International and domestic South African flights
South Africa is a wonderful country to visit for an exciting and invigorating holiday and if you’re travelling to any country in the southern part of the continent, you are likely to pass through it on your way. Cape Town International and Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International are two of the busiest airports in Africa, and connect this part of Africa to various countries across the world. The country also has a large number of smaller, regional airports which offer connections between both Cape Town and Johannesburg. If you are travelling anywhere within the country, there will be a number of South African flights that can get you where you want to go.
O.R. Tambo International is the largest airport in the country, and will be the most likely destination for the initial stage of your journey. If you need to continue onward to another part of the country, there are lots of South African flights from O.R. Tambo that connect to other, smaller airports, particularly in the eastern regions. From O.R. Tambo International, you can get connecting South African flights to Mafeking, Polokwane, Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit, Mala Mala, Nelspruit, Maputo, Richard’s Bay, Pietermaritzburg, Durban and Margate in the east. Southbound, flights are available to Umtata, East London and Port Elizabeth. If you’re travelling west, you can get a flight from O.R. Tambo to Upington, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, George and Cape Town. The airport also offers flights to every other African country south of the equator, as well as a number of countries in the north of the continent.
Cape Town International is not quite as busy as O.R. Tambo, but still offers international connections to London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Dubai, Buenos Airies and a few other countries. If you’re flying to Cape Town, you can also take South African flights onwards from here that will connect to some of the country’s smaller airports. However, there are fewer domestic routes from Cape Town than O.R. Tambo. Cape Town International offers South African flights to George, Port Elizabeth, East London, Upington, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg, Nelspruit and Maputo. All these destinations are served by O.R. Tambo as well, although Cape Town International is much closer to George and Port Elizabeth.
If you are flying from the UK, The Netherlands, Turkey or Argentina, you’ll have a choice of routes. However, unless you’re travelling to the western part of the country, or somewhere in Namibia your best bet is to fly to O.R. Tambo. Your journey will be shorter, and the airport is much larger and more modern than Cape Town International.