In a move to bolster aviation links between South Africa and the world, South African Airways (SAA) and Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand their codesharing agreement and explore deeper collaboration in loyalty programmes and cargo operations.
According to a statement released, the MoU was signed by Professor John Lamola, Group Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways, and Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, at the 2025 Dubai Airshow.
“The partnership Emirates inked with South African Airways was one of the first in our portfolio,” said Kazim. “Since signing in 1997, our collaboration has created reliable connectivity for passengers… South Africa remains a cornerstone of our African network. Partnerships like this are essential for us to serve our customers travelling in and out of the market.”
Professor Lamola echoed this sentiment, stating, “This enhanced codeshare agreement marks a significant milestone in our 28-year partnership with Emirates. It reflects South African Airways’ commitment to delivering seamless connectivity for our customers and strengthening South Africa’s position as a key aviation hub. We are unlocking greater travel and trade opportunities across Africa and globally.”
In a related development, Emirates announced it will add a third daily flight on the Dubai-Cape Town route, effective 1 July 2026. The new service, operated by a Boeing 777, will add over 600 seats daily, boosting capacity to South Africa’s premier tourist destination.
According to Emirates, the enhanced partnership offers passengers seamless connectivity across a vast network. Emirates customers can now access three domestic South African destinations – Cape Town, Durban, and Gqeberha – and thirteen regional points across Africa via SAA’s network, including Abidjan, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Mauritius, Victoria Falls, and Windhoek.
Conversely, SAA customers gain extensive access to Dubai and beyond on Emirates’ global network.
The partnership has already proven popular, with SAA reporting that 45,000 passengers have used the codeshare since January 2025. The airline also noted a rise in inbound traffic from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, while outbound travel to Europe and the US East Coast remains strong.
The year 2025 marks Emirates’ 30th anniversary of operations to South Africa, a commitment demonstrated by recent investments such as deploying its new Premium Economy cabin on retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
