Best Time to Visit South Africa
In general, South Africa is a year-round destination. It is a sunny country with not a lot of rain. Overall, rainfall is greatest in the east and gradually decreases as you travel westwards. For most of the country, rain falls mainly in the summer months with brief afternoon thunderstorms. The exception is the Western Cape including Cape Town where the climate is Mediterranean and it rains more in the wintertime. In Cape Town and the Garden Route regions, summers are warm and mild. Winter from June to August can be cold and wet. From March to May, this is a good time as it is beautifully mild and not so busy. The best time for whale watching is between July and November.
Summers in Durban between December and March receive a fair amount of rain. Winters between June and August are the best season to visit Durban as the temperatures are low and the rains are almost nil.
The northern regions can be rainy from November to February. April to September is cool and the nights are quite cool.
There is no bad time to go on a safari. Kruger Park has seasonal variations. In summer, there is both sun and rain and it is a time when baby animals are born. In the fall, the land becomes parched and the rutting season begins. In winter, a lack of water forces animals to head to the waterholes. Spring is the height of the dry period and when the rains begin. This is when game viewing is at its best.
Average Temperatures.
Jan | Apr | Jun | Aug | Oct | |
| Cape Town | 26 C/79 F | 22 C/72 F | 18 C/64 F | 18 C/64 F | 21 C/70 F |
| Durban | 28 C/82 F | 27 C/81 F | 23 C/73 F | 23 C/73 F | 24 C/75 F |
| Johannesburg | 26 C/79 F | 22 C/72 F | 16 C/61 F | 20 C/68 F | 24 C/75 F |
| Kruger National Park | 32 C/90 F | 29 C/84 F | 26 C/79 F | 27 C/81 F | 30 C/86 F |
NOTE – All quoted temperatures are daytime average highs unless otherwise stated and can vary.
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