How long is the flight from South Africa to California?

For as low as R16 068, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 26h 04m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16486 km. Both multi-stop and direct flights can be found to your destination and back.

What are the cheapest airlines to fly from South Africa to California one-way?

For one-way options, check prices for Qatar Airways. According to our data, you can fly for as low as R9 570. Users have also found prices from R10 907 and R11 627 on Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines, respectively.

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in California ranges from 0.0 - 87.0 inches per month. February is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 87.0 mm. July is typically the driest time to visit California when rainfall is around 0.0 mm.

If weather is an important factor for your trip to California, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, July is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 23.0 C. Travellers hoping to avoid the cold should look outside of January, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around 14.0 C).

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from ZA to CA?

Regardless of the time of day you decide to fly, the ticket price will remain around the same. Book flights from South Africa to California as you normally would.

Can I find deals for flights from South Africa to California that include hotel bookings?

Yes. In addition to deals on South Africa to California flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.

How can I find direct flights from South Africa to California?

After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from South Africa to California.

Can I find deals for business class flights from South Africa to California?

Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from South Africa to California by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

R8 939+ Cheap Flights from South Africa to California

Cheap flight deals from South Africa to California

Enter your travel dates to find the best prices.

Cheapest

Best

Last-minute

One-way

Cheapest flights from South Africa to California
Explore the most affordable flight options available from South Africa to California. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 4 November 2026.

Thu 19/1120:50 -

1 stop32h 07m

Mon 23/1116:40 -

1 stop33h 25m

Deal found 3/11R14 772

Fri 20/1121:40 -

1 stop26h 30m

Fri 4/127:00 -

1 stop26h 10m

Deal found 31/10R15 586

Thu 19/1121:40 -

2 stops32h 15m

Fri 4/127:00 -

1 stop26h 10m

Deal found 2/11R15 652

Sun 8/110:20 -

1 stop26h 10m

Mon 23/1118:35 -

1 stop41h 50m

Deal found 30/10R15 669

Mon 9/1121:40 -

1 stop26h 30m

Tue 17/1117:10 -

1 stop29h 30m

Deal found 1/11R15 702

Tue 3/1121:40 -

1 stop26h 30m

Tue 10/1122:05 -

1 stop24h 35m

Deal found 31/10R15 752

Mon 16/1118:50 -

1 stop26h 00m

Mon 23/1118:30 -

1 stop30h 25m

Deal found 31/10R15 768

Wed 25/1121:40 -

1 stop26h 30m

Fri 4/1211:30 -

1 stop21h 40m

Deal found 2/11R16 084

Fri 6/1121:20 -

1 stop32h 16m

Sun 15/1115:59 -

2 stops30h 41m

Deal found 1/11R16 117

Sun 8/1121:20 -

1 stop32h 21m

Sun 15/1114:33 -

1 stop42h 37m

Deal found 4/11R16 200

Wed 23/1220:10 -

1 stop28h 40m

Wed 20/114:05 -

1 stop43h 05m

Deal found 31/10R16 333

Sun 8/1121:20 -

1 stop31h 37m

Sun 15/1116:40 -

1 stop30h 00m

Deal found 31/10R16 400

Best flights from South Africa to California
Discover carefully curated flight deals from South Africa to California that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Thu 19/1120:50 -

