Cheap flights from South Africa to Istanbul from R4 789

In general, February is the cheapest month to fly from South Africa to Istanbul. Due to it being the ‘off-season’ during this time, you can expect flight prices to be around R9 250. If you are unable to visit Istanbul during the month of February, then departing from South Africa during the month January is also very affordable. Most momondo users find prices during this month for around R9 742.

On average, the least expensive day to fly to Istanbul from South Africa is on a Tuesday. momondo users have found tickets for Tuesday departures for as low as R11 873. However, this price may fluctuate depending on the airline, the season, and holidays. The most expensive day to fly to Istanbul is Saturday, with ticket prices averaging around R13 092.

The cheapest time of day to fly to Istanbul is in the evening when flights can be purchased for as low as R12 243. Flights in the afternoon are often more expensive, with an average ticket price of R12 553.

Fly from Johannesburg OR Tambo to Istanbul for the best South Africa - Istanbul flight prices

You are more likely to see cheaper flights to Istanbul from South Africa when booking weeks ahead of your departure date. In general, you can expect to find flights to Istanbul for around R10 464 when searching weeks before you fly. However, flight prices might be lower outside of this timeframe. For example, people recently found flights to Istanbul from South Africa for as low as R9 545 on momondo.

There are 3 cabin classes available to choose from on South Africa to Istanbul flights. Cabin price and availability will vary by airline so perform a search above to find the right deals for you.

Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates are the most popular carriers operating from South Africa to Istanbul

Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines are the top three most popular airlines that fly to Istanbul from South Africa according to our data. Qatar Airways is the first choice among our users, with 54% of people opting to fly with this airline when travelling to Istanbul. Keep in mind that there are 9 different airlines that fly to Istanbul on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

Historically, on average around 9% of flights between South Africa and Istanbul have experienced a delay on any given week. The average delay length over the past 12 months has been 162 minutes.

Generally, flights departing in the early afternoon tend to experience fewer delays. Flights departing at night have, in the past, seen delays more frequently in comparison.

Wednesday is statistically the day of the week that experiences the fewest delays on this flight route. Tuesday has historically seen more delays on average compared to the rest of the week.

According to our data, Turkish Airlines have had the fewest delays on this route over the last 12 months, with about 9% of their flights experiencing any sort of delay.

The number of flights available between South Africa and Istanbul is 5 per day as of July 2026. The most frequent departure time is 16:00, with 70% of daily flights leaving in the afternoon.

37 flights are operational weekly from South Africa to Istanbul as of July 2026. The most popular departure day for this route is Mon, with 19% of flights per week taking off on this day.