Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have expanded their codeshare partnership, adding nine new routes and improving connectivity across South Africa and central and southern Africa.

The expanded agreement marks the start of a reciprocal codeshare arrangement, allowing Emirates to place its code on SAA-operated flights following regulatory approvals.

Previously, the partnership operated on a unilateral basis, with SAA offering access to Emirates flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, as well as connections to 68 global destinations through Dubai.

The new agreement includes three domestic South African routes connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, along with six regional routes linking Johannesburg to Kinshasa in Congo, Gaborone in Botswana, Windhoek in Namibia, Lusaka in Zambia, and Harare and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “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 up 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 wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued growth.”

Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of SAA, said: “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.” -TradeArabia News Service