Top Online Travel Booking Websites in South Africa

South Africa's commercial aviation industry has many things going in the right direction, from investments and emergence of a vibrant LCC market segment to a thriving online travel marketplace. South African travel  industry got a huge  boost from the World Cup 2010 which positioned South Africa as a top travel destination with World Class infrastructure. The country now receives an estimated 860,000 visitors per month out of which some 200,000 come outside the African continent.

South African Online Travel Market
An estimated 10% of South Africans now travel by air each year or roughly 5 million people. There are also an estimated 6 million South Africans who are now online, and online shopping is now the latest craze in the country with several online shopping and deal buying websites springing up. In the recent years, there has been a surge in online shopping trends in South Africa.  One of the main reasons for this trend is that goods sold online are generally much cheaper and consumers are now forced to look to the internet for savings.

South Africa's Online retailer Kalahari has an estimated 1 million registered users and is the country's biggest online retailer. We can safely use this figure to generalize that the online shopping industry in the country has grown in leaps and bounds in the last few years. We can safely assume that out of South Africa's 6 million internet users, over one million shop online or are aware of online shopping trends and portals.

When it comes to travel, the largest online retailer is undoubtedly South Africa's LCC Kulula. Kulula's online retail portal Kulula Travel generated an estimated R2 billion($250 million) in revenues in 2008 from 650,000 unique browsers per month, a figure that has since grown to ZAR2.5 billion($300 million).



Local Players in the Online Travel market in South Africa
Reaping the dividends of the past few years, the country has developed lots of homegrown online travel websites fare comparison engines and flight finder engines. So instead of Opodo, Expedia, eDreams, you can now access hundreds of South Africa's homegrown flight and fare finders.

Of course the huge competition means you might be spoilt for choice in what tools to use to locate the cheapest flights to the rainbow nation. Online booking websites make travel that much easier for you and here are some of South Africa's top online travel booking websites:

Flight Centre : One of the largest online travel and travel booking websites in South Africa. Founded in the UK in 1972, the Flight Centre South African outfit began operations in 1995. Flight Centre offers some of the lowest discount airfares.

SAFlights.co.za : A one stop resource for Comparison Flight Bookings, Accommodation and Car Hire in South Africa. Offers flight fare comparison for the six different airlines which offer domestic flights in South Africa.

BestFlights.co.za :Website compares flight prices on over 25 international airlines that offer international flights from South Africa.

South Africa Travel Online: One stop travel website dedicated to South Africa. South African travel - flight, car rental & hotel price comparisons, specials and reservations. Hot Air ballooning, overland safaris & cruises.

Travel.co.za : started in 1999 as a specialist online travel company with the TOURVEST group and over the years it has quietly gone about it's business of providing a variety of services and products to it's South African clientele.


Flightsite.co.za : FlightSite is a comprehensive website, which allows you to plan your holiday in detail, according to your specific needs. This easily accessible website displays a wide variety of flights, accommodation and package options, all at great prices, for you to choose from.


StaTravel.co.za STA Travel offer cheap flights, student flights, discounted student and youth travel, working holidays, cheap hotel and hostel bookings, travel insurance, discount cards and special offers on tours and packages.


DomesticFlights.co.za:  Allows you to search the cheapest domestic flights in South Africa, compare fares and book.


Lastsecond.co.za : South Africa travel website for cheap "last second" travel offers. Coming Soon. 


Which is your favourite? Do you know of a popular online travel booking or fare comparison website in South Africa that we might have left out? Comments are welcome.


Email Us at FlightAfricablog@gmail.com

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