Emirates and South African Airways(SAA) announced an expansion of their codeshare partnership, establishing a reciprocal agreement that introduces nine new cities and enhances connectivity across central and southern Africa. Previously, the two carriers operated on a unilateral basis, with SAA placing its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, alongside interline access to 66 destinations worldwide via Dubai.
Following secured regulatory approvals, the new agreement enables Emirates to place its code on SAA-operated flights, extending its network deeper into South Africa and neighbouring countries.
The expanded network covers nine new routes, which comprises three domestic South African links connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth. It also incorporates six regional routes linking Johannesburg to Kinshasa, Gaborone, Windhoek, Lusaka, Harare, and Victoria Falls. Having maintained a partnership for nearly 20 years, millions of passengers have benefited from seamless, single-ticket travel since the relationship's inception.
Leadership perspectives
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, noted that the reciprocal arrangement is a natural evolution of a long-standing relationship that continues to serve customers well.
Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of SAA, added that the partnership marks an important milestone in strengthening connectivity across Africa while driving greater access to global markets and reinforcing Johannesburg as a premier hub for travel, trade, and tourism.
Passenger benefits and booking details
Passengers traveling on the updated codeshare routes will experience convenient single-ticket bookings, coordinated schedules, and through-checked baggage to their final destinations. Tickets are available for purchase through emirates.com, flysaa.com, via travel agents, or at Emirates retails stores.