Best time to go to South Africa for a perfect weather and where to go?
Discover the perfect time to visit South Africa from average weather conditions in many locations like Pretoria or Stellenbosch, here.
When is the best time to go to South Africa?
The climate in South Africa is very mild throughout the entire year, with some regional variations. Thus, the west coast is enjoyable most of the time, but the best time to admire the nature awakening from its torpor in the Cape region is during the spring months from October to November. In addition, holiday tourists are still scarce and prices are reasonable.
The peak tourist season in South Africa is during the summer, between mid-December and March. Christmas festivities as well as those of the new year are very lively. If one prefers to avoid such enthusiastic crowds, this season is also conducive with the discovery of other facets in South Africa.
For safari passionists, the dry season which also coincides with the winter season, lends itself to the best time for the observation of animals that can no longer hide behind lush vegetation. In the end, the best time to visit Kruger Park is definitely from July to September.
So, when is the best time to go to South Africa? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:
- In South Africa, the weather is good everywhere in February, March, April, May, September, October and November
- The weather is good all year in Cape Town
- On average, the warmest months in Cape Town are January, February, March and December, and the coldest months are June, July and August
- June is the wettest month in this city
- The cities with the best climate are Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Parc Kruger, Port Elizabeth (South Africa), Pretoria, Blyde River Canyon, East London, George and Margate, with good weather at least 11 months a year
- The best months for swimming in Cape Town are January, February, March, November and December
Annual weather in South Africa
For information about the climate and the weather city by city in South Africa for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:
| Month | Our opinion | View Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58°F to 95°F | good weather* | |||
| February | 56°F to 94°F | good weather* | |||
| March | 52°F to 94°F | perfect weather* | |||
| April | 47°F to 88°F | perfect weather* | |||
| May | 41°F to 88°F | good weather* | |||
| June | 34°F to 83°F | good weather* | |||
| July | 34°F to 83°F | good weather* | |||
| August | 40°F to 86°F | good weather* | |||
| September | 49°F to 92°F | good weather* | |||
| October | 52°F to 92°F | good weather* | |||
| November | 56°F to 94°F | good weather* | |||
| December | 58°F to 95°F | good weather* |
Best time to travel to South Africa by cities
Cape Town
The best months to go to Cape Town are january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, october, november and december.
Bloemfontein
The best months to go to Bloemfontein are january, february, march, april, may, september, october, november and december.
Durban
The best months to go to Durban are january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september and october.
Climate and Weather in South Africa
As the name suggests, South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, which in turn creates seasons that are the complete opposite of Europe. In other words, when Europe is experiencing the summer season, South Africa is enduring the winter and vice versa. Due to the reason that South Africa extends so greatly, closing in on Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and even Swaziland, it experiences great changes in climates depending on the region where one is located.
The Climate in South Africa on the Coast of the Atlantic Ocean
On the shores of the Atlantic ocean, the climate in South Africa is generally warmer and becomes more and more dry when approaching the north, towards the deserts of Namibia. The seashores, on the other hand, remain pleasant.
The Climate Around the Cape Area
The Cape enjoys a pleasant, Mediterranean climate. In general, summers range from September to April due to the southern hemisphere and these months are rather hot and dry - the rain at this time of year being almost nonexistent. In terms of winter, this season offers a mild temperature that never drops into the negatives.
The Climate on the Indian Ocean Coast
While South Africa has a large coastline that extends along the Atlantic Ocean, it also has a large one extending along the Indian Ocean. In this part of the country, the climate passes from temperate on one side of the cape to subtropical on the next. For this reason, in cities such as Durban, it is quite warm but humid, especially between the months of January and February.
Th Climate around Johannesburg
The climate in South Africa around the area of Johannesburg offers dry but especially sunny winters. However, it is not uncommon in the summer to see torrential and very impressive downpours as well as early evening thunderstorms that punctuate the heat during the day! The climate is much like that of Gaborone in Botswana, their neighbor.
