What it costs to drive vs fly from Joburg to Cape Town and Durban this Easter

In 2025, driving emerges as a considerably cheaper option than flying for the Easter holidays in South Africa.

This is especially true for journeys between Johannesburg and major holiday destinations like Cape Town or Durban. The average return trip by car costs approximately R4,290 to Cape Town and R2,238 to Durban.

In contrast, average round-trip flight prices for the same routes are significantly higher, at R5,313 and R3,799, respectively.

One contributing factor to this disparity is the welcome relief at the petrol pump for April.

Prices were cut by 58 and 72 cents per litre for 93 and 95 petrol, respectively and between 84 and 86 cents per litre for diesel.

This also means that South Africans can expect to pay over R3 per litre less in petrol prices compared to April 2024.

This decrease substantially lowers fuel expenses, making road travel even more attractive for budget-conscious holidaymakers.

For families, the savings become even more pronounced. A car trip costs the same regardless of the number of passengers, making it far more economical for a group of four compared to flying.

A family travelling by car would need to spend an extraordinary amount—around R21,000 for Cape Town or R15,000 for Durban on overnight accommodation during the journey—to match the cost of plane tickets for four.

BusinessTech looked at the price of a round trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban with the most popular cars per vehicle type (prices sourced from TopAuto. Prices also include toll fees)

JHB to CPT

JHB to DBN

Below are the prices per airline for a round trip with luggage from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban for the Easter long weekend (18 to 22 April 2025).

Even factoring in potential overnight stops for rest during the roughly 15-hour drive to Cape Town, driving remains the more affordable option. The cost of air travel has risen notably, putting additional strain on holiday budgets.

Increased operational costs for airlines, such as higher airport fees, maintenance costs, and rising demand during the festive season, have pushed ticket prices higher.

Additionally, the demand for air travel spikes during the holiday periods, which also puts pressure on flight prices.

Despite the convenience and time savings offered by air travel—especially for those who can afford the higher prices—the financial benefit of driving is hard to ignore.

For solo travellers, couples, or families, the significant cost difference makes driving the preferred option, which is also evident in data collected from last year.

Data from Lightstone revealed that South Africans travelled more than 2.3 billion kilometres over the Easter long weekend in 2024, the highest number recorded in six years of tracking data and 12% up from 2023.

“Gauteng experienced the highest overall mileage, and Northern Cape had the lowest on their roads over the period,” Lightstone said.

These provinces recorded 791 million km, and 43 million km travelled, respectively, unsurprisingly given population distribution and area remoteness in the case of the Northern Cape.”

The Western Cape received the lowest inflow mileage (only 15 million km travelled on its roads by those living outside the Western Cape), although this was offset by Western Cape residents who most likely stayed at home and added to the Easter trade.

Limpopo received the highest inflow volumes (71 million km travelled on its roads by non-residents), but the Free State enjoyed the highest percentage growth on its usual volumes (51% of Easter mileage attributable to non-residents).

While flying takes only a few hours and eliminates the need for overnight stops, the price gap is difficult to justify for many South Africans, especially during a time when budgets are often stretched.

South Africans planning their festive season getaways are likely to choose driving as the more economical option for the 2025 Easter holidays.

*Prices sourced from each airline’s website Departing flights were for Friday, 18 April, while return flights were for Tuesday, 22 April. Air travel prices are subject to change, and not all airlines offer the same packages.