By Terri-Ann Brouwers.
Emirates and state-owned national carrier South African Airways (SAA) have formally converted their long-standing commercial relationship into a fully reciprocal codeshare agreement.
Following the receipt of regulatory approvals, the expanded agreement allows Emirates to place its marketing code on SAA-operated flights across nine domestic and regional African routes.
The move replaces the previous unilateral structure where SAA placed its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban) alongside interline access to 68 global destinations.
Network scope and regional routing
The reciprocal codeshare incorporates nine SAA-operated routes originating out of Johannesburg:
- Domestic links (three): Connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth.
- Regional Links (six): Connecting Johannesburg with Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gaborone (Botswana), Windhoek (Namibia), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).
The agreement introduces single-ticket bookings, coordinated flight schedules, and through-checked baggage handling across both carriers’ networks.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates deputy president and chief commercial officer, highlighted the commercial rationale behind deeper network integration.
“This reciprocal codeshare partnership with South African Airways is a natural evolution of a relationship that has served our customers well for many years.”
“By placing our code on SAA’s domestic and regional network, we are opening seamless access to destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries, backed by the reliability and consistency our customers expect from Emirates. It reinforces our long-term commitment to South Africa and the wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued growth,” Kazim said.
Feeder traffic and gateway expansion
For SAA, placing Emirates’ code on its regional feeder network allows the carrier to capture international connecting passenger traffic traveling through Johannesburg from key overseas markets, particularly across Europe.
Matshela Seshibe, acting group CEO of SAA, detailed the strategic focus of the expansion: “The expansion of our partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone in SAA’s strategy to strengthen connectivity across Africa while enhancing access to global markets.
“Through this reciprocal codeshare agreement, customers will benefit from a more seamless travel experience and greater choice across our combined networks.”
“This partnership is about more than connecting destinations. It is about connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the continent and beyond. By combining SAA’s growing African network with Emirates’ extensive global reach, we are creating greater value for our customers and reinforcing Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism in Africa.”
Market footprint
The two airlines have operated as partners since 1997. Emirates currently operates 56 weekly flights into South Africa across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, deploying Boeing 777, Airbus A380, and A350 aircraft.
Tickets for the newly integrated codeshare routes are now available across both airlines’ digital channels, retail outlets, and global travel agency networks.