How long is the flight from South Africa to California?

For as low as R15 284, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 25h 10m. 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 455. Users have also found prices from R10 903 and R11 487 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 949+ 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 30 September 2026.

Tue 29/920:05 -

1 stop32h 53m

Tue 10/1116:40 -

1 stop33h 25m

Deal found 26/9R14 726

Fri 16/1023:45 -

1 stop25h 10m

Thu 29/1011:45 -

1 stop21h 50m

Deal found 28/9R15 284

Tue 13/1020:05 -

1 stop29h 57m

Sat 24/1018:25 -

2 stops32h 40m

Deal found 25/9R15 317

Tue 20/1020:05 -

1 stop34h 50m

Tue 1/1216:35 -

2 stops33h 30m

Deal found 29/9R15 399

Fri 16/1023:45 -

1 stop27h 00m

Thu 29/1014:00 -

1 stop19h 35m

Deal found 29/9R15 497

Mon 5/1020:15 -

1 stop25h 55m

Wed 31/38:00 -

1 stop26h 40m

Deal found 30/9R15 563

Sat 26/920:15 -

1 stop33h 50m

Mon 19/109:30 -

1 stop25h 10m

Deal found 25/9R15 596

Mon 9/1121:00 -

1 stop33h 15m

Mon 16/118:00 -

1 stop24h 35m

Deal found 25/9R15 694

Tue 20/1020:15 -

1 stop25h 55m

Fri 30/108:10 -

1 stop26h 00m

Deal found 28/9R15 744

Thu 19/1120:50 -

1 stop31h 44m

Thu 3/1222:05 -

1 stop28h 00m

Deal found 27/9R15 777

Sun 1/1120:50 -

1 stop35h 45m

Sun 15/1122:05 -

1 stop28h 00m

Deal found 26/9R15 809

Tue 10/1119:35 -

1 stop27h 50m

Tue 17/1122:40 -

2 stops25h 45m

Deal found 27/9R15 875

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 30 September 2026.

