When is the best time to visit South Africa?

March, April and October. Across South Africa's 12 destinations, March averages 85/100 for climate comfort with mean highs of 26.5°C and 54 mm of rain.

What is the worst month to visit South Africa?

July, averaging 79/100 — mean highs of 20.2°C and 43 mm of rain across the country's destinations.

What is the hottest month in South Africa?

January, with mean daily highs of 27.6°C averaged across 12 destinations.

What is the wettest month in South Africa?

December, averaging 72 mm of rain.

Best time to visit South Africa

The best time to visit South Africa is March, April and October, when its 12 destinations average 85/100 for climate comfort — July is the weakest month, at 79/100.

Updated September 2026 · averaged over 12 South Africa destinations · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

🇿🇦 South Africa, month by month

best March

Average comfort out of 100 · open a month for where to go in it

South Africa climate comfort by month

Month	Comfort	Avg high	Rain	Pick of the month
January	83	27.6°C	68 mm	Jeffreys Bay 90
February	83	27.4°C	71 mm	Cape Town 88
March	85	26.5°C	54 mm	Cape Town 90
April	84	24.3°C	53 mm	Cape Town 93
May	84	22.6°C	37 mm	Drakensberg 93
June	79	21°C	44 mm	Drakensberg 90
July	79	20.2°C	43 mm	Drakensberg 91
August	82	21.3°C	36 mm	Pretoria 93
September	83	23°C	42 mm	Johannesburg 90
October	85	24.5°C	48 mm	Cape Town 94
November	84	25.4°C	56 mm	Cape Town 95
December	83	26.6°C	72 mm	Cape Town 91

Comfort is SeasonMap's 0–100 score, averaged across every South Africa destination in the dataset. Each place is judged through the lens that suits it — beaches on beach weather, ski resorts on snow. Averages from ERA5 reanalysis normals, not forecasts.

All 12 destinations in South Africa

South Africa — FAQ

When is the best time to visit South Africa?: March, April and October. Across South Africa's 12 destinations, March averages 85/100 for climate comfort with mean highs of 26.5°C and 54 mm of rain.
What is the worst month to visit South Africa?: July, averaging 79/100 — mean highs of 20.2°C and 43 mm of rain across the country's destinations.
What is the hottest month in South Africa?: January, with mean daily highs of 27.6°C averaged across 12 destinations.
What is the wettest month in South Africa?: December, averaging 72 mm of rain.