As there are 6 more B747's approaching the next "D" check, they will join the rest of the fleet at Victorville. As no replacement aircraft have been ordered (or optioned), it's obvious that more international routes will have to be abandoned (or gifted to Emirates). The JNB route (currently very high yielding) is probably the easiest one to drop by selling seats on EK but this will be very unpopular with the passengers as it means a very significant increase in travel time. SAA may take the opportunity to have a near monopoly on the SA-OZ route by adding to their daily JNB-PER operation and fly direct services to Sydney (providing they have the aircraft available). Other potential winners out of QF abandoning the route are SingAir and Malaysian as flights from East Coast Ausralia to JNB via Changi or KL would have shorter travel times than via Dubai.
Perhaps a decent investigative journalist will run with this before QF announces it, thus making it more difficult for this incompetent management to proceed with this plan.