Cheap flights from London to Johannesburg

November is the cheapest month on this route, sitting between the European autumn and the South African summer holidays. Fares climb from December through January, when South Africans fly home and Europeans chase the sun, and again in July and August during the European school break. Midweek departures, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, usually cost less than Friday or Sunday flights, and overnight departures tend to be cheaper than daytime ones. Book well ahead for the December rush and for Easter; outside those peaks you can often watch the calendar for a few weeks before you commit.

There are no low-cost carriers on this route, so every option is a full-service airline, and none of them flies direct. Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines are the familiar names here, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and UGANDA AIRLINES cover the East African routings, and Egyptair, Air Algerie, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Condor fill in the rest. What separates them is total journey time, the length of the layover and what the fare includes, so weigh those instead of the headline price.

Johannesburg has one main gateway, O.R. Tambo International, and it takes the flights from London, so there is no second airport to choose between on arrival. The airport sits outside the city, and the usual ways in are a metered taxi, a ride-hailing app or a pre-booked shuttle; agree the fare or check the app price before you get in. Allow a generous buffer on the way back, since the international terminal gets busy in the evening and security queues build. Keep your onward plans flexible if your connection lands late at night.

Currency

ZAR (R)

Power sockets

Type C, D, G, N · 230 V

Language

South African Sign Language, Southern Ndebele, Sesotho, Tsonga, Tswana, Swazi, Northern Sotho, Venda, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, English

Emergency number

112

Calling code

+27

Internet domain

.za

Population of Johannesburg

4.8 M (2022)

Altitude

1,753 m · high altitude — take the first day slowly

Time zone

UTC+02 (Africa/Johannesburg)

Country facts: Wikidata

• London has five airports, so check which one your fare leaves from before you compare prices.
• Every flight to Johannesburg connects, so look at the total journey time and the layover, not just the departure time.
• If your legs are booked on separate tickets, a missed connection is your problem, so leave a long gap between them.
• Confirm what the fare includes on a full-service ticket, since baggage allowances differ between carriers.
• Check passport validity and visa rules for South Africa well before you fly.
• November is the cheapest month, so if your dates are flexible, start your search there.