Cheapest Flights from Johannesburg to Beijing

To book a cheap flight from Johannesburg to Beijing (China):

1. compare all airline prices using the flight price comparison tool on the left and book the cheapest.

2. join the many who have taken advantage of our travel voucher system to further discount their flights - email us a write-up of your flight from Jozi to Beijing and we'll send you a travel voucher. Our readers are our writers!

It is a place of myths and magic, an eclectic mix of ancient and modern, a harmonious balance between yin and yang. It is a place where a wall stands firm for thousands of kilometres on mountain ridges and it is home to the legendary martial art of Kung Fu. It is here where the palate meets authenticity, where dumplings steam away into a cold winter's night, where sweet meets sour and a shot of Baijiu have you gasping for air. It's overpopulated, charmingly corrupted China and it is a beautiful mess.

Beijing, the large capital of China and former home of the Olympics, is swamped with tourists eagerly tackling the steep paths of the Great Wall, getting lost somewhere in the Forbidden City, learning about the signifance of the Temple of Heaven and taking a cooling boat ride at the Summer Palace or a walk on the frozen lake in the winter. The history of Beijing is an insightful journey into the different dynasties of China and the ancient emperors' hundreds of concubines, sealed off from the world. More than mere ancient artefacts, you have the chance to visit fresh water pearl farms, see the process of a jade carving, how they make the famous Chinese silk and a chance to visit an old pharmacy and return with some real traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Through the smog of Beijing you have to stand as firm as the wall – taxi drivers take you for a corruptive ride, street vendors increase their prices with a smile and tourist attractions are overcrowded with schemes. It's Beijing – it's the messy, congested cultural heart of China.

It's China, magnificent, magical and messy with many "Made in China" secrets to discover.

Written by Anje Rautenbach

News

• 3 February 2015. SAA has cancelled their flights to Beijing and Air China will take over the route from the beginning of May 2015.

• 7 January 2015. Air China will start operating direct flights into South Africa from Beijing in March 2015. The Department of Transport has confirmed that Air China has applied for a licence to fly into South Africa. The airline will fly directly to JNB from Beijing where the plane will have a 45min layover before heading on to Cape Town. This new direct flight coincides with 2015 being the ‘Year of China’ in South Africa. Ticket sales have already been opened.

• 1 May 2014. The times of SAA flights to Beijing are shifted to leaving between 20h00 and 21h00 (depending on the day of the week).

• 6 Jul 2013. Air Mauritius launches flights from Mauritius to Beijing in Airbus A340-300 planes.

• 31 Jan 2012. Originally scheduled for 1 Sep 2011, SAA commences flights to China, between Johannesburg & Beijing, using an Airbus A340-600. Flying time is some 15 hours, and the flight leaves JNB at 08h00 on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The return flight leaves Beijing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 06h40 (arriving at JNB at 15h40 the following day). "Introducing direct flights to Beijing is in line with SAA’s strategy to expand its network to Asia, the fastest growing market in the world. SAA will operate the route three times a week. The route will be served by the Airbus A340-600 aircraft, which have the capacity to operate the route directly all year round with no passenger payload restrictions. The plane was especially branded in honour of the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Flying time between Johannesburg and Beijing takes on average 15 hours. Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world. The city is the country's political, cultural and educational centre and home to the headquarters for most of China’s largest state-owned companies."

• 31 Jan 2012 Malaysia Airlines suspends its flights from South Africa.

Airlines flying from Johannesburg to Beijing

Airlines have been ordered from cheapest to most expensive on the date we set this up (will have changed since).

Airline	Airports	Stops (travel time)
Qatar Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (28 hours) Doha (DOH)
Air Mauritius	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (35 hours) Mauritius (MRU)
Emirates	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (22 hours) Dubai (DXB)
Etihad	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (28 hours) Abu Dhabi (ADD)
Cathay Pacific Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (18 hours) Hong Kong (HKG)
Ethiopian Airlines	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (22 hours) Addis Ababa (ADD)
Turkish Airlines	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (39 hours) Istanbul (IST)
South African Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	non-stop (15 hours)
Singapore Airlines	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (22 hours) Singapore (SIN)
British Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (30 hours) London (Heathrow)
Virgin Atlantic Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (33 hours) London (Heathrow)
Thai International Airways	Johannesburg (JNB) to Beijing (PEK)	1-stop (21 hours) Hong Kong ( HKG)

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