of flying from Joburg to Durban vs PE

Durban is a much more affordable option. Return flights from Joburg to Durban start from R2,226, with FlySafair offering a one-way ticket from R1,927 and Lift from R2,110. SAA and CemAir both sit higher, from R3,436 and R3,475 respectively. The flight itself takes just over an hour, making it one of the quickest routes in the country.

Port Elizabeth, now officially known as Gqeberha, is the most affordable of the three. Return flights from Joburg to PE typically range between R1,500 and R3,700, with FlySafair and Airlink offering options from around R2,279. May is actually one of the cheaper months to fly this route, with an average return price sitting closer to R2,197. The flight takes around one hour and 40 minutes.

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According to Top Auto, the reason prices are higher than usual across all routes comes down to global jet fuel supply shortages. This issue has pushed operating costs up for airlines across South Africa. The situation is linked partly to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

More on SA travel and living costs

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African woman who broke down every rand she spent on a trip to Switzerland.
• A Joburg man broke down exactly how much it costs South Africans to drive to work every month.
• A South African woman shared everything she spent in a single day in Bali, and the breakdown had people interested.

Source: Briefly News