1 stop32h 07m

Mon 23/1116:40 -

1 stop33h 25m

Deal found 3/11R14 772

Mon 3/519:25 -

1 stop31h 55m

Mon 24/521:30 -

2 stops26h 55m

Deal found 30/10R15 852

Fri 22/120:50 -

1 stop26h 04m

Wed 27/111:54 -

1 stop20h 41m

Deal found 2/11R16 068

Mon 3/522:00 -

2 stops28h 13m

Mon 24/523:59 -

2 stops33h 31m

Deal found 30/10R17 031

Sat 14/110:55 -

1 stop43h 55m

Sat 21/1118:30 -

1 stop42h 30m

Deal found 30/10R18 194

Wed 23/1223:55 -

2 stops53h 30m

Wed 20/19:48 -

2 stops26h 12m

Deal found 31/10R18 211

Fri 12/212:35 -

1 stop34h 15m

Tue 16/215:10 -

1 stop33h 20m

Deal found 30/10R18 859

Thu 15/420:00 -

1 stop26h 10m

Mon 31/521:35 -

2 stops30h 50m

Deal found 1/11R19 341

Mon 11/18:30 -

1 stop43h 51m

Fri 22/115:20 -

1 stop29h 05m

Deal found 31/10R21 750

Wed 28/423:30 -

2 stops48h 40m

Sun 2/522:45 -

3 stops53h 50m

Deal found 31/10R24 209

Thu 28/119:05 -

1 stop28h 30m

Sun 31/115:40 -

1 stop39h 30m

Deal found 31/10R24 492

Thu 10/1217:00 -

2 stops33h 35m

Thu 31/1218:55 -

3 stops33h 05m

Deal found 4/11R29 925

Thu 19/1121:40 -

1 stop32h 30m

Fri 4/1211:30 -

1 stop21h 40m

Deal found 4/11R15 685

Thu 21/119:35 -

1 stop33h 10m

Mon 25/120:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Deal found 2/11R16 200

Sat 14/1120:50 -

2 stops26h 19m

Sun 22/1123:17 -

1 stop30h 53m

Deal found 30/10R17 031

Mon 19/420:15 -

2 stops35h 40m

Sun 2/510:55 -

1 stop23h 45m

Deal found 2/11R16 367

Sun 31/119:35 -

1 stop29h 20m

Wed 10/320:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Deal found 30/10R16 466

Mon 23/1119:40 -

2 stops31h 36m

Mon 30/116:20 -

2 stops29h 40m

Deal found 30/10R18 228

Thu 24/1220:50 -

1 stop30h 30m

Sat 9/123:59 -

2 stops54h 11m

Deal found 3/11R17 114

Mon 16/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Mon 23/1114:00 -

2 stops31h 35m

Deal found 31/10R16 616

Sun 17/121:40 -

2 stops34h 20m

Sun 24/111:45 -

2 stops34h 55m

Deal found 2/11R17 114

Sat 14/1120:50 -

2 stops27h 15m

Mon 23/116:00 -

2 stops24h 10m

Deal found 3/11R17 247

Wed 3/219:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Sun 7/215:30 -

1 stop32h 55m

Deal found 30/10R16 666

Sun 6/1218:25 -

2 stops32h 05m

Sun 13/1218:35 -

1 stop42h 25m

Deal found 2/11R22 681

Tue 9/222:00 -

2 stops27h 42m

Thu 25/28:55 -

2 stops23h 40m

Deal found 31/10R17 330

Thu 3/1219:40 -

2 stops33h 32m

Tue 29/125:55 -

2 stops30h 05m

Deal found 30/10R22 481

Sun 17/119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Sun 24/122:31 -

2 stops25h 54m

Deal found 2/11R16 898

Sun 22/1122:00 -

1 stop24h 27m

Sat 5/1210:05 -

1 stop22h 30m

Deal found 3/11R17 447

Wed 3/221:20 -

1 stop31h 25m

Mon 22/214:19 -

2 stops31h 16m

Deal found 1/11R17 114

Thu 10/1219:05 -

1 stop28h 45m

Thu 31/1215:50 -

1 stop39h 20m

Deal found 4/11R28 480

Find flight deals from South Africa to California

Round-trip from	R14 772
One-way from	R8 939
Popular in	August
Cheapest in	March
Average price	R16 633

Virgin Atlantic
19/11-23/11
2 total stops
65h 32m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Turkish Airlines
4/12-31/12
1 total stop
27h 35m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price (R32 498 potential increase over avg. return price).

Search Deals

Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease (R6 417 potential savings vs. average return price).

Search Deals

Average for round-trip flights in November 2026

Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

Use the filters below to find and compare flights from South Africa to California that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Depart

Return

Price

Cheapest return flight

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Wed 24/3

12:35-13:50

1 stop34h 15m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R9 255

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Mon 9/11

12:35-13:25

1 stop34h 50m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R9 288

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 11/4

0:35-16:55

1 stop25h 20m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 601

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Tue 22/12

18:50-10:50

1 stop26h 00m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 149

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Fri 4/12

18:25-16:35

2 stops32h 10m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 182

JohannesburgSan Diego

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SAN San Diego

JNBSAN

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Wed 27/1

0:20-19:38

3 stops53h 18m

San Diego

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 498

Cape TownSan Diego

CPT Cape Town Intl - SAN San Diego

CPTSAN

Cape Town Intl

Tue 15/12

0:55-23:58

2 stops33h 03m

San Diego

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 047

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 3/5

17:50-18:15

1 stop33h 25m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 628

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 3/5

17:00-23:07

2 stops39h 07m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 645

Cape TownSan Francisco

CPT Cape Town Intl - SFO San Francisco

CPTSFO

Cape Town Intl

Mon 12/4

16:35-16:55

1 stop33h 20m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 695

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 1/11

Showing 1-10 of 60 resultsSorted by cheapest first

...

