South African Airways will launch direct flights between Johannesburg and Guangzhou, China, on 18 September 2019, giving customers access to the heart of China’s commercial hub.

The three-weekly non-stop service between Johannesburg and Guangzhou will be operated by an Airbus A340-300 with flight time of approximately 13 hours and 40 minutes,

The new service will provide the shortest travel time between Johannesburg and Guangzhou and will complement SAA’s current four-weekly service to Hong Kong also on the Airbus A340-300.

The Guangzhou route will cater for both business and corporate travellers and will be of special interest to traders. Cargo operations will complement the viability of this route considering that high value cargo is sourced from Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is the largest city in the China's Guangdong province and the third largest Chinese city. It is an important trading port, located on the Pearl River about 120km Northwest of Hong Kong.