South African Airways (SAA) has announced a major expansion of its flight network with the launch of its first-ever direct route between Cape Town and Mauritius, set to take off in December 2025.
This strategic addition underscores the national carrier’s growing footprint in regional leisure travel and marks a significant milestone for both the airline and the tourism sectors of South Africa and Mauritius.
The new service will commence on Tuesday, 9 December, operating three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Flight schedule
- Cape Town to Mauritius
- Departure: 09:25 | Arrival: 16:30
- Flight duration: Approximately 5 hours and 5 minutes
- Mauritius to Cape Town
- Departure: 17:20 | Arrival: 21:30
- Flight duration: Approximately 6 hours and 10 minutes
Between mid-January and mid-March 2026, the route will operate twice weekly to reflect seasonal travel trends, SAA said.
“Connecting Cape Town with Mauritius is a fascinating achievement that our team has been aspiring towards for quite some time,” the airline stated.
“The introduction of this route demonstrates SAA’s role in promoting leisure travel across the region and supports the broader tourism objectives for both South Africa and Mauritius.”
Other new routes coming to South Africa
The announcement comes amid a flurry of new local and international flight routes being launched in and out of South Africa.
- FlySafair: Cape Town – Hoedspruit (Limpopo)
Launching on 2 October 2025, this new route will operate three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays), enhancing access to the central Kruger region and Limpopo province. - Qantas: Johannesburg – Perth (Australia)
Qantas will resume its direct route between Johannesburg and Perth in December 2025, offering smooth connections to Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and even New Zealand via its new Perth-Auckland flight. - Air France: Cape Town – Paris
From 15 December 2025 to 12 January 2026, Air France will resume its seasonal nonstop service between Cape Town and Paris, just in time for the holiday season. Partnered with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France-KLM will offer a total of 18 weekly flights to Cape Town and 32 flights per week across South Africa, unlocking over 11 000 seats in each direction every week.
With travel demand soaring and the tourism sector rebounding strongly, these new routes mark a significant boost for both domestic and international connectivity, offering South African travelers more direct options than ever before.
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