You can't fly directly to South Africa from Birmingham, but there are countless one-stop options open to you when planning your trip. The fastest way to get from Brum to Johannesburg is to catch either a Lufthansa, Swiss or Air France service via mainland Europe, which should take between 13 and 13 and a half hours.
Alternatively, if Cape Town is your desired destination, you can catch a KLM service that stops-off in Amsterdam en-route and takes 14 and a half hours. You can also fly with either Emirates or South African Airways to Durban in 18 hours, so there is plenty of choice. To find the route that works for you, check out our flight search tool.
If you would rather fly directly between the UK and South Africa, you can take a non-stop 11-hour flight to Johannesburg with South African Airways, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow. You can also catch a direct British Airways flight to Cape Town from Heathrow, which should only take slightly longer.
Both high-summer (November-February) and winter (July-August) are popular times to travel to South Africa, so the fares can be quite expensive. But if you travel during the shoulder months either-side of these periods, you can get a real bargain on your flights.
Consider taking a holiday in South Africa at the end of March or early April to enjoy warm temperatures and avoid the worst of the winter rain, while paying a fraction of the price of a January or February trip.