Emirates, SAA Strengthen Partnership with New Cape Town Flight
Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have announced an enhanced codeshare agreement, building on nearly three decades of successful collaboration. The partnership, formalised at the 2025 Dubai Airshow, will provide passengers with greater connectivity across South Africa, the African continent, and beyond.
From 1 July 2026, Emirates will introduce a third daily flight between Dubai and Cape Town, operated with a Boeing 777, adding over 600 seats per day to meet growing demand. The additional service offers an overnight option, optimised for long-haul connections to destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America, while creating new opportunities for business travellers.
The expanded codeshare will allow Emirates customers seamless travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), as well as thirteen regional destinations including Abidjan, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, Lusaka, Harare, Victoria Falls, and Mauritius.
Similarly, SAA passengers will benefit from access to Dubai on Emirates’ 56 weekly flights, with connections to 68 global destinations through interline agreements.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Since signing our first codeshare with SAA in 1997, our collaboration has created reliable connectivity for passengers to explore the globe with simplified, seamless travel. South Africa remains a cornerstone of our African network, and partnerships like this are essential to serve our customers effectively.”
Professor M. John Lamola, Group Chief Executive Officer of SAA, added: “This enhanced codeshare marks a significant milestone in our 28-year partnership with Emirates. By expanding our collaboration, we are unlocking greater travel and trade opportunities across Africa and globally, ensuring passengers benefit from world-class service and convenience.”
Emirates’ commitment to the South African market in 2025 has been substantial, including the introduction of a fourth daily flight to Johannesburg, deployment of the first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa, and the launch of Premium Economy to elevate the passenger experience.
Tickets for the third daily Dubai-Cape Town service, as well as codeshare or interline flights, are available via emirates.com, flysaa.com, or authorised travel agents.