Fri 16/1023:45 -

1 stop25h 10m

Thu 29/1011:45 -

1 stop21h 50m

Deal found 28/9R15 284

Tue 6/1020:05 -

1 stop34h 50m

Wed 28/106:00 -

1 stop27h 35m

Deal found 28/9R16 154

Fri 6/1119:35 -

1 stop33h 00m

Tue 17/1122:40 -

2 stops25h 45m

Deal found 28/9R16 269

Mon 9/1120:50 -

2 stops29h 40m

Mon 16/118:25 -

1 stop21h 45m

Deal found 25/9R16 368

Fri 6/1119:40 -

1 stop31h 00m

Tue 17/1113:50 -

1 stop22h 10m

Deal found 25/9R16 384

Wed 14/107:40 -

1 stop37h 05m

Tue 20/1013:45 -

2 stops37h 55m

Deal found 25/9R16 679

Thu 15/1019:10 -

3 stops36h 45m

Thu 12/1115:10 -

2 stops33h 45m

Deal found 25/9R19 930

Thu 21/119:05 -

1 stop27h 45m

Mon 25/115:40 -

1 stop39h 30m

Deal found 28/9R25 413

Tue 20/1014:30 -

3 stops33h 49m

Fri 30/1022:42 -

2 stops29h 48m

Deal found 28/9R26 250

Sat 26/1220:40 -

3 stops36h 06m

Sun 17/18:00 -

3 stops40h 00m

Deal found 28/9R30 371

Tue 13/1020:05 -

1 stop29h 57m

Sat 24/1018:25 -

2 stops32h 40m

Deal found 25/9R15 317

Wed 25/1121:20 -

1 stop32h 33m

Wed 2/1221:50 -

1 stop35h 20m

Deal found 26/9R16 417

Tue 20/1023:45 -

2 stops33h 11m

Thu 3/128:01 -

2 stops29h 34m

Deal found 26/9R16 663

Tue 22/1223:55 -

1 stop46h 15m

Tue 25/513:45 -

1 stop22h 35m

Deal found 28/9R16 827

Tue 6/1020:00 -

2 stops26h 12m

Wed 28/108:45 -

2 stops24h 15m

Deal found 28/9R16 991

Mon 9/1121:00 -

1 stop33h 15m

Mon 16/118:00 -

1 stop24h 35m

Deal found 25/9R15 694

Wed 27/119:35 -

1 stop30h 35m

Sun 31/118:00 -

1 stop30h 25m

Deal found 25/9R17 779

Mon 2/1120:50 -

1 stop23h 10m

Wed 2/1211:30 -

1 stop21h 05m

Deal found 26/9R16 679

Tue 22/1223:55 -

1 stop46h 15m

Tue 25/515:59 -

2 stops34h 06m

Deal found 28/9R16 893

Tue 10/1120:50 -

2 stops26h 57m

Thu 19/1117:00 -

2 stops61h 10m

Deal found 30/9R17 156

Sat 7/1121:40 -

2 stops32h 18m

Sat 28/1122:05 -

1 stop24h 35m

Deal found 30/9R16 121

Wed 10/311:15 -

2 stops41h 20m

Fri 9/419:45 -

2 stops53h 55m

Deal found 29/9R17 878

Sun 11/1020:00 -

2 stops30h 26m

Sun 18/1022:30 -

2 stops31h 50m

Deal found 28/9R17 221

Fri 20/1120:50 -

2 stops35h 43m

Sun 6/1219:47 -

2 stops36h 48m

Deal found 27/9R17 484

Wed 11/1121:20 -

1 stop36h 38m

Wed 18/1114:47 -

2 stops31h 53m

Deal found 29/9R16 466

Wed 9/1220:35 -

1 stop26h 50m

Sun 30/520:55 -

1 stop27h 55m

Deal found 29/9R18 797

Mon 26/1020:50 -

3 stops32h 47m

Mon 2/116:50 -

2 stops23h 20m

Deal found 28/9R17 320

Wed 11/1118:10 -

2 stops30h 00m

Wed 18/1122:05 -

2 stops30h 30m

Deal found 26/9R19 355

Fri 16/1020:05 -

2 stops32h 14m

Thu 29/1012:15 -

1 stop21h 20m

Deal found 28/9R18 058

Mon 26/1021:00 -

2 stops35h 42m

Mon 2/118:00 -

1 stop24h 35m

Deal found 28/9R16 482

Find flight deals from South Africa to California

Round-trip from	R15 284
One-way from	R9 949
Popular in	August
Cheapest in	March
Average price	R17 730

Virgin Atlantic
16/10-29/10
2 total stops
47h 00m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Qatar Airways
16/11-31/12
1 total stop
34h 05m total
South Africa to California

Search Deals

Highest demand for flights based on searches. 9% potential increase in price (R32 128 potential increase over avg. return price).

Search Deals

Cheapest flight prices on average. 2% potential price decrease (R6 287 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

