South Africa weather in January
Are you planning a trip to South Africa in January and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.
What is the weather like in South Africa in January?
Weather in South Africa varies in January, with temperatures ranging from pleasant to very warm and precipitation ranging from low to heavy.
The average maximum temperatures vary from pleasant in Paternoster at 21°C (70°F) to very warm in Keimoes at 37°C (98°F). Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 22°C (71°F) in Keimoes and 17°C (63°F) in Paternoster.
Precipitation in January varies from low rainfall in Port Nolloth with an average of 5.4mm (0.2 inches) to heavy rainfall in Bonjaneni with 373mm (15 inches). It is also generally a sunny time of year with an average of 338 hours of sunshine in Cape Town during the entire month.
For more details on the yearly weather and climate conditions, visit our South Africa climate page. To learn more about the weather conditions in specific areas of South Africa in January, check out the map below.
Where to go in South Africa in January
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Popular destinations in South Africa
What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in South Africa?
Average weather in Cape Town
In January Cape Town generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 25°C (77°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 18°C (64°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Average weather in Johannesburg
In January Johannesburg generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 27°C (80°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 16°C (61°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.
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Average weather in Durban
In January Durban generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C (82°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 22°C (71°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Average weather in Knysna
In January Knysna generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 24°C (75°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 18°C (64°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Average weather in Stellenbosch
In January Stellenbosch generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C (82°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 17°C (62°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in South Africa.
Is January the best time to go to South Africa?
In our opinion January is one of the best times to visit South Africa with commonly perfect 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 worst month is July that can have unpleasant weather conditions.
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.
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.