South Africa stretches between the 22nd and 34th degrees of southern latitude and hence is part of the subtropical zone. Compared to other regions at that latitude, temperatures in many areas of South Africa are rather lower. The cold Benguela current causes moderate temperatures on the West Coast, and on the central plateau the altitude (Johannesburg lies at 1753m) keeps the average temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, also due to altitude, temperatures drop to the freezing point, and in places even lower. Then it is warmest in the coastal regions. Precipitation is to be expected mainly in the summer months, with the exception of the Western Cape which is a winter-rain area. For your tour planning keep in mind that the seasons in the southern hemisphere stand in direct opposition to those of the northern hemisphere.

Eastern Cape Climate

The Eastern Cape climate varies considerably but has, a year-round holiday climate.  The Eastern coastal regions enjoy hot summers and moderate winters and Port Elizabeth experiences a daily average of 7 hours sunshine.   Northern regions are much cooler.  Certain areas receive rain throughout the year albeit erratic.

Free State Climate

This summer-rainfall region can be extremely cold during the winter months, especially towards the eastern mountainous regions where temperatures can drop as low as 9ºC. The western and southern areas are semi-desert.

Gauteng Climate

The Highveld is said to offer one of the world’s best climates: summer days are warm and wind-free (relatively) and winter days are crisp and clear. Joburg and Pretoria differ in temperature by about 2% (Pretoria always being the warmer of the two).

KwaZulu-Natal Climate

KwaZulu-Natal is known to be a province that experiences eternal summer, although temperatures do differ from region to region.

This province has a tropical climate and rainfall is generous during the summer months. During the Christmas holiday season, KZN can get extremely hot and humid along the coastline, although temperatures are milder as one moves inland.

Durban enjoys an average temperature of around 27 degrees C (81 degrees F) during the month of January, and a daily maximum of roughly 22 degrees C (73 degrees F) during July.

Limpopo Climate

Limpopo is renowned for its hot yet pleasant summers and dry winters. 

Its weather is characterised by almost year-round sunshine.  It can get very hot in summer (October – March), with temperatures rising to 27ºC (80,6 ºF) and, sometimes, even touching the mid-30s Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit).

In, the Kruger National Park summer temperatures of 30ºC (86ºF) can be expected.

Mpumalanga Climate

Hot to very hot in summer, especially in the lowveld regions. Mild in winter, it can become very cold in the highveld areas. Mpumalanga is a summer rainfall area.

North West Province Climate

Summer brings hot, sunny days (temperatures in the region of around 22 to 34 degrees centigrade); winters are still pretty warm during daylight hours, however the evenings can get somewhat chilly (temperatures range from 15 to 22 degrees centigrade).

Northern Cape Climate

Apart from a narrow strip of winter-rainfall area along the coast, the Northern Cape is a semi-arid region with little rainfall in summer. The weather conditions are extreme cold and frosty in winter, and extremely high temperatures in summer.

The Northern Cape's weather is typical of desert and semi-desert areas, with a large, dry region of fluctuating temperatures and varying topographies. The scant annual rainfall (50-400mm) is unreliable and very much lower than evaporation and, in January, afternoon temperatures are usually between 33º and 40º Celsius.

Although somewhat unusual, summer temperatures sometimes top the 40º-Celsius mark. Winter days are warm - the onset of night bringing dew and frost to supplement the low rainfall. Sutherland, in the Hantam Karoo, is one of the coldest towns in southern Africa. Its average minimum is -6º Celsius!  In winter, snow often blankets its surrounding mountains.

Western Cape Climate

There are three climatic regions in the Western Cape.  The Peninsula and the Boland enjoy Mediterranean-type conditions with dry summers and a winter rainfall.  Moving up the west coast towards George and the Garden Route, rainfall is year-round.  Towards the interior, the semi-desert of the Karoo experiences dry winters and low summer rainfall. 

The ‘Cape Doctor’ is the name given to the south-easterly wind that visits the Peninsula with little warning, blowing with a force that clears the air of all pollution and leaves Table Mountain draped in a ‘tablecloth’ of snow-white cloud.