Climate and Average Weather in South Africa
South Africa has many different climate zones. The north, west and large parts of the central part of South Africa have to deal with a relatively warm desert climate and warm steppe climate. However most parts of South Africa have a temperate climate because of the proximity to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. In general South Africa is a relatively dry country and is well known for its many hours of sunshine a day.
Winter in South Africa runs from June to August. These are the coolest and with the exception of the south-west (the Cape) driest months. The Kruger Park still has average maximum temperatures of around 26-27 degrees Celsius (78.8 - 80.6°F) in winter. At night it can cool down quite a bit to a few degrees above freezing.
Summer from December to February can get very hot. Especially in the desert area bordering the eastern side of Namibia, daytime temperatures easily rise easily to around 34 to 38 degrees Celsius (93 - 100.4°F). The Kruger Park is also very warm during this period and in combination with a reasonable chance of rain you can expect a fairly high relative humidity.
South Africa has an average annual rainfall of only 464mm (18.2 in). Best time of the year to travel to South Africa depends on what you want to do. The flowers are at their best in August and September. The best time for game viewing is in the late spring months of September and October. The Southern Right Whales are off the coasts from about mid-June to the end of October.
Interested in more detailed Weather and Climate information?
Please select the city below you wish to travel to, or the one closest to your destination. Each selected city will show you the following graphs:
1. Average minimum and maximum temperatures over the year
2. Average monthly precipitation over the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Average monthly hours of sunshine over the year
On certain pages we also offer other historical weather data like humidity, wind speed and water temperature.
