If your budget’s been screaming louder than a toddler on a red-eye flight, FlySafair might be your hero this week. South Africas no-frills airline is turning 11, and to celebrate, they’re dropping 50,000 flight tickets at just R11 a pop, tax included. Yes, eleven bucks. The same price as a slap chip and a smile.
Here’s the lowdown:
• When it’s happening: Wednesday, 7 May 2025
• Time to be glued to your screen: From 09:00 sharp until 23:59 (or until tickets vanish into the digital abyss)
• Where to book: Exclusively at flysafair.co.za — not the app, not the call centre, not your local travel agent.
To keep things semi-sane (and avoid another website meltdown like previous years), FlySafair’s rolling out a virtual “waiting room” system again. Think of it like Black Friday for flights: you sit tight, cross your fingers, and pray to the WiFi gods. Once you’re in, you’ll have 10 minutes to find your golden R11 ticket using their Fare Finder tool.
Need something to do while you wait? They’ve gamified the agony this year with Flappy Plane, a time-killing browser game that’s equal parts frustrating and addictive. And while you’re at it, you can also enter to win free flights for a year — because why not?
A few important fine-print things to know:
• These R11 tickets are Lite Fares only , which means no checked bags, no seat selection, no bells or whistles.
• The deal’s non-refundable, and only valid for domestic flights.
• Payment methods like Mobicred, RCS, and Zapper won’t work for this sale.
• The app? Useless for this — use a browser.
This sale is pure chaos, but it’s become a bit of a national sport. Die-hards block out their calendars. Newbies panic-click their way into confusion. And every year, at least one person brags on social media about scoring a flight from Joburg to Cape Town for less than a McDonald’s ice cream. I think I’m going to join the madness this year. I could sure do with a little getaway.
Pro tip: Don’t try to get cute with multiple tabs or devices. The system might flag you and bounce you out. Be patient, be lucky, and maybe ,just maybe , you’ll get your hands on the cheapest airfare you’ll see all year.
