| Situated in a subtropical location, moderated by | | | | stand in opposition to those of Europe and North |
| ocean on three sides and the altitude of the | | | | America so the hottest weather is in December |
| interior plateau, South Africa has a warm | | | | to March. |
| temperate climate making it a popular spot for | | | | Best time of the year to travel to South Africa |
| foreign visitors. | | | | depends on what you want to do. The flowers |
| South Africa is a relatively dry country and is well | | | | are at their best in August and September. The |
| known for its sunshine. With an average annual | | | | best time for game viewing is in the late spring |
| rainfall of only 464mm, the Western Cape gets | | | | months of September and October. The Southern |
| most of its rainfall in winter; the rest of the | | | | Right Whales are off our coasts from about |
| country is in general a summer-rainfall region. | | | | mid-June to the end of October. |
| Temperatures in South Africa are inclined to be | | | | The diving is best in most of the country outside |
| lower than in other countries at similar latitudes - | | | | of summer, and so is the surfing - but that |
| Australia for example - this is mainly due to | | | | certainly doesn't limit either activity to those |
| greater elevation above sea level. | | | | times. |
| On the interior plateau the altitude - Johannesburg | | | | River rafting is better in the Cape at the end of |
| lies at 1 694 meters - keeps the summer | | | | winter, and in KwaZulu-Natal in the height of |
| temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius. In | | | | summer. In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, its good at |
| winter, for this reason, night temperatures can | | | | all times of year and not better at any one |
| drop below freezing point. | | | | specific time. |
| South Africa's coastal regions are warmest in the | | | | Of course, if you want to lounge around on the |
| winter months. But there's a big difference | | | | beaches; mid-summer is the best time - though |
| between temperatures on the East and West of | | | | everyone else will be there too and beaches can |
| South Africa, due to the warm Agulhas Current | | | | de frighteningly busy, especially in the Durban and |
| that runs along the east coast, and the cold | | | | Cape Town areas, however the beaches of |
| Benguela, fresh from Antarctica, that runs up the | | | | northern KwaZulu-Natal are warm and sunny even |
| west coast. | | | | in midwinter and a little quieter!.. |
| Being in the southern hemisphere, our seasons | | | | Find out more about World Weather conditions. |