Emirates Adds Nine Routes Through Expanded South African Airways Partnership

August 6, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Emirates is adding nine routes across southern and central Africa through an expanded partnership with South African Airways (SAA), giving passengers access to more destinations through a new reciprocal codeshare agreement. The expansion will allow Emirates to place its code on SAA-operated flights for the first time, covering three domestic South African routes and six regional connections from Johannesburg.

The new destinations include flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth within South Africa, as well as regional links to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaborone in Botswana, Windhoek in Namibia, Lusaka in Zambia, and Harare and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The agreement expands a partnership that has existed between the two airlines since 1997. Until now, the codeshare arrangement operated mainly in one direction, with SAA placing its code on Emirates flights from Dubai to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, alongside access to Emirates’ wider international network.

With regulatory approvals secured, Emirates will now market SAA-operated flights on the additional routes, allowing passengers to book connecting journeys across the combined networks on a single ticket. The move strengthens Emirates’ access to regional markets in Africa, where airlines have increasingly relied on partnerships to expand connectivity without operating additional aircraft on every route.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer, said the expanded agreement would provide customers with greater access to destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries. Matshela Seshibe, acting group chief executive of SAA, said the partnership would support SAA’s strategy of improving connections across Africa while linking the continent more closely with international markets. The airlines said the partnership has served millions of passengers over nearly three decades. The expanded codeshare also reinforces Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism in the region.

Source: FSX Business News