When the cost of going somewhere lekker shifts, rather than folding up their plans and staying home, local travellers find a smarter way to make their holidays happen.
“That ‘make-a-plan’ mindset defines how we live, but also how we travel,” says Antoinette Turner, General Manager of Flight Centre South Africa. “Fuel costs have risen sharply, but the conversation happening around braais, and in family WhatsApp groups right now isn’t ‘should we go?’ It’s ‘how should we get there?’”
With the June/July school holidays approaching, the question of how to get there has become just as important as where to go. Here’s what savvy South Africans are considering in order to get themselves from A to B and back again.
Flying is still (often) the right answer
Despite fuel surcharges, flying remains the obvious and most practical choice for a significant number of trips where time is the deciding factor.
The enduring appetite for air travel speaks for itself. Even while operating a reduced schedule during peak Middle East disruption in March and April, Emirates carried 4.7 million passengers. As of May, the airline has returned to near-full operations, with 96% of its global network restored.
“Flying remains the appropriate choice for older travellers, families with young children, or anyone for whom a long road journey presents genuine challenges. Convenience aside, sometimes it’s just the right call,” Turner adds.
“The drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town clocks in at around 1,400 kilometres and between 14 to 16 hours behind the wheel. Factor in fatigue, fuel, tolls, a night’s accommodation en route, and the return trip, and that R16,000* FlySafair return fare for a family of four starts to feel less like a splurge and more like a sensible call.”
Good to know: Fares remain reasonable when booked in advance or outside peak windows. Off-peak domestic routes still offer good value, and locking in international flights early means protecting your budget against potential currency fluctuations.
*Estimate based on June/July flight pricing at the time of writing in May 2026.
When the road trip deserves consideration
There are, however, scenarios where the economics of driving have shifted enough to warrant genuine consideration, not as a consolation prize, but as a legitimately rewarding travel option.
The clearest case is the large family or group travelling a moderate distance, where the per-person cost of road travel drops significantly while the per-person cost of flying climbs. “The road trip is sometimes cheaper, sometimes comparable, and occasionally more expensive than flying. It depends on the group, the vehicle, the route, and the timing,” explains Turner.
Beyond the budget, there’s something else to consider: the journey itself. South Africa’s road network connects some of the most spectacular scenery on the continent, such as the Garden Route (ranked the number one road trip in the world by AutoTrader), the Panorama Route through Mpumalanga, and the mountain passes of the Western Cape, especially as the floral season kicks off from mid-August.
“These aren’t distances to be endured. For the right family, with the right attitude, and enough time, the road trip is the holiday,” Turner adds.
If you’re wondering what’s happening at the pumps in June, the picture is a mixed one. Diesel drivers are looking at a likely price drop, with mid-month data from the Central Energy Fund showing an over-recovery of up to R4.41 per litre on wholesale diesel. For a family covering 1,400 kilometres in a fuel-efficient diesel vehicle, that’s a meaningful saving.
Petrol drivers, however, are facing the opposite: a fourth consecutive monthly increase, with the combined effect of an under-recovery and the partial reversal of temporary fuel levy relief pointing to a rise of around R1.65 per litre or more. A wildcard remains the slate levy, introduced in May at R1.23 per litre and subject to adjustment in June, which could push petrol prices even higher.
The bottom line is that if your road trip vehicle runs on diesel, June’s pricing could actually work in your favour, but if it runs on petrol, it’s worth building some extra budget cushion into your travel plans.
The fly-drive option
If the choice between flying and driving feels like a binary one, there’s a compelling third option combining the best of both: the fly-drive.
“Fly the long haul to save time, then hire a fuel-efficient car at your destination to unlock the freedom and flexibility that aviation can’t offer,” advises Turner. “It’s a model that we champion for international itineraries, and it translates just as well for domestic travel,” she says.
Think flying into Durban and spending a week self-driving the KwaZulu-Natal coast and Midlands. Or arriving in Windhoek and traversing Namibia’s Skeleton Coast by rented 4×4.
Good to know: All-inclusive resorts and safari lodges help keep costs low. With activities included, there’s little need to leave once you fly in.
“When all the variables are accounted for, a road trip can be genuinely brilliant or genuinely expensive depending entirely on how you plan it. The mistake is assuming one option is always cheaper than the other without crunching the numbers,” Turner says.
“Savvy South Africans know that the best journey isn’t necessarily the fastest or the cheapest one. It’s the one that fits your family, your budget, and your time and that you actually feel good about,” she concludes.
