Travelers from Cape Town may face an additional bank fee of up to 550 rand when purchasing a ticket worth 20,000 rand if the airline accepts payment outside of South Africa.
According to Standard Bank's 2026 price guide, the international transaction fee, calculated as a percentage of the rand amount, is charged for any purchase from a seller located outside of South Africa. According to Capitec, one of the South African banks, other banks charged up to 2.75% on each such transaction before Capitec waived its fee.
Demand for international travel from Cape Town is growing
More and more residents of Cape Town are flying, and Cape Town International Airport recorded a record 11.1 million passengers, including arrivals and departures, in 2025. Of this number, 3.3 million used the international terminal, which is 7% more than in 2024, according to data from Airports Company SA published by Wesgro, the province's tourism, trade, and investment agency.
James Vos, a member of the mayor's committee on economic growth, stated in his January statement that one of the most beneficial parts of his job is collaborating with the Air Access team to secure new routes and, importantly, increase the number of direct flights to Cape Town. He emphasized that when passengers arrive in Cape Town, they spend money in local hotels, restaurants, and small businesses, thereby supporting employment throughout the city.
Vos added that since tourism already supports nearly 7% of the workforce, his priority is to increase this figure to over 10% by ensuring that all measures taken, from air travel to advertising campaigns, yield tangible results. Wesgro reported that Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines plan to add flights to Cape Town in 2026, and LATAM Airlines will start three weekly flights between São Paulo and Cape Town in July.
Check the airline's website and payment currency
Nationally, according to Statistics SA, the number of South African citizens traveling abroad in March was 2.4% higher than the previous year. The simplest way for travelers is to book tickets on the airline's official website, where prices are displayed in rand. When a reporter entered emirates.co.za on Tuesday, the Emirates SA website opened, showing fares in rand from Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban.
New airlines entering the market are rapidly expanding their networks. The new Saudi national carrier, Riyadh Air, was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 12, 2023, as a company fully owned by the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund. The Saudi press agency at the time reported that the airline would fly to over 100 destinations by 2030 and create more than 200,000 jobs, leveraging the kingdom's position between Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Riyadh Air began regular flights in June, opening a route from Riyadh to London on June 10, and subsequently adding destinations in Jeddah, Dubai, Cairo, Madrid, and Manchester. By August, it served nine destinations, including Mumbai, Dhaka, and Islamabad, and plans to reach 22 destinations by March 2027. At the Farnborough air show in July, it confirmed an order for six additional Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and took options on another 28 Boeing 787s. Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, stated in July: 'With the addition of Malaga and Kuala Lumpur, we continue to strengthen our network in key markets for business, tourism, and trade, moving closer to our goal of connecting Riyadh to over 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.'
He also noted that the launch of a new destination to Dubai was another milestone in the effort to connect Riyadh with the world, and the world with Riyadh, as the Dubai route began selling in June.
Ask your bank before paying
Osama Alnuaiser, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Riyadh Air, announced in June that the network was designed to strengthen ties between Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. If Riyadh Air brings this network to South Africa, it may follow Emirates' example by offering South Africans a local website with fares in rand.
Since banks charge fees depending on the seller's location, travelers should check with their bank before booking whether the payment from this airline will be considered international. It is also necessary to check the total amount and its currency on the payment page before making the payment. Travelers who are unwilling to pay can lock in the price. The Emirates website states that the airline allows travelers to hold the economy class fare for 24 hours without payment so that the price does not increase while they make a decision. Furthermore, according to Google help pages, Google Flights allows tracking the price of a route and sends a notification when it drops sharply. Google also reports that it sends a warning when prices for a tracked route are likely to rise, with an estimate of the expected increase.