South African climate

The subtropical South African climate is made moderate by the height of the domestic land, and the winds from the two oceans. Cape Town has an average 8.6 hours daily sunshine, compared to Madrid with 7.9h, Rome with 6.5 and Frankfurt with 4.2h.

Rain:

South Africa is a very dry land. The east of the country is in the summer rains area coming down mainly as short, strong thunderstorm rains. The south west of the country has winter rains. Short rain showers are quite frequent along the Garden route all year round.

Temperatures:

Because of the height of the domestic land, temperatures in South Africa are lower than at other regions of the same geographic width. The average annual temperature at Pretoria is only 0.5°C above the temperature of Cape Town. The difference in temperatures between summer and winter and between night and day are considerable.

The best time to travel:

South of the equator the seasons are reversed to ours. The South African summer begins in December. Winter is in July. South Africa has pleasure to offer all year round.

Winter:

The winter with pleasant temperatures is excellent for game watching. Spring and autumn offer pleasant travelling temperatures. The main travelling time of the South Africans is in summer. In Cape Town, the sometimes rough wind from south-east has a break in March and April, with a lot of sun, and grape picking in the winelands. Flower lowers should enjoy the seas of blossoms in August/September especially in Namaqualand and in the west of the Cape Region.

Swimming and Beaches:

Beach holiday along the east coast of the Indian Ocean is possible all year round. The farther south and west you travel towards the Atlantic Ocean the colder the water. At the Atlantic Coast of Cape Town, swimming is pleasant in summer only. Please remember: Don’t sunbathe or swim at lonely beaches, there are dangerous currents, and you are safe from sharks only on protected beaches.