Located at the southern tip of the African continent, South Africa enjoys a Mediterranean style climate with warm summers and mild but wet winters. Because of the various mountains around the region means places like Cape Town has many microclimates with some parts of the City receiving significantly more rainfall than others.
South Africa is famous for its sunshine. It’s a relatively dry country with an average rainfall of about 464mm. the Western Cape gets most of its rain in the winter with the rest of the country getting its rainfall during the Summer. Temperatures in South Africa tend to be lower than other countries at similar latitudes, this is due to a greater elevation above sea level.
Johannesburg lies at 1 694 metres altitude, because of this the average summer temperatures keep below 30°C and for the same reason winter temperatures can drop to just below freezing. South Africa’s coastal areas keep the warmest during winter with a striking contrast between the countries east and west coasts due to the warm Agulhas and cold Benguela Currents that sweep the coastlines.
South Africa’s summer is between mid-October to mid-February with hot, sunny weather across the country. There are often thunderstorms in the afternoon but don’t last long and clear up quickly. The Western Cape is the only exception getting its rain in the winter. Autumn (mid-February to April) offers some of the best weather. There is very little rainfall during this time, the weather is still warm but not too hot. Expect hot sunny days and balmy nights.
Winter in South Africa (May-July) is full of dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights sometimes with heavy frosts. The KwaZulu-Natal coast and the areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces offer great winter weather with sunny, warm days and no wind or rain.
The high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in winter.
If you are interested in a holiday to South Africa, fill out an enquiry form and our dedicated experts will help plan the perfect holiday for you.