South Africa weather in August

Thinking about venturing to South Africa this August and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in South Africa in August?

The weather in South Africa in August can be quite varied, with temperatures that range from moderate to warm and precipitation levels ranging from almost none to high.

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is moderate in Rhodes at 15°C to warm in Kruger National Park at 29°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 15°C in Kruger National Park and 1°C in Rhodes. While August might be the chilliest month, South Africa offers areas with temperate climates year-round, ensuring visitors always have a delightful experience.

In August, precipitation varies across different areas. From almost no rainfall in Overyssel with an average of 1.9 mm to high rainfall in Paarl with 111 mm. The days are mostly sunny, with an average total of around 212 hours of sunshine in Cape Town. The sunlight during this month doesn't just make the days brighter, it also seems to make everyone a bit more cheerful.

For a closer look at August's conditions in South Africa, see the map below. For a more detailed look at South Africa's yearly weather, check out our South Africa climate page.

Where to go in South Africa in August

Find the average weather conditions in August for the most popular destinations in South Africa on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations in South Africa

What is the weather like in August for the 5 most popular destinations in South Africa?

Average weather in Cape Town

In August Cape Town generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 17°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 10°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Cape Town
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   July July
<<  
17°C 
10°C 
193 hours 
110 mm 
12 days 
17°C 
10°C 
212 hours 
98 mm 
13 days 
18°C 
11°C 
225 hours 
63 mm 
10 days 
Climate in Cape Town

Average weather in Johannesburg

In August Johannesburg generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 22°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 7°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Johannesburg
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   July July
<<  
20°C 
4°C 
284 hours 
3.6 mm 
1 day 
22°C 
7°C 
284 hours 
10 mm 
2 days 
26°C 
11°C 
281 hours 
24 mm 
3 days 
Climate in Johannesburg

Average weather in Durban

In August Durban generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 24°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 15°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Durban
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   July July
<<  
23°C 
14°C 
233 hours 
47 mm 
4 days 
24°C 
15°C 
216 hours 
40 mm 
6 days 
24°C 
17°C 
173 hours 
68 mm 
10 days 
Climate in Durban

Average weather in Knysna

In August Knysna generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 11°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Knysna
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   July July
<<  
19°C 
11°C 
241 hours 
52 mm 
8 days 
18°C 
11°C 
260 hours 
67 mm 
10 days 
19°C 
12°C 
255 hours 
55 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Knysna

Average weather in Stellenbosch

In August Stellenbosch generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Stellenbosch
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   July July
<<  
17°C 
7°C 
193 hours 
121 mm 
12 days 
18°C 
8°C 
212 hours 
105 mm 
13 days 
19°C 
9°C 
225 hours 
74 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Stellenbosch

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in South Africa.

Is August the best time to visit South Africa?

In our opinion, August is a good time to visit South Africa with overall tolerable weather in Cape Town.

On average, the best time to visit South Africa is in January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December with generally perfect weather in Cape Town. The weather in July, on the other hand, tends to be unpleasant.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in South Africa. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to South Africa? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in South Africa.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.