A little bit late on this one……
Anyway, I prefer to use a travel agent for oversea`s flights, just in case something gets screwed up. That way I have somebody familiar with the industry scrambling to minimize the damage.
My last trip to Jo-Burg cost $1480 per round trip ticket. That included a connecter flight from St. Louis to Dulles, a non-stop from Dulles to Jo-Burg, and the same thing coming back. The main flight was on South African Airlines.
However you get there, enjoy the experience, and take a LOT of pictures!