South Africa sits at the south of the continent and its airports do two jobs at once. They take intercontinental traffic into Johannesburg and Cape Town. They also feed a busy domestic map that reaches the coast, the Garden Route and the Kruger lowveld. Cairo is Africa's busiest airport by seats. Addis Ababa is the larger connecting hub. Johannesburg is the main southern African hub, usually third on the continent by seats, and still one of the better connected airports in the region.

You can fly from Johannesburg to London, Frankfurt, São Paulo and Newark, and onward across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. From the same country you can take a short hop to a safari strip, a wine town or a beach. That mix is the point of the network.

The country's principal gateways are:
OR Tambo International Airport (JNB): The main gateway for South Africa. It sits in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, and also serves Pretoria. Two parallel runways handle a heavy domestic bank and a wide international list. Airlink operates the largest share of flights. South African Airways keeps a hub here. FlySafair is the main low cost domestic airline. The Johannesburg to Cape Town corridor is one of the busiest city pairs in the world. Most long haul arrivals from North America and much of Asia still land here first. United flies Johannesburg to Newark. A Gautrain station sits on the terminal. Trains run to Sandton, central Johannesburg and Pretoria. That rail link exists at this airport only.

Cape Town International Airport (CPT): The second hub and the usual door to the Western Cape. On a clear day the mountain sits over the field as you come in. It is a real long haul airport, not only a domestic spoke. There are direct flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai and Doha. United and Delta fly to Newark, Washington Dulles and Atlanta. How often those US flights run changes by season. Airlink, FlySafair and South African Airways all use the field. From here people go to the Cape Peninsula, the wine districts and the Garden Route, or they connect toward Kruger. Ground transport is buses, taxis and cars, not a city train under the terminal.

King Shaka International Airport (DUR): North of Durban in KwaZulu Natal, this is the airport for the warm east coast. It is smaller than Johannesburg and Cape Town. Most flights go to those two cities. Airlink flies about once a day to Kruger Mpumalanga. Regional links are thin: Harare and Maputo are the honest pair, and Emirates serves Dubai. Zambia is not a standard Durban route. Flights that land inside Kruger National Park, at Skukuza, usually start in Johannesburg or Cape Town, not Durban.

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP): Between Mbombela (Nelspruit) and White River. The terminal sits under a large thatch roof. The field exists for the park and the private reserves around it. Size is not the story. Purpose is. Airlink and FlySafair fly in from Johannesburg and Cape Town. Airlink also comes from Durban. Regional flights continue to Victoria Falls, Livingstone and Vilanculos. The road from the big cities is long. A short flight cuts that drive.

George Airport (GRJ): The air door to the Garden Route. Mossel Bay, Knysna and the nearby coast sit a drive away. Airlink, FlySafair and CemAir connect George with Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Johannesburg and Cape Town have the larger terminals, lounges and duty free. Only OR Tambo has a train in the building. The other four airports rely on buses, taxis and car hire. Lanseria, west of Johannesburg, also takes a share of domestic low cost traffic. The domestic timetable is frequent on the main trunks and thinner once you leave those cities.

For an intercontinental departure, plan two and a half to three hours at the airport. Two hours is usually enough for a regional flight. Visa exempt visitors are stamped in. If your nationality needs a visa or the new electronic travel authorisation, get it before you fly. You cannot count on a tourist visa at the desk.

In Magelline's view, South African aviation is a southern hub with a tourist map attached, not the single centre of African air travel. Terminals are usable. Service quality varies by hour and by building. Fly Johannesburg for the long haul bank and for trains into Gauteng. Fly Cape Town if the Cape is the reason you came. Use Durban for KwaZulu Natal. Use Kruger Mpumalanga when the reserve is the first stop. Use George for the Garden Route. Lounges, layout and arrival steps belong on the airport pages that follow.