South Africa

South Africa Weather in January

Average temperatures, rainfall, sunshine and the best places to visit in South Africa in January.

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Cape Town Johannesburg Durban Gqeberha

Planning a journey to South Africa this January and curious over the weather conditions to await? Your essential details are found on this page, answering your query:

What to Expect in South Africa in January

The weather in South Africa in January can be quite varied, with temperatures that range from pleasant to very hot and precipitation levels ranging from low to heavy.

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from pleasant in Paternoster at 21°C (70°F) to very hot in Keimoes at 37°C (99°F). Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 22°C (72°F) in Keimoes and 17°C (63°F) in Paternoster.

To explore the conditions in South Africa in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From low rainfall in Port Nolloth with an average of 5.4 mm (0.2 in) to heavy rainfall in Bonjaneni with 373 mm (15 in).

Average sunshine

Sunshine is generally plentiful throughout many areas. Cape Town enjoys about 338 hours of sunlight, ideal for those seeking sunny weather.

Explore South Africa by month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Best Places to Visit in South Africa in January

Click on a destination dot for more details. Toggle the map to compare temperatures or precipitation across South Africa.

Conditions Temperatures Precipitation
perfect weather
pleasant
tolerable
unpleasant
poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C (68°F) and 29°C (84°F) and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm (3.5 in) a month).

Popular Destinations in South Africa

What is the weather like in January for some of the most popular destinations in South Africa?

Temperature range in South Africa (January)

Precipitation variation in South Africa (January)

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.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
24°C (75°F)
25°C (77°F)
25°C (77°F)
Min temperature
16°C (61°F)
18°C (64°F)
18°C (64°F)
Monthly sun hours
334 hours
338 hours
297 hours
Monthly rainfall
22 mm (0.9 in)
20 mm (0.8 in)
19 mm (0.7 in)
Monthly rainy days
6 days
5 days
4 days
Weather conditions
perfect
perfect
perfect
Climate in Cape Town →

Johannesburg

In January Johannesburg generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 27°C (81°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 16°C (61°F) and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
27°C (81°F)
27°C (81°F)
27°C (81°F)
Min temperature
16°C (61°F)
16°C (61°F)
16°C (61°F)
Monthly sun hours
264 hours
250 hours
225 hours
Monthly rainfall
140 mm (5.5 in)
133 mm (5.2 in)
123 mm (4.8 in)
Monthly rainy days
14 days
14 days
11 days
Weather conditions
pleasant
pleasant
pleasant
Climate in Johannesburg →

Durban

In January Durban generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C (82°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 22°C (72°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
27°C (81°F)
28°C (82°F)
28°C (82°F)
Min temperature
21°C (70°F)
22°C (72°F)
22°C (72°F)
Monthly sun hours
190 hours
183 hours
179 hours
Monthly rainfall
98 mm (3.9 in)
95 mm (3.7 in)
99 mm (3.9 in)
Monthly rainy days
15 days
14 days
13 days
Weather conditions
perfect
perfect
perfect
Climate in Durban →

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.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
23°C (73°F)
24°C (75°F)
24°C (75°F)
Min temperature
17°C (63°F)
18°C (64°F)
18°C (64°F)
Monthly sun hours
345 hours
320 hours
300 hours
Monthly rainfall
51 mm (2 in)
52 mm (2 in)
50 mm (2 in)
Monthly rainy days
11 days
10 days
10 days
Weather conditions
perfect
perfect
perfect
Climate in Knysna →

Stellenbosch

In January Stellenbosch generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C (82°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 17°C (63°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

« December
January
February »
December
January
February
Max temperature
26°C (79°F)
28°C (82°F)
28°C (82°F)
Min temperature
15°C (59°F)
17°C (63°F)
17°C (63°F)
Monthly sun hours
334 hours
338 hours
297 hours
Monthly rainfall
28 mm (1.1 in)
25 mm (1 in)
23 mm (0.9 in)
Monthly rainy days
6 days
5 days
4 days
Weather conditions
perfect
perfect
perfect
Climate in Stellenbosch →

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

In our records: South Africa January extremes

Notable January records observed across cities in South Africa in our climate database (1976 – 2026). Historic readings can vary in quality, so treat these as illustrative.

  • From our sources, the wettest January day in South Africa brought 323 mm (13 in) in Hoedspruit on January 18, 2012.

Popular cities in January

Day & night temperatures, rainfall and average weather in South Africa in January.

City Weather Day temp Night temp Rainfall
Cape Town 25°C (77°F) 18°C (64°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Johannesburg 27°C (81°F) 16°C (61°F) 133 mm (5.2 in)
Durban 28°C (82°F) 22°C (72°F) 95 mm (3.7 in)
Gqeberha 25°C (77°F) 20°C (68°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Bloemfontein 32°C (90°F) 18°C (64°F) 90 mm (3.5 in)
Mbombela 28°C (82°F) 18°C (64°F) 168 mm (6.6 in)

South Africa weather in January: frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in South Africa in January?

January in South Africa brings perfect weather. In Cape Town, daytime temperatures are typically around 25°C (77°F) and nighttime lows hover near 18°C (64°F).

What is the average temperature in South Africa in January?

Cape Town averages a daytime maximum of 25°C (77°F) in January, with overnight lows close to 18°C (64°F).

Does South Africa get a lot of rain in January?

Rain is generally moderate to light in South Africa during January, with Cape Town averaging close to 20 mm (0.8 in).

Is January a Good Time to Visit South Africa?

We consider January to be one of the best times to travel to South Africa. Typically, the climate in Cape Town is perfect.

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.

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 travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.

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