South African Airlines (SAA) has announced a significant expansion of its flight network with the launch of its first direct route between Cape Town and Mauritius, scheduled to take off in December 2025.
This strategic addition highlights the growth footprint of airlines across the country in regional leisure travel, and is an important milestone for both the airlines and tourism sectors in South Africa and Mauritius.
The new service will begin on Tuesday, December 9th and will be open three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Flight Schedule
Departing from Cape Town to Mauritius: 09:25 | Arrival: 16:30 Flight Duration: Approx. 5 hours 5 minutes Departing from Mauritius to Cape Town: 17:20 | Arrival: 21:30 Flight Duration: Approx. 6 hours 10 minutes
Between mid-January and mid-March 2026, the route will be operated twice a week to reflect seasonal travel trends, the SAA said.
“Connecting Cape Town with Mauritius is an attractive achievement our team has been aiming for for quite some time,” the airline said.
“The introduction of this route identifies the role of SAA in promoting leisure travel across the region, supporting broader tourism goals in both South Africa and Mauritius.”
Other new routes coming to South Africa
The announcement comes amidst gusts of new local and international flight routes launched both inside and outside South Africa.
FlySafair: Cape Town – Hoedspruit (Limpopo)
Released on October 2, 2025, the new route operates three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) to enhance access to the Central Kruger region and the Limpopo province. Qantas: Johannesburg – Perth (Australia)
Qantas resumed its direct route between Johannesburg and Perth in December 2025, offering a smooth connection with Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and even New Zealand via the new Perth Auckland flight. Air France: Cape Town – Paris
From December 15, 2025 to January 12, 2026, Air France will resume seasonal non-stop service between Cape Town and Paris in time for the holiday season. In partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France-KLM offers a total of 18 flights to Cape Town and 32 flights per week in South Africa, unlocking over 11,000 seats each week in each direction.
With travel demand surges and the tourism sector recovers strongly, these new routes will significantly boost both domestic and international connectivity, offering South African travelers more directly than ever before.
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