The jet age arrived in South Africa on 3rd May 1952 when a BOAC de Havilland Comet arrived in Palmietfontein after a 24-hour journey with 5 refueling stops en route. Realizing the potential, SAA chartered two Comets from the British airline; and made history by becoming the only the 2nd airline in world to operate jet aircraft on passenger flights when on 4th October 1953, Comet G-ANAV left London for Johannesburg. On the same day Tourist Class was introduced on the 58-seater Lockheed Constellation on the Springbok Service. The two chartered aircraft sported both BOAC and SAA titles and logos but were operated by SAA crews.
The airline ordered three JT4A-powered Boeing 707–320 Intercontinental on 21st February 1958, with the first delivered on 1st July 1960. Three months after arrival, on 1st October 1960, the Boeing 707 was deployed on the airline’s flagship Springbok Service, trimming the flying time to 13 hours. Other changes brought about by the 707 were a livery change, to an orange tail with blue and white markings, as well as improved comforts, range and speed. The 707 replaced the DC-7B on the Wallaby route in 1967m with flights to New York, via Rio de Janeiro, started on 23 February 1969 using a 707. The first 707 of SAA landed in Europe in October 1961 with a nine-hour flight to Athens before continuing to London.
The jets arrived during a period when most African countries, except SA’s neighbors, denied South African airlines the use of their airspace, forcing the carriers to fly longer detours. In 1967 the Skymasters, Constellations and DC-7Bs were seeing retirement, replaced by the commercially-successful Boeing 727 trijet the following year to complement the Boeing 707. The choice of 727 was based on the geography of the destinations to which it would fly; for example Johannesburg is 1,694 metres (5,558 ft) high and hot, where the 727’s wings and other technical capabilities enable it to operate out of these airports. The airline took on its first Boeing 737-200 in 1968, to replace the Vickers Viscounts which were all sold to British Midland Airways by March 1972. Further 737-200 were acquired in 1980 to boost domestic and regional routes and they eventually replace the Boeing 727 on some routes.
On 13th March 1968 SAA ordered five JT9D-7A-powered Boeing 747-200Bs.The first, Lebombo (registered as ZS-SAN), was delivered on 22nd October 1971 after a 3-stop flight from Seattle.It was placed into service in December and proved very popular. SAA would eventually operate 23 brand-new “Jumbo Jets” in total, including the −200M (first delivered in 1980), −300 (1983), −400, and the long-range Boeing 747SP.
The 747SP, especially, was acquired to overcome the refusal of many countries prohibiting SAA from using their airspace by exploiting its long-range capabilities, as well as to serve lower-density routes which were unsuited to the 747-100 Six were delivered starting 19 March 1976. To demonstrate the 747SP’s performance one was delivered Seattle to Cape Town non-stop, an airliner distance record that stood until 1989. The first 747SP arrived on South African shores on 19 March 1976. As the 747 entered service its smaller siblings, the 707s, were converted to Combi – passenger/cargo – configurations, and high-density seating. By 1980, with their high seat/mile costs combined with rising fuel prices made SAA start to rethink their usage of the 747SP. SAA began exploring ways they could still make money with the aircraft, and to that end they began testing the lease market.By the end of 1985, all six of the SAA 747SPs had been leased out. Throughout the late 1980’s and 1990’s, the five remaining 747SPs moved back and forth between SAA and a variety of leasees. In some cases the aircraft were repainted for leases as short as 2 months! Airlines flying the South African planes included Air Mauritius, Luxair, Namib Air, and Alliance among others.
South African Airways - A Complete History 