Cape Town is one of South Africa’s biggest December destinations, but getting to the Mother City is becoming an increasingly expensive part of the festive-season holiday.
For travellers from Johannesburg and Durban, flying remains the quickest option, while driving could work out cheaper for families and groups sharing a car.
Current December 2026 fares show that travellers could pay more than R3 000 for a one-way flight, depending on where they are travelling from and which airline they choose.
Johannesburg to Cape Town
There are five airlines competing on the Johannesburg-Cape Town route: SAA, FlySafair, LIFT, CemAir and Airlink.
A live fare comparison for Friday, 18 December 2026 shows a significant spread between the cheapest and most expensive options.
Johannesburg to Cape Town flight prices
| Airline | One-way fare on 18 December |
|---|---|
| SAA | R2 489 |
| CemAir | R2 909 |
| LIFT | R2 949 |
| FlySafair | R2 989 |
| Airlink | R3 359 |
SAA is currently the cheapest of the five for this particular date, while Airlink is the most expensive at R3 359.
The prices were checked on 15 October and are live fares rather than historical averages, meaning they can change as seats are sold.
Another current fare search found a R2 489 SAA one-way fare on 11 December, showing that prices can vary even within the same month.
Durban to Cape Town
Durban travellers have fewer seats to choose from than those travelling from Johannesburg, and December fares are already expensive.
For Friday, 18 December, the current search found:
Durban to Cape Town flight prices
| Airline | One-way fare on 18 December |
|---|---|
| CemAir | R3 029 |
| FlySafair | R3 139 |
| LIFT | R2 595 |
| SAA | R7 449 |
| Airlink | R4 416 |
CemAir is currently the cheapest of the fares exposed in the December search, at R3 029 one way.
The available fare data was also checked in early October, so these prices should be treated as a snapshot rather than a guaranteed December price.
Flying isn’t the only option
For families and groups, driving could still work out cheaper because the cost of fuel and tolls can be split between several passengers.
The Johannesburg-Cape Town road trip is about 1 400km one way, while Durban-Cape Town is roughly 1 730km.
Using a vehicle that averages 7 litres per 100km, and October’s petrol prices, the estimated fuel and toll costs are:
| Route | Approx. distance | Estimated return fuel | Return tolls | Estimated return road cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg – Cape Town | ~1 400km each way | ~R5 930 | ~R504 | ~R6 430 |
| Durban – Cape Town | ~1 730km each way | ~R7 110 | ~R228 | ~R7 340 |
The calculation uses the October 2026 petrol price of R30.25/l inland and R29.38/l at the coast.
December’s petrol price is not yet known, so these are estimates rather than December quotations. The road-trip figures also exclude food, accommodation, parking and vehicle wear and tear.
So, flying or driving?
The difference becomes clearer when the cost is divided between passengers. Using the estimated road-trip costs and the current December fares:
| Travellers | Johannesburg flights* | Johannesburg drive | Durban flights** | Durban drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R4 978 return | ~R6 430 | R6 058 return | ~R7 340 |
| 2 | R9 956 return | ~R6 430 | R12 116 return | ~R7 340 |
| 4 | R19 912 return | ~R6 430 | R24 232 return | ~R7 340 |
* Based on the current SAA fare of R2 489 each way on 18 December, assuming the same fare in both directions.
** Based on the current CemAir fare of R3 029 each way on 18 December, assuming the same fare in both directions.