The Climate in Karoo
In Karoo, located west of the country, the inland area undergoes almost desert like climates. Thus, the heat is almost unbearable and one feels as though they are suffocating, due to lack of fresh air.
Temperatures and rainfall in South Africa
On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of South Africa and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg and Kimberley, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in South Africa
Find out when South Africa has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in South Africa
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. The number of visitors to South Africa is high in: December.
- Very low season in South Africa: January, February, March, April, June, July and September.
- Low season in South Africa: May, August, October and November.
- Peak season in South Africa: December.
Figure: Visitor index for South Africa month by month
Average price for flights to South Africa
A return flight between London and Cape Town is generally cheaper if you go in march ($ 692 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 386 more for your airline ticket to Cape Town if you go in august.
Where to go in South Africa?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Cape Town | 81°F | 81°F | 79°F | 76°F | 70°F | 65°F | 65°F | 65°F | 67°F | 72°F | 74°F | 77°F |
| Bloemfontein | 88°F | 86°F | 83°F | 76°F | 70°F | 63°F | 63°F | 68°F | 79°F | 83°F | 85°F | 88°F |
| Durban | 79°F | 81°F | 79°F | 77°F | 76°F | 74°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 76°F | 76°F | 77°F |
| Johannesburg | 85°F | 83°F | 81°F | 76°F | 74°F | 67°F | 67°F | 74°F | 81°F | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F |
| Kimberley | 92°F | 90°F | 86°F | 79°F | 72°F | 65°F | 65°F | 72°F | 81°F | 85°F | 88°F | 92°F |
| Nelspruit | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F | 79°F | 77°F | 74°F | 72°F | 77°F | 81°F | 81°F | 83°F | 85°F |
| Parc Kruger | 90°F | 90°F | 90°F | 85°F | 83°F | 77°F | 77°F | 83°F | 86°F | 88°F | 90°F | 90°F |
| Port Elizabeth (South Africa) | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 76°F | 74°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
| Pretoria | 86°F | 85°F | 83°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 68°F | 76°F | 83°F | 85°F | 85°F | 85°F |
| Blyde River Canyon | 85°F | 85°F | 85°F | 81°F | 79°F | 76°F | 74°F | 79°F | 83°F | 85°F | 85°F | 86°F |
| Coffee Bay | 79°F | 79°F | 77°F | 74°F | 74°F | 68°F | 68°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 76°F | 77°F |
| East London | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 76°F | 74°F | 72°F | 70°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
| George | 77°F | 77°F | 76°F | 72°F | 70°F | 67°F | 65°F | 65°F | 67°F | 70°F | 70°F | 74°F |
| Harrismith | 88°F | 86°F | 85°F | 79°F | 76°F | 70°F | 70°F | 76°F | 83°F | 85°F | 86°F | 88°F |
| Marakele National Park | 83°F | 81°F | 81°F | 76°F | 72°F | 67°F | 67°F | 74°F | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F |
| Margate | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 76°F | 76°F | 72°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
| Mmabatho | 88°F | 86°F | 85°F | 79°F | 74°F | 68°F | 68°F | 76°F | 85°F | 86°F | 88°F | 88°F |
| Pilanesberg National Park | 86°F | 86°F | 85°F | 79°F | 76°F | 68°F | 68°F | 76°F | 85°F | 86°F | 86°F | 86°F |
| Polokwane | 83°F | 81°F | 81°F | 77°F | 74°F | 68°F | 68°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F |
| Port Nolloth | 77°F | 77°F | 77°F | 76°F | 72°F | 68°F | 68°F | 67°F | 70°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
About South Africa
What can I do in South Africa?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Crafts / shopping
Gastronomy
Nightlife
Is this weather information for South Africa reliable?
Climate data for South Africa has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for South Africa allows us to determine the average for each month in Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg, Kimberley, Nelspruit, Parc Kruger, Port Elizabeth (South Africa), and 92 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.