Twice the size of Texas and with a coastline extending for almost 1,750 miles (further than San Diego to Vancouver), South Africa encompasses a multitude of different weather conditions.
Although probably best known for the warm veld savannah of Kruger National Park, the country’s climate ranges from tropical conditions in the far northeast to desert aridity in the northwest, by way of Cape Town’s Mediterranean weather. This means South Africa is a true year-round destination. At the same time, it pays to plan your vacation with the experts, since prevailing weather can be very different from one side of the country to the other.
One of the world’s favorite travel destinations, Cape Town and the surrounding Cape Winelands experience warm dry summers and wet winters, which in the southern hemisphere run between May and August. However, the main consideration for travelers to Cape Town at any time of year are its offshore winds, which can stop the aerial tramway to Table Mountain and demand carrying layers whatever the month.
In contrast, the rest of South Africa receives most of its rain during the southern hemisphere summer (US winter). The verdant Garden Route is understandably one of the wettest parts of the country, with moderate levels of rain across the year.
To the north, South Africa’s inland regions are typified by two main zones, that of the Karoo and the veld. The Karoo lies immediately above the Garden Route, and is known for its warm cloudless skies and extremes of heat and cold. Meanwhile, the veld (or ‘grassland’) runs northeastward from the Karoo towards the Mozambican border, incorporating Johannesburg, Madikwe, Limpopo, and Kruger.
Here, the sub-tropical climate creates mild winters and hot summers, culminating in short lived thunder storms. The subtropical climate continues into KwaZulu-Natal on South Africa’s east coast, where temperatures are generally nestled in the 70s.
South Africa Weather by Month
Average monthly temperatures (°F) and rainfall (inches) for select locations in South Africa are shown below.
Blomfontein
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 91.6 | 89.2 | 84.8 | 78.2 | 71.6 | 65.2 | 65.8 | 71.2 | 79.0 | 83.0 | 86.4 | 90.6 |
Low | 60.4 | 59.4 | 54.0 | 45.0 | 34.6 | 27.0 | 25.6 | 31.2 | 40.2 | 48.6 | 53.2 | 57.2 |
Rain | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
Cape Town
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 82.2 | 83.0 | 80.8 | 76.0 | 70.6 | 66.2 | 65.0 | 65.6 | 68.4 | 72.6 | 77.0 | 79.8 |
Low | 61.4 | 61.2 | 58.4 | 53.8 | 48.8 | 45.6 | 44.0 | 45.0 | 47.4 | 51.2 | 56.4 | 59.8 |
Rain | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
Durban
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 85.6 | 86.0 | 85.4 | 82.2 | 79.0 | 76.0 | 75.2 | 75.6 | 76.6 | 78.0 | 80.4 | 83.8 |
Low | 72.2 | 72.2 | 70.4 | 64.8 | 57.6 | 51.2 | 51.0 | 55.0 | 60.6 | 63.6 | 66.6 | 70.0 |
Rain | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
Johannesburg
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 81.2 | 80.2 | 78.0 | 72.2 | 67.8 | 62.0 | 63.4 | 68.8 | 75.6 | 77.6 | 78.4 | 80.4 |
Low | 59.4 | 58.2 | 56.2 | 50.6 | 44.4 | 38.2 | 38.2 | 42.4 | 48.6 | 52.4 | 55.4 | 57.8 |
Rain | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
Mbombela (FKA Nelspruit)
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 85.8 | 85.8 | 84.2 | 80.8 | 78.4 | 74.6 | 74.4 | 77.2 | 81.2 | 81.0 | 82.6 | 84.6 |
Low | 66.4 | 66.0 | 64.2 | 58.4 | 50.8 | 45.4 | 44.8 | 48.4 | 54.4 | 58.8 | 62.0 | 64.8 |
Rain | 5.2 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
Port Elizabeth
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 81.2 | 81.8 | 79.4 | 76.8 | 74.2 | 71.0 | 70.4 | 70.0 | 70.6 | 72.4 | 75.4 | 78.6 |
Low | 65.2 | 65.8 | 62.8 | 58.0 | 52.8 | 47.2 | 46.4 | 49.2 | 52.0 | 56.2 | 59.2 | 62.4 |
Rain | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
Pretoria
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
High | 85.2 | 85.8 | 87.0 | 85.6 | 86.2 | 86.8 | 86.6 | 87.4 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 84.6 |
Low | 66.2 | 66.0 | 63.2 | 56.2 | 47.4 | 40.4 | 40.6 | 46.4 | 53.6 | 58.0 | 60.8 | 64.0 |
Rain | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
Source: World Meteorological Organization
South Africa Travel Guide
South Africa Tours & Safaris / South Africa FAQ / South Africa Accommodations
Top South Africa Travel Destinations
Cape Town / Johannesburg / Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park / Kruger National Park / KwaZulu-Natal / Madikwe Game Reserve / Sabi Sand Game Reserve / The Garden Route
The Big Five
African Elephant / Cape Buffalo / Leopard / Lion / Rhino
Weather for Other African Countries
Botswana Weather / Kenya Weather / Namibia Weather / Tanzania Weather / Zimbabwe Weather