Did you know that South Africa is roughly the same size as Western Europe? With many popular cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London, getting around the entire country by bus or train isn't always the best option. South Africa is home to 20 commercial airports spread out across the country - this makes it super easy to travel domestically within South Africa!
Travelling between South Africa's major cities can be very time-consuming by car, especially if you've got baggage with you. For example, if you're planning to travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, you would need to drive roughly 14 hours. Why not save time and book a domestic flight instead? Keep reading this guide to find out which airlines operate domestic flights in South Africa as well as which airports offer the most connections.
Alternatively, you can fill out our search form at the top of the page to find domestic flights in South Africa that suit your travel plans.
When time is tight, domestic flights between South African cities are your lifesaver. Avoid lengthy car journeys and, instead, book short domestic South African flights that take up to 2 hours between each city! Many South African airlines operate flights between major cities like Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London in a short amount of time, giving you more time to spare on your trip.
South Africa's 20 commercial airports are strategically placed in the country. It's an extensive network that allows you to access some of South Africa's most remote destinations that would otherwise require challenging road journeys. For example, if you're going on a South African safari experience, a domestic flight can get you to a nearby airport in no time, bypassing long drives.
Long car, bus and train journeys in South Africa can be uncomfortable, especially if you're travelling during South Africa's summer (November to March). With domestic flights, you can unwind, enjoy in-flight entertainment or catch up on work during your journey. There will also be air-con and refreshments, depending on the airline you're flying with.
Many airlines offer domestic flights in South Africa. Here are some key airlines, with information on which destinations they fly between and specific baggage allowances for domestic flights.
South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa and offers hundreds of daily flights, whether they be domestic, international or intercontinental. The airline only flies to four cities in South Africa - Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. However, it's a great airline to use if you're flying into South Africa from an international destination and want to get a connecting flight to another major South African airport straight after.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth
South African Airways domestic baggage allowance:
FlySafair is a low-cost airline based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, with secondary hubs at Cape Town International and King Shaka International Airport. The airline only operates internal flights and flies between seven airports in six different destinations within South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, East London, George and Port Elizabeth
FlySafair domestic baggage allowance:
Airlink is a South African airline that flies regionally in the African continent as well as offering many flights within South Africa. It's primarily based at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. This includes flights to destinations such as Port Elizabeth, Sishen, Upington, Richards Bay, Polokwane and more. The airline serves more than 30 destinations. It also has codeshare agreements with South African Airways and South African Express, making it one of the most well-connected airlines in the country.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Upington, Sishen, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, George, Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha, Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Richards Bay, Polokwane, Hoedspruit, Skukuza and Nelspruit
Airlink domestic baggage allowance:
Federal Air is a small regional airline that offers both scheduled passenger and charter flights within South Africa and beyond. The airline is based at OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, from where it operates the majority of its services, both internally and internationally. The airline flies to many smaller airports and airstrips, some of which are only available through charter flights. For example, a Federal Air charter flight is the only option to reach the Madikwe Game Reserve by air.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg and Londolozi
Federal Air domestic baggage allowance:
LIFT Airlines is a relatively young airline based in South Africa. It began operations in 2020 and is currently based at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. LIFT only focuses on domestic flights in South Africa at the moment.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban
LIFT Airlines domestic baggage allowance:
CemAir is a South African airline based at O.R. Tambo International Airport, operating scheduled and chartered domestic flights. Its network isn't as extensive as South Africa's larger airlines but it does give access to South Africa's smaller cities and towns that major airlines don't serve such as Bloemfontein, George, Margate, Sishen and more.
Domestic destinations: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Hoespruit, Mala Mala, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, George, Plettenberg Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London and Margate.
CemAir domestic baggage allowance:
O.R. Tambo International Airport, located in Johannesburg, is the largest and busiest airport in South Africa. It's a major hub for both domestic and international flights. You can reach all major cities in South Africa from this airport, making it a good stopover location for travellers on multi-city trips. This airport is primarily served by Airlink, CemAir, FlySafair, LIFT and South African Airways.
This is the second-busiest airport in the country and is the main gateway to Cape Town, a popular tourist destination. Cape Town International Airport offers frequent flights to many major South African cities and towns with airlines like Airlink and FlySafair.
Located in Durban, this airport is South Africa's third-busiest. It's the primary gateway into the major coastal resort city and is very close to Durban's city centre. From King Shaka International Airport, you can reach Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, East London and more. Most flights here are operated by FlySafair.
Johannesburg has a smaller airport called Lanseria International Airport. It's less crowded and is mostly used by business and leisure travellers flying with FlySafair. Cape Town and Durban are the only other cities you can fly to from here.
At Alternative Airlines, we offer PayJustNow, a Buy Now Pay Later payment method in South Africa, at checkout. With PayJustNow, you can spread the cost of your domestic South Africa flights over time and not have to pay the full cost of your ticket upfront!
You can select PayJustNow at checkout and split your flight costs into 3 manageable instalments. There are no hidden fees and no interest to pay, as long as you make payments on time.
Please note that PayJustNow is currently only available to residents of South Africa.
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It's quick and easy to use the Alternative Airlines search bar to discover flights within South Africa! You can book your flight in your local currency with Alternative Airlines. We offer more than 160 currencies including US Dollars, Euros and South African Rand.
And if you're a bit concerned about travelling around South Africa, you can put your mind at ease and find out all you need to know with our South Africa Travel Advice guide.
You won't need a passport for a domestic flight within South Africa. However, you'll need some form of government-issued photo identification that the airline will check at the airport.
It's important to check with each individual airline on the type of identification that they accept, as it might differ from airline to airline.
For local flights, airport check-in closing times can vary from anything between 45–30 minutes before flight departure time, so it's recommended to arrive 90 minutes before flight departure time to give yourself plenty of time before your flight.
The only exception to this is with Airlink. This airline closes its check-in counters 90 minutes before the flight departure time. So it's recommended you arrive at the airport 30–45 minutes before this.
If you've checked in online and have no checked bags to drop, you can go straight to security and can afford to arrive at the airport a little later.
Over the years there have been a number of airlines which have unfortunately ceased operations in South Africa. This includes:
Yes, you can book domestic flights within South Africa online on the Alternative Airlines website. Use our search form and enter the dates and destinations that you want to fly between to see all options from all airlines.
Absolutely! At Alternative Airlines, we're proud to offer flexible Buy Now Pay Later plans that let you split the cost of your flight tickets into smaller instalments paid back over time. You can spread the cost of your domestic flights in South Africa over weeks or months, depending on the payment plan you have chosen.
One popular BNPL we offer is PayJustNow - this is a South African BNPL, available to residents of South Africa. You can split the cost of your domestic flights into 3 - make the first payment at the time of booking, then pay the 2 remaining payments over the next 2 months, only when you book through Alternative Airlines!
Discover more about PayJustNow here, or take a look at the rest of our Fly Now Pay Later plans here.
Yes, you can. There are a number of airlines operating in South Africa which provide private charter, taxi, and even sightseeing tours. An example is Angel Gabriel Aeronautics.
