South Africa is a great travel destination with Johannesburg and Cape Town being the most preferred cities by travelers and tourists from around the world – including Kenyans.
How To Travel From Kenya To Sout Africa
This guide is for people who are seeking an adventure along the journey on a budget and have time to spare on the road. There are plenty of great options here, so you can find the perfect one for your needs.
- Using direct or connecting flights
- By road using an overland truck, personal vehicle, or motorcycle
- Bus connections from Nairobi via Dar es Salaam and Lusaka
- By Buses and trains
- Hitch Hiking (For the rough adventure junkies)
Using direct or connecting flights
If you have limited time, the fastest way to travel from Nairobi to South Africa is by using flights. There are daily direct flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) to O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). The air distance between the two airports is about 4 hours with the major airlines on this route being Kenya Airways and South African Airways.
For those who want to explore other countries, you can use connecting flights through Maputo (Mozambique) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).
Using Bus connections from Nairobi to Johannesburg
This is one of the best ways to travel between Nairobi and Johannesburg. You don’t have to incur high flight charges or endure the effects of driving or riding for long distances. If you are on a hired truck, then that’s even better!
There are no direct buses between Kenya and South Africa but you can easily connect buses from Nairobi to Tanzania, Tanzania to Zambia, and then Zambia to South Africa.
Travel requirements for Kenyan Citizens to South Africa
If you have already settled on this trip, whether it’s going to South Africa by bus, flight, overland, or motorcycle from Kenya, you will need a number of essentials and travel documents at the minimum. Some of the items you would need are;
- Valid travel passport and Visa
- Yellow fever vaccination card
- Money
- Other essentials depending on the means of travel
Please note: Kenyan citizens require a Valid Visa to visit South Africa. This can be applied for and obtained at South Africa Visa offices in Nairobi, Kenya. No Visa is required to visit Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Namibia. You also don’t need a Visa to visit Mozambique.