When to Visit South Africa

South Africa is a brilliant holiday destination, due to the fact that there is something fun and interesting to do and see at any time of year. Depending on where you want to go and what activities you enjoy, South Africa is perfect all through the year. The official summer here is from October to February, autumn is from February to April, winter from May to July, and spring season is between August and October. There are various climates that are experienced in South Africa as well.

The Western Cape has a more Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall, KwaZulu-Natal is more tropical with high humidity and warm winter days, and the northern inland provinces have winters that are dry and crisp with early morning frost at times. The low lying Maputaland Coast offers wonderfully warm winters and virtually no rain. The summers in the high lying areas like Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West are hot with short afternoon thunderstorms to cool down the earth. Spring time is wonderful anywhere, but especially wonderful in the Cape, where the tiny wild flowers blossom profusely to create a carpeted paradise, the most famous region being the Namaqualand.

Regarding safaris and other activities that you can enjoy whilst in South Africa, the best time for game viewing is from August to October. Along the Cape Coast, the annual migration and breeding of Southern Right Whales and Humpback Whales takes place from June to December. For other water activities like diving and surfing, the winter months (April to September) are said to be the best. If you want to go on a river rafting adventure while here, the Cape is best near the end of winter and KwaZulu-Natal is best between late November and February. Spring and autumn are probably the best times of the year to go on walking or hiking safaris as the weather is cooler and there is less rain. If you visit the Drakensberg Mountains, you should rather go during winter (June to August) when there is snow and you can visit Tiffendell, the only ski resort in Africa. Bird watching is best along the coastal regions in about November and inland migrants usually arrive by mid-October.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to visit South Africa at any time of year with its mostly warm and temperate climate, and hundreds of adventure activities, including spectacular safari escapes.