Fastest return journey

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Mon 12/10

20:55-14:10

1 stop26h 15m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R10 441

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Fri 9/10

14:05-18:50

2 stops37h 45m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R11 426

JohannesburgLos Angeles

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - LAX Los Angeles

JNBLAX

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 15/11

20:20-18:41

3 stops32h 21m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R12 936

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 6/12

13:45-12:40

1 stop32h 55m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 051

DurbanSan Francisco

DUR Durban King Shaka Intl - SFO San Francisco

DURSFO

Durban King Shaka Intl

Sun 27/12

15:45-16:30

2 stops34h 45m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 166

DurbanSan Francisco

DUR Durban King Shaka Intl - SFO San Francisco

DURSFO

Durban King Shaka Intl

Mon 28/12

15:45-16:30

2 stops34h 45m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 166

Cape TownSan Francisco

CPT Cape Town Intl - SFO San Francisco

CPTSFO

Cape Town Intl

Mon 21/12

17:15-16:30

1 stop33h 15m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 183

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Thu 22/10

9:45-21:44

2 stops44h 59m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 478

JohannesburgSan Francisco

JNB Johannesburg OR Tambo - SFO San Francisco

JNBSFO

Johannesburg OR Tambo

Sun 1/11

17:00-20:12

3 stops37h 12m

San Francisco

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 527

Cape TownLos Angeles

CPT Cape Town Intl - LAX Los Angeles

CPTLAX

Cape Town Intl

Fri 4/12

17:15-10:50

1 stop27h 35m

Los Angeles

Wed 31/12

0:00-10:00

Nonstop0h 00m

R13 905

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 28/9

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.

JNB-SFO

JNB-LAX

DUR-SFO

CPT-SFO

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

JNB-SFO

JNB-LAX

DUR-SFO

CPT-SFO

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 466). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 621). 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 86 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

1 578 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

1 578 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 578 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

3 727 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 578 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

10 260 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 578 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

1 578 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

8 242 reviews

KLM

7,8

Good

1 578 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 R15 284, Virgin Atlantic can have you in California from South Africa in 25h 10m. 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 455. Users have also found prices from R10 903 and R11 487 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 466). Flying from South Africa to California in August is currently the most expensive (average of R21 621). 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 Atlanta flights

OR Tambo to John F Kennedy Intl flights

OR Tambo to Miami flights

OR Tambo to LaGuardia flights

OR Tambo to Los Angeles flights

Cape Town to Atlanta flights

Cape Town to Miami flights

OR Tambo to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to Dulles Intl flights

OR Tambo to Boston flights

OR Tambo to San Francisco flights

OR Tambo to Love Field flights

OR Tambo to Seattle flights

OR Tambo to Hobby flights

OR Tambo to Reagan-National flights

Cape Town to Dulles Intl flights

Cape Town to Seattle flights

Cape Town to Los Angeles flights

OR Tambo to George Bush Intcntl flights

Cape Town to Memphis flights

Cape Town to Denver flights

OR Tambo to Ontario flights

Cape Town to Charlotte flights

OR Tambo to O'Hare Intl flights

OR Tambo to Orlando flights

Durban to Miami flights

Cape Town to Boston flights

OR Tambo to Tampa flights

OR Tambo to Minneapolis flights

Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale flights

OR Tambo to Sky Harbor Intl flights

Cape Town to San Francisco flights

Top 10 airlines flying from South Africa to California

Airline	Cheapest	Average	Flexibility	On-time
KLM	CheapestR11 015	AverageR19 244	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time75%	Search KLM flights
Delta	CheapestR13 219	AverageR16 990	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-timeN/A	Search Delta flights
American Airlines	CheapestR13 930	AverageR15 967	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time71%	Search American Airlines flights
Turkish Airlines	CheapestR14 357	AverageR17 907	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Turkish Airlines flights
Virgin Atlantic	CheapestR14 380	AverageR17 586	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time72%	Search Virgin Atlantic flights
United Airlines	CheapestR15 102	AverageR16 915	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time69%	Search United Airlines flights
British Airways	CheapestR15 242	AverageR19 698	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time70%	Search British Airways flights
Air France	CheapestR15 809	AverageR18 992	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time77%	Search Air France flights
Singapore Airlines	CheapestR17 344	AverageR20 145	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time81%	Search Singapore Airlines flights
Qatar Airways	CheapestR17 453	AverageR20 150	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.

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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 949

This is the cheapest retur flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 16/11. 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 30 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 30 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 30 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 30 September 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to CaliforniaDiscover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 30 September 2026 and is based on user searches.

Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 30 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 30 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 30 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 86 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 30 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?

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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 30 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 30 September 2026.

Last-minute flights from South Africa to California
Discover last-minute flight deals from South Africa to California. Data last updated 30 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 30 September 2026.