The services will run three times a week between October 19, 2027 and March 24, 2028.
Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with an approximate flight time between the two cities of 14 hours.
New 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that are expected to be delivered to Qantas in late 2027 will make the Sydney to Cape Town service possible for the airline.
“Cape Town is a true bucket-list city and Australia’s appetite to visit has never been stronger,” said Qantas International CEO, Cam Wallace.
“Each year, tens of thousands of customers use our existing Johannesburg services to connect to Cape Town through our partner airline Airlink, so we know there’s strong demand for a non-stop service.”
“The arrival of our new 787s as part of our historic fleet renewal gives us the flexibility to grow our international network in places we know our customers want to travel, while also creating new opportunities for our people.”
Trade and tourism officials in both countries praised the new connection.
“This is the first direct link between Australia and Cape Town and is a fantastic outcome for our tourism industry,” said Australia’s trade and tourism minister Don Farrell.
“More planes in the sky means more options for Australian travellers and exporters and of course international visitors to explore our wonderful sights.”
Meanwhile Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment agency for Cape Town and the broader Western Cape region, said the flights would help grow the visitor economy in the Western Cape, “further cementing Cape Town and the Western Cape’s position as a leading gateway to Africa”.
“Direct air access is one of the most important drivers of tourism growth, which is why the launch of the new Sydney-Cape Town service is such a significant development for the Western Cape,” said Stander.
“Australia is an important and growing tourism market for our destination and this route will unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment and business exchange, while making it easier than ever for Australian travellers to visit our region.”
The flights will make Cape Town incentives more accessible for outbound Australian group and Australian incentives more accessible for groups from Cape Town, as well as easing the passage of delegates attending conferences in either destination over the seasonal flight period.
On the same day that Qantas announced the new Sydney-Cape Town services, the airline also released a market update, in which it said it was expecting fuel prices to remain high throughout the current financial year and that the airline group “has and will continue to adjust fares and capacity in response to higher fuel costs”.
