How long is the flight from South Africa to California?

For as low as R16 038, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 29h 20m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16966 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 503. Users have also found prices from R10 831 and R11 546 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 514+ 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 11 October 2026.

Fri 16/1023:45 -

1 stop25h 10m

Thu 29/1011:45 -

1 stop21h 50m

Deal found 9/10R14 421

Fri 16/1023:45 -

1 stop30h 20m

Thu 29/1012:15 -

1 stop21h 20m

Deal found 10/10R14 933

Mon 2/1118:50 -

1 stop32h 40m

Tue 10/1118:35 -

1 stop30h 25m

Deal found 8/10R15 362

Wed 4/1118:50 -

1 stop32h 45m

Wed 11/1118:30 -

1 stop41h 55m

Deal found 8/10R15 494

Wed 4/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Wed 11/1120:50 -

1 stop27h 35m

Deal found 7/10R15 543

Fri 20/110:20 -

1 stop26h 15m

Sat 28/1118:30 -

1 stop30h 25m

Deal found 7/10R15 560

Thu 15/1020:15 -

2 stops47h 10m

Wed 21/109:30 -

1 stop25h 10m

Deal found 9/10R15 593

Sun 11/1020:15 -

1 stop30h 30m

Wed 21/108:10 -

1 stop26h 30m

Deal found 10/10R15 642

Fri 6/1118:50 -

1 stop32h 45m

Fri 13/1118:30 -

1 stop41h 55m

Deal found 8/10R15 659

Wed 4/1121:20 -

1 stop37h 23m

Wed 11/1119:10 -

2 stops51h 30m

Deal found 7/10R15 692

Sun 11/1020:15 -

2 stops33h 03m

Sun 18/1014:00 -

1 stop20h 40m

Deal found 6/10R15 741

Sun 22/1120:50 -

1 stop31h 44m

Sun 29/1122:05 -

1 stop28h 00m

Deal found 8/10R15 741

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 11 October 2026.

Thu 12/1121:00 -

1 stop33h 10m

Mon 23/1111:30 -

1 stop21h 05m

Deal found 9/10R15 642

Wed 11/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Sun 15/1120:50 -

1 stop27h 35m

Deal found 7/10R16 055

Thu 22/1020:15 -

2 stops32h 22m

Thu 29/1014:17 -

2 stops33h 23m

Deal found 8/10R16 319

Fri 6/1123:59 -

2 stops29h 53m

Tue 17/1117:10 -

2 stops32h 15m

Deal found 7/10R16 385

Tue 19/120:50 -

2 stops26h 24m

Tue 2/26:00 -

2 stops26h 00m

Deal found 9/10R16 401

Thu 12/1115:20 -

2 stops35h 15m

Mon 23/1119:30 -

2 stops35h 15m

Deal found 10/10R17 886

Sat 21/1114:00 -

2 stops36h 30m

Sat 28/1118:35 -

1 stop42h 25m

Deal found 7/10R19 206

Fri 19/312:25 -

3 stops54h 13m

Fri 2/416:20 -

2 stops33h 15m

Deal found 6/10R22 358

Thu 21/119:05 -

1 stop28h 30m

Mon 25/115:40 -

1 stop39h 30m

Deal found 7/10R26 268

Sun 1/1120:50 -

1 stop37h 53m

Sun 29/1122:05 -

1 stop28h 00m

Deal found 9/10R15 741

Fri 11/1220:50 -

2 stops26h 14m

Sun 7/36:00 -

2 stops26h 00m

Deal found 9/10R16 401

Sun 7/223:55 -

2 stops30h 10m

Sun 14/222:05 -

2 stops27h 20m

Deal found 10/10R16 451

Thu 21/119:35 -

1 stop33h 10m

Mon 25/120:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Deal found 6/10R16 715