Best time to book a flight from South Africa to California

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to California from South Africa with our price prediction graph.

CPT-SFO

JNB-LAX

JNB-SFO

JNB-SAN

CPT-LAX

Estimated return price

Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from South Africa to California

ZA0-USCA

CPT-SFO

JNB-LAX

JNB-SFO

JNB-SAN

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Africa to California?

Currently, February is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from South Africa to California (average of R16 633). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 850). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

How far ahead should I book a flight from South Africa to California?

Booking 80 days in advance of your planned departure date is, on average, the best time to get cheap flights from South Africa to California. The general trend is that the closer you book to the departure date, the more expensive your flight will be.

Reviews of airlines servicing California

Get a feel of what it's like to fly with KLM,Virgin Atlantic, andQatar Airways from South Africa to California by reading reviews from past customers. You can also see how each airline compares in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

Virgin Atlantic

7,5

Good

697 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

Qatar Airways

7,4

Good

3 711 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

United Airlines

7,3

Good

10 463 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

British Airways

6,7

Okay

8 283 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 596 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

8,0

Excellent

Kushal,Sept 2026

QRO - ATL

It was a nice one. Crew were friendly and helpful.

Related info for your journey

How long is the flight from South Africa to California?
For as low as R16 068, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 26h 04m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16486 km. Both multi-stop and direct flights can be found to your destination and back.
What are the cheapest airlines to fly from South Africa to California one-way?
For one-way options, check prices for Qatar Airways. According to our data, you can fly for as low as R9 570. Users have also found prices from R10 907 and R11 627 on Turkish Airlines and Singapore Airlines, respectively.
Can I find deals for flights from South Africa to California that include hotel bookings?
Yes. In addition to deals on South Africa to California flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.
How can I find direct flights from South Africa to California?
After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from South Africa to California.
Can I find deals for business class flights from South Africa to California?
Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from South Africa to California by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.
What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Africa to California?
Currently, February is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from South Africa to California (average of R16 633). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 850). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Alternative routes

Complete your trip

Direct flights to United States

Flights by cabin class

Other flight options

Popular flights

Return Flight Options

Top destinations

Alternative routes for South Africa to California

OR Tambo to John F Kennedy Intl flights

OR Tambo to Atlanta flights

OR Tambo to LaGuardia flights

OR Tambo to Los Angeles flights

OR Tambo to Miami flights

Cape Town to Atlanta flights

OR Tambo to Ontario flights

OR Tambo to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to San Francisco flights

OR Tambo to Love Field flights

OR Tambo to O'Hare Intl flights

Cape Town to Dulles Intl flights

Cape Town to Seattle flights

Cape Town to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Hobby flights

OR Tambo to Dulles Intl flights

OR Tambo to Boston flights

OR Tambo to Reagan-National flights

OR Tambo to Sky Harbor Intl flights

Cape Town to Los Angeles flights

OR Tambo to Orlando flights

OR Tambo to George Bush Intcntl flights

OR Tambo to Seattle flights

OR Tambo to Las Vegas flights

OR Tambo to Midway flights

OR Tambo to Tampa flights

Cape Town to Detroit flights

Cape Town to Charlotte flights

Cape Town to Portland flights

Durban to Miami flights

Top 10 airlines flying from South Africa to California

Airline	Cheapest	Average	Flexibility	On-time
KLM	CheapestR11 148	AverageR20 110	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time75%	Search KLM flights
Singapore Airlines	CheapestR12 963	AverageR20 389	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time81%	Search Singapore Airlines flights
Delta	CheapestR13 379	AverageR17 196	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-timeN/A	Search Delta flights
American Airlines	CheapestR14 132	AverageR16 620	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time71%	Search American Airlines flights
Turkish Airlines	CheapestR14 531	AverageR17 980	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Turkish Airlines flights
Virgin Atlantic	CheapestR14 555	AverageR17 555	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time72%	Search Virgin Atlantic flights
British Airways	CheapestR15 219	AverageR19 575	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time70%	Search British Airways flights
United Airlines	CheapestR15 285	AverageR17 509	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time69%	Search United Airlines flights
Air France	CheapestR16 256	AverageR18 565	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Air France flights
Qatar Airways	CheapestR17 665	AverageR20 385	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time68%	Search Qatar Airways flights

Fly with Cheapflights

How does Cheapflights help users find flights from South Africa to California?

