Cheapest Day to Fly Johannesburg to Cape Town: What 628 Real Fares Showed
Johannesburg → Cape Town: cheapest fare we found R1,929 › one-way for Wed 18 Nov (checked 24 October 2026). More Johannesburg–Cape Town fares →
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What 628 real fares over two weeks showed
- We checked every non-stop Joburg–Cape Town flight for two ordinary weeks: 309 fares for 2–8 November (checked 14 October) and 319 for 23–29 November (checked 29 October).
- Tuesday had the lowest typical fare both weeks (R2,149, then R2,239). Thursday and Friday were the dearest days both weeks.
- The cheapest single seats were Tue 3 Nov, R1,529 and Sat 28 Nov, R1,779, both SAA with a 23 kg bag included.
- Flights before 08:00 had the lowest typical fare both weeks; the afternoon (12:00–17:00) was the dearest both weeks.
- With a checked bag the winner changed: SAA in week one, LIFT (and CemAir’s one daily flight) in week two. Compare SAA, LIFT and Airlink for your date.
Week two: 23–29 November (checked 29 October)
One week is a sample, not a rule, so we ran the whole study again. On 29 October 2026 we pulled every non-stop Joburg–Cape Town flight Travelstart sold for Monday 23 to Sunday 29 November: 319 more fares, 25 to 31 days ahead. These dates are still bookable, so tap a fare to open that day on Travelstart.
| Day | Cheapest fare | Typical (median) |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 23 Nov 48 flights | R2,129 › LIFT 06:30 · cabin bag only | R2,339 |
| Tue 24 Nov 45 flights | R1,899 › Airlink 20:35 · 20 kg bag incl. | R2,239 |
| Wed 25 Nov 45 flights | R1,939 › SAA 14:30 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,339 |
| Thu 26 Nov 45 flights | R2,339 › LIFT 06:30 · cabin bag only | R2,749 |
| Fri 27 Nov 48 flights | R2,239 › FlySafair 20:30 · cabin bag only | R2,829 |
| Sat 28 Nov 40 flights | R1,779 › SAA 17:30 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,339 |
| Sun 29 Nov 48 flights | R1,909 › SAA 21:20 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,464 |
Did the pattern hold? Mostly. Tuesday again had the lowest typical fare (R2,239), and Thursday and Friday were again the dearest days, now by more: a typical Thursday seat was R2,749 and Friday R2,829, against R2,239 on Tuesday. The single cheapest seat of the week was on Saturday 28 November: SAA at 17:30 for R1,779 with a 23 kg bag included. Saturday was as cheap as Monday and Wednesday on the typical fare; Sunday was a little dearer (R2,464).
Week two by time of day
| Departure | Fares | Cheapest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 08:00 | 44 | R1,949 | R2,339 |
| 08:00–11:59 | 98 | R1,939 | R2,489 |
| 12:00–16:59 | 106 | R1,939 | R2,549 |
| 17:00 and later | 71 | R1,779 | R2,439 |
Before 08:00 again had the lowest typical fare and the afternoon was again the dearest. The difference: the cheapest single seats this time were evening flights (SAA at 17:30 and 21:20, Airlink at 20:35), so check both ends of the day.
Week two: typical fare with a checked bag
Bag prices here are what Travelstart charges to add one when you book through our links: R210 for FlySafair (20 kg) and R245 for LIFT (23 kg).
| Airline | Median fare | Median with a checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| SAA ~10 flights a day | R2,859 | R2,859 |
| LIFT ~7 flights a day | R2,339 | R2,584 |
| CemAir ~1 flight a day | R2,559 | R2,559 |
| FlySafair ~21 flights a day | R2,439 | R2,649 |
| Airlink ~7 flights a day | R2,739 | R2,739 |
This is where week two differed. SAA’s typical fare was much higher in week two (R2,859, bag included), and with a bag LIFT (R2,584) and CemAir’s one daily flight (R2,559) were cheaper. SAA still had the cheapest single seat of the week. The lesson from two weeks: with a bag, compare SAA, LIFT and Airlink on your exact date, because the winner changes.
Week one: 2–8 November (checked 14 October)
We pulled every non-stop Joburg–Cape Town flight Travelstart sold for one ordinary week, Monday 2 to Sunday 8 November 2026, in a single search session on 14 October 2026. That is 309 one-way economy fares across SAA, FlySafair, LIFT, Airlink and CemAir. Two things stood out. First, the day you fly moves the cheapest fare by up to R600. Second, the budget airline is not the budget option on this route once you check a bag.
