Getting To Africa – A Guide To Flights & Airlines

All You Need To Know

Every year travellers from around the world fly to Africa for incredible safaris, city breaks and relaxing beach holidays. Whether you’re coming from the West or the East, Africa is easily accessible. We’ve compiled a guide to all the major routes and airlines that serve the most popular African destinations. The logistics, connections and transfers can seem a little overwhelming, but our travel experts are on hand to give you some great advice.

Getting To South Africa

Getting to South Africa is easy with South African Airways (SAA). As the leading carrier in Africa, SAA serves 26 destinations worldwide from its Johannesburg hub. SAA is our preferred airline as it has the biggest route network in Africa and flies to more destinations, both overseas and within South Africa, than any other airline. Whether you’re coming from the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand or Europe, SAA is a great option to choose.

DID YOU KNOW: SAA is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. It is also the winner of the ‘Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for 11 consecutive years.

Once in South Africa, SAA can easily connect travellers between major cities like Cape Town and Durban with several flights a day, as can other airlines such as British Airways and the low-cost local airlines Mango and Kulula.

Other than SAA, most other international airlines include South Africa on their route, such as British Airways, KLM, Air France, Qatar Airways and Emirates to name a few.

If you’re heading to the Kruger National Park, there are many ways to get there. The easiest but most expensive option is flying directly to your lodge from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport on a scheduled charter flight. Daily flights operate between Johannesburg and many of the private lodges and reserves surrounding Kruger National Park. There is a daily flight from Cape Town direct to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (Nelspruit) for a Cape Town-Kruger combination holiday. Likewise, SA Express flies from Cape Town straight to Hoedspruit Airport three times a week for easier access to private reserves located North of the Sabi Sand. Read: Getting to Kruger.

Coming from Asia? Singapore is the hub of South East Asia and travellers from this region can easily access South Africa via Singapore Airlines. The airline flies to over 65 destinations throughout Asia, South Africa and the Middle East. Singapore Airlines offers flights from Cape Town and Durban to Asia via Johannesburg and direct return flights from Johannesburg to Singapore. Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways also fly to Johannesburg directly from Hong Kong and Bangkok respectively. The Cathay flights are daily whereas Thai flights operate three times a week from its hub at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok.

Coming from Australia/New Zealand? Qantas Airways and SAA  fly from both Sydney and Perth directly to Johannesburg. There are daily flights to Perth from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport. From Johannesburg, travellers can easily connect to their preferred destination in Southern or East Africa. A connection via Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok is also a popular way of getting to Johannesburg from Australia or New Zealand.

Coming from South America? Lufthansa, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Etihad are some of the many airlines that fly to and from Sao Paulo, the hub for South America. SAA is the only airline offering direct daily flights, however, from Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires to O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg. British Airways has flights from Sao Paulo to Johannesburg via London. For flights via Europe it is advisable to break your journey by spending a few days in your transit city before continuing on to South Africa. Connections to Johannesburg can also be via the USA through Atlanta, Washington Dulles or New York JFK Airports.

Coming from the USA? South African Airways departs daily from either Washington DC (IAD) and New York (JFK) Airports to South Africa and the routes are code shared with United Airlines. There is also a direct daily flight on Delta Airlines from Atlanta to Johannesburg. The New York (JFK) flight is highly recommended as it leaves in the morning and arrives into Johannesburg on the morning the next day, so you get to Johannesburg without extreme jet-lag and in time to connect to either Victoria Falls, Kruger Park or Cape Town. Both the Washington and Atlanta flights arrive into Johannesburg late afternoon and so an overnight is required there before connecting on to Kruger or Vic Falls. A connection to Cape Town, however, is possible. Virgin Atlantic also offers flights from from Los Angeles to Johannesburg, with one stop in London, for a very good fare.

For more information about flights to South Africa as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our South African travel experts.

Getting To Botswana

Botswana attracts a lot of visitors to its popular destinations such as Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi Pans. Once you’re in South Africa, getting to Botswana is easy! Air Botswana and South African Airways fly to Botswana via Johannesburg. Air Botswana operates daily flights from Johannesburg to Maun and to Kasane in Botswana. Maun is the gateway to the world famous Okavango Delta and Kalahari or Fly to Kasane for travellers going to lodges in the Chobe region. From Maun Airport, often the only way of getting to your safari lodge is by small charter plane. From Kasane, road transfers can easily be arranged to lodges in the area and afterwards, travellers can also easily connect to Victoria Falls from Chobe by road. Botswana can also be connected to Namibia quite easily as there are several weekly Air Namibia flights directly from Maun Airport to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

For more information about flights to Botswana as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Botswana travel experts.

Getting To Namibia

The National Carrier Air Namibia runs direct flights from Frankfurt to Namibia as well as daily flights from South Africa (several from both Cape Town and Johannesburg), Zimbabwe and Botswana to Namibia. Travellers can fly to the International Airport in Windhoek, called Hosea Kutako, and from there transport to their chosen destination within Namibia. The smaller Eros Airport, just outside of Windhoek is used mainloy for charter flights to Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Etosha. British Airways also operates flights via Johannesburg in South Africa. Read more here!

For more information about flights to Namibia as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Namibia travel experts.

