When is a good time to travel to South Africa

South Africa is a year-round destination. The best time to visit South Africa will depend on where you want to go and what you want to do. Temperatures vary depending on where you are in the country, with the north seeing warmer temperatures than the south. The Western Cape is well-known for its wet seasons in winter, while the KwaZulu-Natal shoreline offers warmer, more equatorial conditions.

Between May and October is the best time to go on safari. Winter days are good for wildlife tracking because they are dry and clear. You will need to carry some warm clothing for the cooler nights. During these months, wildlife also prefers to congregate around reliable water sources, making game viewing more predictable.

The rainy season in Cape Town occurs during the winter months, with the wettest days falling between June and August. The rest of the country’s rainy season comes during the summer, with the peak precipitation amounts occurring from November to March.

Planning is essential for travelling to South Africa.

Cape Town

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park and surrounding areas

The Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest national parks, covering an area about the size of Wales and boasting an astonishing range of landscapes and species. The Kruger National Park and The Great Kruger area is a year-round destination. Game viewing is often regarded the best during the dry winter months of May to September, when the vegetation thins out and declining quantity of water cause game to be drawn out into the open and any remaining waterholes to be teeming with wildlife.

DRY SEASON – May to September

1	2	3	4
	Wildlife is easier to spot because there is less vegetation and animals gather around rivers and waterholes		It gets cold at night and in the mornings
	Little to no rain and most days are sunny
	Low season and parks are not crowded, except for Kruger during school holidays

WET SEASON – October to April

1	2	3	4
	After the first rains, the scenery turns green and all looks fresh		Wildlife viewing can be quite slow since the bush is thicker and wildlife is more difficult to spot
	Best time for bird watching, and migratory birds are present		It gets very hot in December, January and February, and parks get crowded during the main school holidays in Decembe
	Rains are mostly short afternoon showers and seldom interfere with your trip

Cape Town and surrounding areas

In contrast to the rest of South Africa, Cape Town and the Western Cape region has a Mediterranean climate, with the winter months being wet and cool, the summer months hot and dry.

DRY SEASON – May to September

1	2	3	4
	Low season with few visitors around		It is cold for beach and general holiday activities
	Although it is the Wet season, there are many sunny days		Game drives in open vehicles are bitterly cold
	Wildlife viewing in the Cape Region parks is good year-round

WET SEASON – October to April

1	2	3	4
	Pleasant warm weather with little rain		It gets busy in high season
	Best time to enjoy Cape Town and the Garden Route
	Wildlife viewing in the Cape Region parks is good throughout the year
	It is less cold on game drives

When to visit South Africa

Most parks and game reserves provide wildlife watching all year, however game-viewing is better during the dry season when animals is easier to see. The northern parks of South Africa, such as Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park gets quite hot from December to February, therefore it’s best to visit during the colder months.