If you can get down to London do the direct to Cape Town. Virgin Atlantic is apparently good.
Cheers Dom, at the mo its looking like a mon-fri trip, unless its significantly cheaper to travel weekends.
Hire a guide as second option looks like Ross is still going (http://www.highadventure.co.za/), or try hook up with a local or other itinerant traveller
E2/3 is more like 22/23
You may be victim of weather in August, all depends what weather fronts are doing at that time.