Kempton Park – Emirates and South African Airways have expanded their codeshare partnership, opening access to nine cities and widening travel links across central and southern Africa.
The airlines announced the move on 5 August 2026 in Dubai and Johannesburg, saying the reciprocal agreement will allow Emirates to place its code on SAA operated flights for the first time. Until now, the partnership had been one way, with SAA placing its code on Emirates flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, while also giving customers access to 68 Emirates destinations worldwide through Dubai.wikipedia+1
The expansion adds nine routes in total, including domestic links between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, as well as regional routes to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaborone in Botswana, Windhoek in Namibia, Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 
Emirates said the new agreement follows regulatory approvals and is designed to give customers more convenience, better connectivity and single ticket travel across the combined networks. The two airlines said passengers will also benefit from through checked baggage and coordinated schedules.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the partnership is a natural extension of a long relationship between the carriers.
“This reciprocal codeshare partnership with South African Airways is a natural evolution of a relationship that has served our customers well for many years. By placing our code on SAA’s domestic and regional network, we are opening seamless access to destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries, backed by the reliability and consistency our customers expect from Emirates. It reinforces our long-term commitment to South Africa and the wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued growth.”
Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of SAA, said the deal is an important step in strengthening African connectivity and widening access to global markets.
“The expansion of our partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone in SAA’s strategy to strengthen connectivity across Africa while enhancing access to global markets. Through this reciprocal codeshare agreement, customers will benefit from a more seamless travel experience and greater choice across our combined networks.” “This partnership is about more than connecting destinations. It is about connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the continent and beyond. By combining SAA’s growing African network with Emirates’ extensive global reach, we are creating greater value for our customers and reinforcing Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism in Africa,” added Seshibe.
The new tickets can now be booked on www.emirates.com, www.flysaa.com, through travel agents or at Emirates retail stores.
Emirates said it has flown to South Africa since 1995 and now operates 56 weekly flights across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The airline also said South Africa remains the only market on its Africa network to receive all three widebody aircraft types, the Boeing 777, Airbus A380 and A350.
SAA said it has served passengers for 92 years and continues to link domestic, regional and international destinations from Johannesburg, with routes across Africa, Brazil and Perth.
