How long is the flight from South Africa to California?

For as low as R16 345, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 24h 30m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16694 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 358. Users have also found prices from R10 791 and R11 369 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.

R9 879+ 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 20 September 2026.

Tue 29/920:05 -

1 stop32h 53m

Tue 10/1116:40 -

1 stop33h 25m

Deal found 16/9R14 639

Wed 23/1219:35 -

1 stop30h 35m

Fri 7/519:40 -

1 stop28h 45m

Deal found 16/9R15 240

Tue 29/920:05 -

1 stop32h 53m

Wed 28/1012:05 -

2 stops39h 00m

Deal found 18/9R15 257

Tue 13/1020:05 -

1 stop33h 01m

Sat 24/1017:55 -

1 stop33h 10m

Deal found 20/9R15 305

Mon 5/1020:15 -

1 stop25h 55m

Wed 31/38:00 -

1 stop26h 40m

Deal found 20/9R15 549

Thu 8/1020:15 -

2 stops32h 22m

Thu 22/1012:19 -

1 stop22h 01m

Deal found 17/9R15 582

Wed 23/1219:35 -

1 stop30h 35m

Tue 25/519:40 -

1 stop26h 20m

Deal found 16/9R15 598

Mon 16/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Sat 28/1118:30 -

1 stop29h 55m

Deal found 16/9R15 679

Thu 5/1121:00 -

1 stop33h 10m

Wed 2/1212:36 -

1 stop19h 59m

Deal found 20/9R15 679

Fri 2/1020:05 -

1 stop37h 21m

Sun 18/1015:50 -

1 stop30h 40m

Deal found 18/9R15 744

Tue 13/1020:05 -

1 stop29h 57m

Tue 8/1211:49 -

2 stops62h 16m

Deal found 19/9R15 809

Mon 2/1121:40 -

1 stop26h 30m

Mon 9/1110:20 -

2 stops36h 20m

Deal found 18/9R15 939

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 20 September 2026.

