VacationSage
The year at a glance
ExcellentGoodFairPoor Click a month to compare destinations.
The short answer
Go in October–April.
- Warmest month: February, average high 26°C (78°F).
- Coolest month: July, average high 17°C (63°F), lows near 9°C (48°F).
- Wettest month: June, about 102 mm (4.0 in) of rain.
- Driest month: February, about 15 mm (0.6 in).
Quick facts
- Currency
- Rand
- Language
- Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, South African Sign Language, Southern Ndebele, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
- Plugs
- Type G, Type D, Type C, Type N
- Drives on the
- left
- Calling code
- +27
- Airports
- Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
- Population
- 3,776,313
Temperature and rain through the year
Average highAverage lowRain (mm, right axis)
Top sights in Cape Town
- Table Mountain mountain in Cape Town, South Africa
- Table Bay bay at the north of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa
- Castle of Good Hope 17th-century bastion fort in Cape Town, South African
- South African Astronomical Observatory national centre for astronomy in South Africa
- Lion's Head mountain in South Africa
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden botanical garden
- National Library of South Africa South African government agency
- Signal Hill mountain in Cape Town
Ranked by how widely each place is covered across Wikipedia's language editions, a rough measure of fame rather than a recommendation.
UNESCO World Heritage nearby
- Robben Island
- Cape Floristic Kingdom
- Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites
Travel advisories
United States
Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution
Read the full advisory at travel.state.gov
Checked 2026-11-02.
United Kingdom
No FCDO warning against travel to any part of South Africa.
Latest change (2026-10-07): New information about submitting an online traveller declaration before travelling and information about taking money into South Africa ('Entry requirements' page).
Checked 2026-11-02.
Advisories are summarised from official sources and can change quickly; always read the source before you travel.
Month by month
| Month | Score | High | Low | Rain | Cloud | Dew point | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.0 Excellent | 25°C 78°F | 16°C 61°F | 17 mm 0.7 in | 14% | 15°C59°F comfortable | 14.0 h |
| February | 10.0 Excellent | 26°C 78°F | 16°C 61°F | 15 mm 0.6 in | 14% | 15°C59°F comfortable | 13.2 h |
| March | 10.0 Excellent | 25°C 76°F | 15°C 59°F | 17 mm 0.7 in | 18% | 14°C57°F comfortable | 12.3 h |
| April | 9.7 Excellent | 22°C 72°F | 13°C 55°F | 45 mm 1.8 in | 26% | 12°C54°F comfortable | 11.1 h |
| May | 7.7 Good | 20°C 67°F | 11°C 52°F | 78 mm 3.1 in | 30% | 11°C52°F comfortable | 10.2 h |
| June | 6.1 Fair | 18°C 64°F | 9°C 49°F | 102 mm 4.0 in | 29% | 10°C49°F dry | 9.8 h |
| July | 6.0 Fair | 17°C 63°F | 9°C 48°F | 97 mm 3.8 in | 27% | 8°C47°F dry | 10.0 h |
| August | 6.1 Fair | 18°C 64°F | 9°C 48°F | 96 mm 3.8 in | 27% | 8°C47°F dry | 10.7 h |
| September | 7.8 Good | 19°C 66°F | 10°C 51°F | 50 mm 2.0 in | 30% | 10°C49°F dry | 11.8 h |
| October | 9.4 Excellent | 21°C 70°F | 12°C 54°F | 32 mm 1.3 in | 26% | 11°C52°F comfortable | 12.9 h |
| November | 10.0 Excellent | 22°C 72°F | 14°C 56°F | 27 mm 1.1 in | 21% | 12°C54°F comfortable | 13.8 h |
| December | 10.0 Excellent | 24°C 76°F | 15°C 59°F | 16 mm 0.6 in | 18% | 14°C57°F comfortable | 14.2 h |
Public holidays in the next 12 months
Holidays can mean closures, festivals and busier transport. National public holidays for South Africa; school holidays are not included.
- December 2026
- Day of Reconciliation
- Christmas Day
- Day of Goodwill
- January 2027
- New Year's Day
- March 2027
- Human Rights Day
- Human Rights Day (observed)
- Good Friday
- Family Day
- April 2027
- Freedom Day
- May 2027
- Workers' Day
- June 2027
- Youth Day
- August 2027
- National Women's Day
- September 2027
- Heritage Day
More in Africa & Middle East
Temperature, rain and dew point are 1991–2020 averages from a ~4 km climate grid; cloud cover is a 1981–2010 average. Recent years run warmer in most places, and a single trip can differ a lot. How this is calculated.