South African Airways to Resume Flights to Botswana

South African Airways (SAA) is enhancing regional connectivity with the launch of a twice-daily service between Johannesburg and Gaborone, set to begin on 4 November 2025. SAA’s new schedule caters to a wide array of travelers. The flights will be operated using an Airbus A320:

Morning flight

• Departs Johannesburg at 06:50, arriving in Gaborone at 07:45
• Returns from Gaborone at 08:25, landing back in Johannesburg at 09:25

Afternoon rotation

• Departs Johannesburg at 16:25, arriving in Gaborone at 17:20
• Return flight departs Gaborone at 18:00, arriving in Johannesburg at 19:00

Current Airlines on the Route

Currently, two carriers serve the Johannesburg–Gaborone corridor with nonstop flights:

• Airlink operates approximately 35 nonstop flights per week, or about 5 per day. Aircraft deployed on the route include the Embraer ERJ-135, ERJ140, ERJ145, E170, and E190.
• Air Botswana provides roughly 21 nonstop flights per week, or 3 daily, primarily using ATR-72 with occasional flights onboard its ERJ145 and E175.

Strategic Connectivity

These dual daily flights provide flexibility for same-day travel and business engagements. According to SAA Group CEO Prof. John Lamola, this dual-daily link is more than convenience:

“The launch of this route not only strengthens the cultural and economic ties between Botswana and South Africa but also reinforces SAA’s position as a premium network carrier.”

The service supports regional trade, tourism, and seamless connectivity, especially benefiting business travelers and cross-border collaboration between these neighboring capitals. Beyond the schedule, SAA is leveraging technology to optimize operations on the route. The carrier is exploring predictive demand scheduling and digital-first passenger engagement, including AI-driven pricing strategies and contactless check-in processes for smoother travel.