Money hackUse a no-foreign-fee card
A debit or credit card without foreign transaction fees saves 2–3% on every purchase and ATM withdrawal abroad.
_(cropped).jpg/1280px-Camps_bay_(53460319478)_(cropped).jpg)
✈️ Cheap flights from San Francisco to Cape Town
Compare San Francisco – Cape Town fares from hundreds of airlines and travel sites. The trip is about 16,497 km and takes around 20 h 35 min nonstop (most flights stop once).
📏 Distance16,497 km (10,251 miles)
⏱️ Flight timeabout 20 h 35 min nonstop – most trips need one stop
🕒 Time differenceCape Town is 9 hours ahead of San Francisco
🛫 AirportsSFO → CPT
💸 Cheapest monthMay 2027 – from $1,517
📅 Cheapest months to fly San Francisco → Cape Town
- $1,517May 27
Lowest fares our Fare agent saw for each month. Prices change daily.
🌞 Best time to visit South Africa
Best: May-September for safari (dry winter, easy wildlife spotting) and November-March for Cape Town and the coast (warm, dry summer).
Shoulder season: April and October - mild weather nationwide and fewer crowds.
Weather by month in Cape Town
- 26°Jan☀️
- 27°Feb☀️
- 25°Mar☀️
- 23°Apr⛅
- 20°May🌧
- 18°Jun🌧
- 18°Jul🌧
- 18°Aug🌧
- 19°Sep⛅
- 21°Oct⛅
- 24°Nov☀️
- 25°Dec☀️
Average daytime highs (°C) and how rainy each month is.
📍 Things to do when you land
- Go on safari in Kruger – Track lions, elephants, leopards and rhinos on a self-drive or guided game drive.
- Climb Table Mountain – Hike or ride the cableway to the flat summit for sweeping views over Cape Town.
- Drive the Garden Route – Road-trip past lagoons, forests and beaches between Mossel Bay and the Tsitsikamma coast.
- Taste Cape wines – Sip Pinotage and Chenin Blanc among mountains in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.
💡 Tips for a cheaper ticket
Flights hackCheck nearby airports
Flying into a secondary airport an hour away can cut the fare by a third; add the bus or train cost before you book.
Flights hackBe flexible by a few days
Use a fare calendar view and move your trip by one or two days – mid-week departures are usually the cheapest.
San Francisco to Cape Town flights: questions
How long is the flight from San Francisco to Cape Town?
A nonstop flight from San Francisco to Cape Town takes about 20 h 35 min for the 16,497 km (10,251 miles) trip. Few airlines fly this distance nonstop, so most itineraries include one stop and take several hours longer.
How far is Cape Town from San Francisco?
Cape Town is about 16,497 km (10,251 miles) from San Francisco as the plane flies.
What is the time difference between San Francisco and Cape Town?
Right now Cape Town is 9 hours ahead of San Francisco. Daylight saving changes can shift this by an hour during the year.
What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Cape Town?
Recently the lowest fares were in May 2027, from about $1,517. Prices change daily.
Which airports serve San Francisco and Cape Town?
From San Francisco: San Francisco Intl (SFO). In Cape Town: Cape Town Intl (CPT).
Do I need a visa for South Africa?
It depends on your passport – see our South Africa visa & entry guide.
More flights from San Francisco
More flights to Cape Town
Searches open our travel partner in a new tab. We may earn a small commission when you book – it never changes the price you pay, and it keeps this site free.