Tue 6/1020:05 -

1 stop34h 50m

Wed 28/1017:40 -

1 stop33h 25m

Deal found 18/9R15 257

Sat 26/923:15 -

1 stop24h 30m

Mon 19/109:45 -

2 stops26h 35m

Deal found 19/9R16 345

Wed 25/1121:20 -

1 stop29h 13m

Wed 2/1219:47 -

2 stops37h 23m

Deal found 20/9R16 361

Tue 13/1020:00 -

1 stop33h 21m

Thu 22/108:15 -

1 stop22h 05m

Deal found 18/9R16 394

Wed 30/915:20 -

2 stops37h 38m

Wed 28/1018:38 -

2 stops32h 27m

Deal found 18/9R16 605

Tue 20/1017:55 -

1 stop26h 45m

Fri 30/1019:30 -

1 stop41h 55m

Deal found 16/9R16 849

Sat 13/219:35 -

1 stop29h 35m

Wed 17/212:42 -

2 stops35h 43m

Deal found 16/9R18 197

Mon 2/1119:35 -

2 stops36h 37m

Mon 16/1116:51 -

2 stops31h 34m

Deal found 16/9R20 537

Fri 2/1019:30 -

2 stops31h 30m

Sun 18/106:02 -

2 stops43h 13m

Deal found 17/9R21 089

Thu 22/1022:50 -

3 stops55h 46m

Wed 4/1114:15 -

2 stops37h 15m

Deal found 17/9R26 776

Fri 2/1020:05 -

1 stop37h 21m

Sun 18/1023:15 -

1 stop23h 15m

Deal found 19/9R15 744

Wed 2/1220:50 -

1 stop24h 50m

Sun 31/18:45 -

1 stop23h 15m

Deal found 17/9R16 540

Thu 5/1120:50 -

2 stops32h 28m

Tue 1/1223:59 -

1 stop32h 36m

Deal found 20/9R16 589

Fri 2/1020:05 -

1 stop29h 49m

Sun 18/1017:55 -

2 stops33h 45m

Deal found 17/9R16 654

Mon 2/1121:40 -

1 stop32h 35m

Mon 9/1117:10 -

1 stop29h 30m

Deal found 18/9R15 939

Tue 13/1020:05 -

1 stop29h 57m

Tue 20/1017:55 -

2 stops33h 45m

Deal found 20/9R16 670

Sat 13/219:35 -

1 stop33h 15m

Tue 16/212:42 -

2 stops35h 43m

Deal found 19/9R18 344

Tue 6/1020:00 -

2 stops32h 24m

Wed 28/106:35 -

2 stops26h 25m

Deal found 18/9R16 719

Tue 20/1023:15 -

1 stop24h 30m

Fri 30/107:10 -

1 stop27h 00m

Deal found 19/9R16 849

Mon 2/1121:40 -

1 stop32h 35m

Mon 16/1114:00 -

2 stops32h 40m

Deal found 16/9R16 020

Tue 13/1020:00 -

2 stops25h 30m

Tue 20/1022:42 -

2 stops33h 28m

Deal found 20/9R16 735

Sat 17/1023:15 -

1 stop24h 30m

Sat 24/1018:15 -

1 stop32h 10m

Deal found 17/9R16 784

Thu 1/1023:15 -

2 stops34h 09m

Wed 14/1023:55 -

1 stop34h 45m

Deal found 19/9R16 930

Fri 25/1223:59 -

1 stop24h 16m

Fri 8/116:40 -

1 stop43h 20m

Deal found 15/9R20 635

Wed 21/1018:50 -

2 stops37h 03m

Sun 25/1014:22 -

2 stops60h 48m

Deal found 15/9R19 465

Tue 3/1121:00 -

2 stops33h 32m

Tue 10/1114:47 -

2 stops35h 18m

Deal found 19/9R16 248

Sun 31/122:00 -

1 stop34h 49m

Wed 10/37:00 -

1 stop25h 35m

Deal found 20/9R16 816

Wed 14/1023:15 -

2 stops31h 39m

Mon 26/107:07 -

1 stop27h 03m

Deal found 17/9R17 466

Mon 2/1119:35 -

2 stops36h 37m

Tue 17/1114:22 -

2 stops34h 03m

Deal found 16/9R23 835

Thu 22/1020:15 -

2 stops35h 31m

Wed 4/1111:20 -

2 stops35h 20m

Deal found 17/9R16 540

Find flight deals from South Africa to California

Round-trip from	R15 257
One-way from	R9 879
Popular in	August
Cheapest in	March
Average price	R17 466

Virgin Atlantic
6/10-28/10
3 total stops
69h 18m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Qatar Airways
28/9-31/12
1 total stop
34h 05m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price (R31 449 potential increase over avg. return price).

Search Deals

Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease (R6 197 potential savings vs. average return price).

Search Deals

Average for round-trip flights in September 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

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 28/9

20:55-14:20

1 stop26h 25m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 187

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 16/11

20:20-12:50

1 stop26h 30m

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 252

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Fri 16/10

19:30-14:00

1 stop27h 30m

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 496

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 13/12

0:20-16:35

1 stop26h 15m

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 691

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Wed 9/12

18:50-10:50

1 stop26h 00m

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 942

JohannesburgOntario

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - ONT Ontario

JNBONT

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Tue 10/11

20:20-18:17

2 stops31h 57m

Ontario

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 267

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Thu 22/10

17:55-16:40

1 stop31h 45m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 819

JohannesburgSan Diego

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SAN San Diego

JNBSAN

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Thu 1/10

20:55-21:30

2 stops33h 35m

San Diego

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 901

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Tue 24/11

17:00-21:09

3 stops38h 09m

Los Angeles Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 063

JohannesburgSan Diego

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SAN San Diego

JNBSAN

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 28/9

20:55-19:00

2 stops31h 05m

San Diego

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 242

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 20/9

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-SFO

JNB-LAX

CPT-LAX

JNB-SAN

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-SFO

JNB-LAX

CPT-LAX

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 313). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 414). 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,Qatar Airways, andUnited Airlines 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

1 575 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

1 575 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 575 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

3 729 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 575 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

7,4

Good

10 231 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 575 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

7,4

Good

694 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 575 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

8 227 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 575 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 345, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 24h 30m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16694 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 358. Users have also found prices from R10 791 and R11 369 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 313). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 414). 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 Miami flights

OR Tambo to Los Angeles flights

Cape Town to Atlanta flights

OR Tambo to Dulles Intl flights

Cape Town to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Hobby flights

Cape Town to Dulles Intl flights

OR Tambo to Seattle flights

OR Tambo to Reagan-National flights

Cape Town to San Francisco flights

OR Tambo to San Diego flights

OR Tambo to Boston flights

OR Tambo to Love Field flights

OR Tambo to O'Hare Intl flights

Cape Town to Boston flights

Cape Town to Memphis flights

OR Tambo to Portland flights

Cape Town to Los Angeles flights

Cape Town to Seattle flights

OR Tambo to George Bush Intcntl flights

OR Tambo to Las Vegas flights

OR Tambo to San Francisco flights

OR Tambo to Orlando flights

Durban to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Minneapolis flights

OR Tambo to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to Tampa flights

OR Tambo to Ontario flights

Top 10 airlines flying from South Africa to California

Airline	Cheapest	Average	Flexibility	On-time
KLM	CheapestR10 901	AverageR18 508	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time75%	Search KLM flights
Delta	CheapestR13 083	AverageR16 844	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-timeN/A	Search Delta flights
American Airlines	CheapestR13 786	AverageR15 803	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time71%	Search American Airlines flights
Turkish Airlines	CheapestR14 209	AverageR17 405	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Turkish Airlines flights
Virgin Atlantic	CheapestR14 850	AverageR16 917	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time72%	Search Virgin Atlantic flights
United Airlines	CheapestR14 946	AverageR16 728	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time69%	Search United Airlines flights
British Airways	CheapestR15 085	AverageR19 604	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time70%	Search British Airways flights
Air France	CheapestR15 646	AverageR18 695	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Air France flights
Singapore Airlines	CheapestR17 165	AverageR19 937	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time81%	Search Singapore Airlines flights
Qatar Airways	CheapestR17 273	AverageR20 043	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 R9 879

This is the cheapest retur flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 28/9. 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 20 September 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 20 September 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 20 September 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 20 September 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to CaliforniaDiscover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 20 September 2026 and is based on user searches.

Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 20 September 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 20 September 2026.

Search for one-way flight options from South Africa to California. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 20 September 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,Qatar Airways, andUnited Airlines 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 20 September 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 20 September 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 20 September 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to California
Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 20 September 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 20 September 2026.