Average Temperatures and Hours of Sunshine in South Africa

Julie posts a query: What’s South African weather like in August? What sort of rainfall/hours of sunshine?

The best reference months for summer and winter weather in South Africa are January and July.

The other “seasons,” such as they are, amount to averages between these two extremes.

Depending on where you are in the country, Julie, July will be cold and rainy (Western Cape) or balmy and dry (KwaZulu Natal) - and August quite similar.

The best time of year to visit game reserves like the Kruger National Park, meanwhile, is July-August, when the water is scarce (forcing animals to be more on the move) and the bush is thin (making them easier to see).

SA Blog provides the following handy chart for January and July weather in South Africa’s provincial capitals:

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CLIMATE INFORMATION: PROVINCIAL CAPITALS
	Average temperature ^oC		Average hours of sunshine		Average number of rain days
	January	July	January	July	January	July
Western Cape Cape Town	20,9	12,2	338	193	6	12
Eastern Cape Bisho	22,1	13,8	?	?	13	5
Northern Cape Kimberley	25,3	10,8	307	287	10	2
Free State Bloemfontein	23,0	7,7	296	273	11	2
KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg	22,9	12,9	185	251	18	3
North-West Mafikeng	24,1	12,0	280	285	13	1
Gauteng Johannesburg	20,1	10,4	250	284	16	1
Mpumalanga Nelspruit	24,0	14,8	216	265	14	2
Limpopo Polokwane (Pietersburg)	22,6	12,2	253	279	10	1