Getting To East Africa

Kenya

Kenya Airways serves 58 cities in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It is one of the best ways to travel to Africa, especially East Africa. From Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Kenya Airlines can connect passengers from London, Paris, Amsterdam and New Delhi directly for a safari or a beach holiday destination such as the Mombasa coastline, Lamu Island or Zanzibar in Tanzania. From Jomo Kenyatta Airport, you can also fly to Johannesburg in South Africa, Victoria Falls (Zambia) or beach destinations in Northern Mozambique such as Pemba or Nampula. Kenya Airways also flies to Mahe in Seychelles and to Antananarivo in Madagascar several times a week for a more exotic combination of destinations.

Another option for getting directly to Nairobi in Kenya is on British Airways from London, on KLM via Amsterdam, via Dubai on Emirates and via Doha on Qatar. From Nairobi, it is easy to connect on domestic or scheduled charter flights to the Masai Mara, Mombasa, Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha or even on to Kigali in Rwanda or Entebbe in Uganda for Gorilla and Chimpanzee safaris. British Airways has increased the frequency of their flights to Kenya up to 8 times a week from May this year. Nairobi is a great city to explore before a safari with museums, national parks, restaurants and bars and is also great for last minute shopping. Read: Getting to Kenya.

For more information about flights to Kenya as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Kenya travel experts.

Tanzania

KLM is the best connection to Tanzania for passengers worldwide from North and South America, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Australia. This flight is perfect if you want to combine your Tanzanian safari getaway with a beach holiday on the Zanzibar Archipelago. KLM is the only long-haul flight directly into Kilimanjaro Airport for a Northern Circuit safari to destinations such as Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and Tarangire National Park. The return flight can be booked from Dar es Salaam and does not have to be back from Kilimanjaro Airport. This is useful as Zanzibar is a mere 15 minute hop away from Dar es Salaam by air. Emirates and Qatar Airlines also fly directly into Dar es Salaam, as does Swiss Air via Zurich and South African Airways from Johannesburg. British Airways no longer flies directly to Tanzania.

For more information about flights to Tanzania as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Tanzania travel experts.

Getting To Mozambique

Mozambique is easily accessible from Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban. From London, Australia and America, a connecting flight via Johannesburg is the best option. South African Airways and LAM Mozambique Airlines (Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique) operate direct non-stop flights from Johannesburg to Maputo, Vilanculos (for the Bazaruto Archipelago) and also to Pemba (for the Quirimbas Archipelago) in Mozambique. From Dar es Salaam, LAM operates 3 weekly flights to Nampula for a more rustic and “off the beaten track” beach option. LAM also operates flights from Johannesburg to Nampula. There are also flights from Nairobi twice a week by LAM for visitors who wish to travel to Mozambique from Kenya.

For more information about flights to Mozambique as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Mozambique travel experts.

Getting To Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls can be accessed either via the Zambian or Zimbabwean side. Read more Vic Falls travel info here.

• Zambia – There are two airports in Zambia – Livingstone and Lusaka. For travellers going to Vic Falls it’s best to fly to Livingstone Airport, as the Falls are only 20 minutes away. NB: Lusaka is not the access point for Vic Falls. Access to Victoria Falls from Lusaka is not quick and easy and the only airline between the two destinations is Proflight, a scheduled charter company. Kenya Airways has a new route from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Airport to Livingstone several times a week for a connection from East Africa to Victoria Falls. This is a very useful connection as it cuts the necessity of flying through Johannesburg but the cost is quite pricey at the moment. If you are going on safari in Zambia (whether South Luangwa, Kafue or the Lower Zambezi National Park), Lusaka Airport is the best option. SAA, British Airways, Kulula, Air Namibia, Air Malawi, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines all fly directly to Lusaka.  Read more about Getting to Zambia here.

• Zimbabwe – South African Airways and British Airways have daily direct flights from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls Airport. Air Namibia also flies to Vic Falls directly from Windhoek Hosea Kutako Airport several times a week. The airport is located 18 km south of the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. If you wish to connect from Kruger Airport to the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls, you’ll need to fly to Livingstone Airport on the Zambian side and then transfer across the border to the Zimbabwean side. The transfer is relatively quick and easy, however we do not recommend it as visas will be required for both countries and a yellow fever certificate will be required for the transit through Zambia. This is not required for stays in Zimbabwe. Flights from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport to Livingstone Airport on South African Airlink are direct and currently operate 4 days a week. Read more about Getting to Zimbabwe here.

Coming from America? British Airways or South African Airways via London is a great option.
Coming from the UK? There are 4 flights a week direct from Gatwick Airport to Lusaka however flights to Vic Falls are still best booked via Johannesburg.
Coming from Australia? Qantas flies to Johannesburg, South Africa, with connecting flights available to Victoria Falls, Livingstone or Lusaka. European airlines such as KLM, Air France and Lufthansa also fly to the region via Johannesburg.

For more information about flights to the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and Zambia, as well as internal flights and transfers, speak to one of our Victoria Falls travel experts.

When it comes to planning your African holiday Rhino Africa Safaris can help you every step of the way. If you have any questions about flights, getting around in Africa, visa requirements or you simply want to start planning your trip, contact one of our expert travel planners. We’re ready to help you plan your African trip of a lifetime!

For more information about the airlines mentioned above, visit their websites:

South African Airways – British Airways – KLM – Qatar Airways – Emirates – Mango Airlines  – Lufthansa – Kulula – Singapore Airlines – Cathay Pacific – Qantas Airways – Turkish Airlines – Etihad Airways – Delta Airlines – Air Namibia – Air Botswana – Kenya Airways – LAM Mozambique – Air Malawi – Ethiopian Airlines – SA Express Airways – Virgin Atlantic