Fri 30/1020:50 -

2 stops26h 30m

Tue 3/1119:59 -

2 stops36h 36m

Deal found 6/10R17 226

Sun 22/1120:50 -

1 stop31h 44m

Sun 29/1122:05 -

1 stop28h 00m

Deal found 8/10R15 741

Mon 23/1115:20 -

2 stops35h 10m

Mon 30/1119:25 -

2 stops32h 35m

Deal found 9/10R17 969

Thu 4/223:55 -

2 stops29h 53m

Thu 11/222:05 -

2 stops27h 20m

Deal found 10/10R16 484

Sun 31/119:35 -

1 stop29h 20m

Wed 10/322:36 -

2 stops25h 49m

Deal found 9/10R16 896

Sun 31/122:00 -

1 stop28h 55m

Wed 10/310:20 -

1 stop22h 15m

Deal found 6/10R16 896

Fri 30/1020:50 -

1 stop28h 35m

Wed 4/1112:38 -

1 stop19h 57m

Deal found 6/10R17 243

Mon 16/1121:00 -

1 stop33h 15m

Mon 23/1111:30 -

1 stop21h 05m

Deal found 6/10R15 923

Fri 19/315:45 -

2 stops34h 50m

Fri 2/412:55 -

2 stops39h 15m

Deal found 6/10R20 163

Fri 20/1120:50 -

1 stop38h 02m

Fri 27/1122:05 -

2 stops32h 40m

Deal found 6/10R17 094

Thu 3/1220:50 -

2 stops28h 22m

Wed 17/27:00 -

2 stops25h 00m

Deal found 9/10R17 127

Wed 4/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Thu 12/1120:50 -

1 stop27h 35m

Deal found 9/10R17 226

Sun 22/1117:00 -

2 stops33h 35m

Sun 29/1118:55 -

3 stops33h 05m

Deal found 8/10R19 140

Tue 3/1121:40 -

1 stop32h 35m

Wed 11/1112:27 -

2 stops34h 13m

Deal found 9/10R15 972

Wed 21/1016:35 -

1 stop33h 05m

Sun 25/1019:35 -

1 stop42h 25m

Deal found 8/10R20 312

Wed 2/1220:50 -

2 stops29h 10m

Wed 17/27:00 -

2 stops25h 00m

Deal found 9/10R17 127

Fri 20/1119:35 -

1 stop29h 20m

Fri 27/1120:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Deal found 6/10R17 292

Find flight deals from South Africa to California

Round-trip from	R15 362
One-way from	R8 514
Popular in	August
Cheapest in	March
Average price	R16 995

Turkish Airlines
2/11-10/11
2 total stops
63h 05m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Turkish Airlines
4/12-31/12
1 total stop
33h 20m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price (R32 333 potential increase over avg. return price).

Search Deals

Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease (R6 343 potential savings vs. average return price).

Search Deals

Average for round-trip flights in October 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

Tue 24/11

17:15-16:35

1 stop33h 20m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R8 514

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 25/10

0:20-11:50

1 stop44h 30m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R8 729

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 22/3

13:45-13:40

1 stop32h 55m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 478

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Wed 2/12

18:50-20:18

2 stops35h 28m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 527

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Wed 2/12

18:50-16:30

1 stop31h 40m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 039

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 19/10

20:55-17:59

2 stops30h 04m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 781

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Mon 23/11

0:55-7:48

3 stops40h 53m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 963

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Tue 24/11

0:55-23:57

3 stops33h 02m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 979

Fastest return journey

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Tue 2/2

18:50-10:50

1 stop26h 00m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 095

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Tue 23/3

18:50-17:30

1 stop31h 40m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 177

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 10/10

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

CPT-LAX

JNB-SFO

JNB-LAX

JNB-SMF

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

CPT-LAX

JNB-SFO

JNB-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 550). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 698). 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, 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

1 582 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

1 582 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 582 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

694 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 582 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

10 334 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 582 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

7,3

Good

3 721 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 582 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

8 255 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 582 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 038, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 29h 20m. Airlines will cover a distance of 16966 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 503. Users have also found prices from R10 831 and R11 546 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 550). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 698). 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

Cape Town to Atlanta flights

OR Tambo to Los Angeles flights

OR Tambo to Ontario flights

OR Tambo to Hobby flights

Cape Town to Seattle flights

Cape Town to Dulles Intl flights

Cape Town to Los Angeles flights

Cape Town to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Love Field flights

OR Tambo to O'Hare Intl flights

Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to Santa Ana flights

OR Tambo to George Bush Intcntl flights

OR Tambo to Boston flights

Cape Town to Boston flights

OR Tambo to San Francisco flights

OR Tambo to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to Dulles Intl flights

Cape Town to Ontario flights

Durban to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Orlando flights

OR Tambo to Seattle flights

OR Tambo to Las Vegas flights

OR Tambo to Midway flights

OR Tambo to Detroit flights

OR Tambo to Tampa flights

OR Tambo to Charlotte flights

Cape Town to Denver flights

Top 10 airlines flying from South Africa to California

Airline	Cheapest	Average	Flexibility	On-time
KLM	CheapestR11 071	AverageR19 406	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time75%	Search KLM flights
Delta	CheapestR13 286	AverageR17 019	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-timeN/A	Search Delta flights
American Airlines	CheapestR14 001	AverageR16 501	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time71%	Search American Airlines flights
Turkish Airlines	CheapestR14 430	AverageR17 913	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Turkish Airlines flights
Virgin Atlantic	CheapestR15 070	AverageR17 559	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time72%	Search Virgin Atlantic flights
United Airlines	CheapestR15 179	AverageR17 009	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time69%	Search United Airlines flights
British Airways	CheapestR15 320	AverageR19 719	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time70%	Search British Airways flights
Air France	CheapestR15 889	AverageR18 977	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Air France flights
Singapore Airlines	CheapestR17 432	AverageR20 247	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time81%	Search Singapore Airlines flights
Qatar Airways	CheapestR17 541	AverageR20 264	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 514

This is the cheapest retur flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 24/11. 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 11 October 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 11 October 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 11 October 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 11 October 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to CaliforniaDiscover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 11 October 2026 and is based on user searches.

Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 11 October 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 11 October 2026.

Search for one-way flight options from South Africa to California. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 11 October 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, 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 11 October 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 11 October 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 11 October 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to California
Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 11 October 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 11 October 2026.