Weather in January in South Africa
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 is the weather like 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 to very hot in Keimoes at 37°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 22°C in Keimoes and 17°C in Paternoster.
Precipitation
In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From low rainfall in Port Nolloth with an average of 5.4 mm to heavy rainfall in Bonjaneni with 373 mm.Average sunshine
The city Cape Town usually sees around 338 hours of sunlight, indicating many sunny days.For a closer look at January'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 January
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Popular destinations
What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in South Africa?
Cape Town
In January Cape Town generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 25°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 18°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Johannesburg
In January Johannesburg generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 27°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 16°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.
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Durban
In January Durban generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 22°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Knysna
In January Knysna generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 24°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 18°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.
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Stellenbosch
In January Stellenbosch generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 28°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 17°C 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 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.
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 travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.