Cheapflights helps you search for flights from South Africa to California via 900+ travel sites so you don’t have to. After performing a flight search, users can also filter their flight selection by filtering for price, number of stops, airlines, and so on.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets from South Africa to California?

Cheapflights helps you find that perfect flight to California from South Africa by searching from hundreds of airlines and agencies you know and love. We are also free to use, in case you were wondering!

Can Cheapflights find flights from South Africa to California with no change fees?

Yes! Cheapflights helps users easily find flights from South Africa to California with no change fees.

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights from South Africa to California become cheaper?

Yes, Cheapflights has a feature called Price Alert, which notifies users when flight prices change. Track prices for your flight to California from South Africa today and book when prices fit your budget.

100% Free

Cheapflights is completely free to use, so you can start saving the moment you arrive.

Book With Flexibility

Our users can plan ahead with confidence and find flights with no change fees.

Travel Smart

Millions of people come to us for their flight needs every year. We help make travel planning easy by providing useful insights and data-driven graphs that can inform your decisions.

Cheap flights from South Africa to California from R8 939

This is the cheapest retur flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 4/12. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.

Cheap flight deals from South Africa to California

Cheapest flights from South Africa to CaliforniaExplore the most affordable flight options available from South Africa to California. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 4 November 2026.

Explore the most affordable flight options available from South Africa to California. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 4 November 2026.

Best flights from South Africa to CaliforniaDiscover carefully curated flight deals from South Africa to California that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Discover carefully curated flight deals from South Africa to California that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to CaliforniaDiscover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 4 November 2026 and is based on user searches.

Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 4 November 2026 and is based on user searches.

One-way flights from South Africa to CaliforniaSearch for one-way flight options from South Africa to California. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Search for one-way flight options from South Africa to California. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Find flight deals from South Africa to California

Round-trip from

One-way from

Popular in

Cheapest in

Average price

Cheapflights Fare Finder

Use the filters below to find and compare flights from South Africa to California that are best for you.

Best time to book a flight from South Africa to California

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to California from South Africa with our price prediction graph.

Cheapflights Insights

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Africa to California?

How far ahead should I book a flight from South Africa to California?

Booking 80 days in advance of your planned departure date is, on average, the best time to get cheap flights from South Africa to California. The general trend is that the closer you book to the departure date, the more expensive your flight will be.

Reviews of airlines servicing California

Get a feel of what it's like to fly with KLM,Virgin Atlantic, andQatar Airways from South Africa to California by reading reviews from past customers. You can also see how each airline compares in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

Related info for your journey

How long is the flight from South Africa to California?

What are the cheapest airlines to fly from South Africa to California one-way?

Can I find deals for flights from South Africa to California that include hotel bookings?

How can I find direct flights from South Africa to California?

Can I find deals for business class flights from South Africa to California?

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Africa to California?

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Toggle through the tabs below to find thousands of options on Cheapflights for your next trip.

Alternative routes for South Africa to California

See prices for flight routes from nearby airports that may be better suited for you.

Complete your trip

Complete your trip to California by adding a car hire and/or hotel booking to your travel itinerary.

Direct flights to United States

Book a non-stop flight to one of these other cities located in United States.

Search flights from South Africa to California by cabin class

Find flights from South Africa to California, based on your preferred cabin class, be it economy, premium economy, business, or first class.

South Africa and California flights

Browse other South Africa and California flight options. Last updated on 4 November 2026.

Popular flight searches

Check out other popular destinations found by fellow travellers in 2026

Find a return flight route from California

Find the right flight back to South Africa after your stay in California

South Africa to California flights

Consider these flights travelling from South Africa to California.

Top 10 airlines flying from South Africa to California

Fly with Cheapflights

How does Cheapflights help users find flights from South Africa to California?

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets from South Africa to California?

Can Cheapflights find flights from South Africa to California with no change fees?

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights from South Africa to California become cheaper?

100% Free

Book With Flexibility

Travel Smart

Cheapest flights from South Africa to California
Explore the most affordable flight options available from South Africa to California. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 4 November 2026.

Best flights from South Africa to California
Discover carefully curated flight deals from South Africa to California that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 4 November 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to California
Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 4 November 2026 and is based on user searches.

One-way flights from South Africa to California
Search for one-way flight options from South Africa to California. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 4 November 2026.