Cheapest day of the week to fly Joburg to Cape Town
Tap a fare to open that date on Travelstart. Fares were checked on 14 October 2026 and will have moved since, so treat them as a pattern, not a quote.
| Day | Cheapest fare | Typical (median) |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov 48 flights | R1,839 › Airlink 07:30 · 20 kg bag incl. | R2,239 |
| Tue 3 Nov 41 flights | R1,529 › SAA 06:05 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,149 |
| Wed 4 Nov 43 flights | R1,939 › SAA 06:05 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,149 |
| Thu 5 Nov 45 flights | R2,119 › Airlink 16:20 · 20 kg bag incl. | R2,439 |
| Fri 6 Nov 48 flights | R2,129 › LIFT 06:30 · cabin bag only | R2,539 |
| Sat 7 Nov 37 flights | R1,939 › SAA 08:10 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,339 |
| Sun 8 Nov 47 flights | R1,939 › SAA 21:20 · 23 kg bag incl. | R2,339 |
Tuesday won, Thursday and Friday lost. The weekend surprised us: Saturday and Sunday were as cheap as Wednesday. That was one ordinary week; around school holidays and long weekends the pattern changes, so always compare the days either side of your date.
Compare Joburg–Cape Town fares for your dates
Cheapest time of day
All 309 fares grouped by departure time. “Median” is the middle fare, the price most people were offered.
| Departure | Fares | Cheapest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 08:00 | 40 | R1,529 | R2,139 |
| 08:00–11:59 | 92 | R1,939 | R2,389 |
| 12:00–16:59 | 104 | R1,939 | R2,439 |
| 17:00 and later | 73 | R1,839 | R2,239 |
The first flights of the day were cheapest. SAA’s 06:05 and LIFT’s 06:30 departures were among the lowest fares on most days. Afternoon departures between 12:00 and 17:00 were the dearest, by about R300 on the median.
Cheapest airline once you add a bag
FlySafair and LIFT fares don’t include a checked bag. Adding one online costs R185 on FlySafair (20 kg) and R200 on LIFT (23 kg). SAA (23 kg), Airlink (20 kg) and CemAir (21 kg) include one. Here is the typical fare for each airline across the week, before and after a bag:
| Airline | Median fare | Median with a checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| SAA ~10 flights a day | R2,149 | R2,149 |
| LIFT ~6 flights a day | R2,129 | R2,329 |
| CemAir ~1 flights a day | R2,494 | R2,494 |
| FlySafair ~20 flights a day | R2,339 | R2,524 |
| Airlink ~7 flights a day | R2,679 | R2,679 |
If you travel with a cabin bag only, LIFT and FlySafair are competitive. If you check a bag, SAA was the cheapest airline on this route that week. FlySafair still has the most departures, about 20 a day, so it often wins on timing.
CemAir sells seats on some SAA flights under its own flight numbers (5Z6xxx, “operated by South African Airways”). We counted each of those flights once, under SAA. CemAir’s own Joburg–Cape Town flights are included under CemAir.
How we did this
- Source: Travelstart’s live search, the same results you see when you click our links.
- When: one session on 14 October 2026 for flights on 2–8 November (19 to 25 days ahead), and one on 29 October 2026 for 23–29 November (25 to 31 days ahead).
- What: one-way economy, one adult, non-stop flights only, cheapest fare shown for each flight.
- Not included: Travelstart’s booking fee, which shows as its own line at checkout, and seat selection.
- Limits: two weeks and two search days. Holiday weeks behave differently: see our December fare check.
How to use this when you book
- If your dates are flexible, search Tuesday first, then Wednesday, Monday and Saturday. Avoid Thursday and Friday: they were the dearest days in both weeks.
- Check the early departures (before 08:00) before you look at midday.
- Decide on your bag first. With a bag, compare SAA, LIFT (with its bag added) and Airlink: SAA won in week one, LIFT in week two.
- Check the final total on Travelstart’s payment page, including its booking fee.
Search Joburg–Cape Town flights
More on this route: Johannesburg to Cape Town flights · Fly or drive? · FlySafair vs LIFT · Cheapest airline with a checked bag
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest day to fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town?
We checked two ordinary weeks, 628 fares in total. Tuesday had the lowest typical fare both times (R2,149 for 2–8 November, R2,239 for 23–29 November), and Thursday and Friday were the most expensive days both times. The single cheapest seats were R1,529 on Tuesday 3 November and R1,779 on Saturday 28 November, both SAA with a bag included. Fares change daily, so search your own dates.
What time of day is cheapest to fly Joburg to Cape Town?
Early flights had the lowest typical fare in both weeks we checked: before 08:00 the median was R2,139 (2–8 November) and R2,339 (23–29 November), and afternoon departures between 12:00 and 17:00 were the dearest both times. In the second week the cheapest single seats were evening flights.
Is FlySafair the cheapest airline from Johannesburg to Cape Town?
Not with a checked bag. In the first week FlySafair’s typical fare was R2,339, or R2,524 with its R185 bag, against R2,149 for SAA with a 23 kg bag included. In the second week (23–29 November) FlySafair was R2,649 with the R210 bag Travelstart charges, and LIFT (R2,584 with its bag) was cheaper than both.
How many flights a day go from Johannesburg to Cape Town?
About 40 to 50 non-stop flights a day were on sale in our check: roughly 20 FlySafair, 10 SAA, 7 Airlink, 6 LIFT and a few CemAir flights.