Search
Weekly note

Where to go in South Africa in summer

Summer is June to August north of the equator; March to May in South Asia; December to February south of the equator. These are the places in South Africa where at least two of those three months are a sweet spot or good, ranked on ten years of climate readings, public holidays and fares.

Summer in the north: June to August

4 of the 4 places are a sweet spot or good in at least two of June, July and August; 4 of them in each of the three.

  1. Kruger National Park South Africa June: sweet spotJuly: sweet spotAugust: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 25–28°C
  2. Johannesburg South Africa June: goodJuly: goodAugust: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 17–21°C
  3. Durban South Africa June: sweet spotJuly: goodAugust: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 23°C
  4. Cape Town South Africa June: goodJuly: goodAugust: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 17–18°C

Summer in South Asia: March to May

4 of the 4 places are a sweet spot or good in at least two of March, April and May; 4 of them in each of the three.

  1. Cape Town South Africa March: goodApril: goodMay: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 21–26°C
  2. Johannesburg South Africa March: goodApril: goodMay: good 3 of 3 good or better · highs 20–24°C
  3. Durban South Africa March: goodApril: sweet spotMay: sweet spot 3 of 3 good or better · highs 24–27°C
  4. Kruger National Park South Africa March: goodApril: goodMay: sweet spot 3 of 3 good or better · highs 27–30°C

Summer in the south: December to February

3 of the 4 places are a sweet spot or good in at least two of December, January and February; 1 of them in each of the three.

  1. Durban South Africa December: goodJanuary: sweet spotFebruary: sweet spot 3 of 3 good or better · highs 26–28°C
  2. Cape Town South Africa December: okJanuary: goodFebruary: sweet spot 2 of 3 good or better · highs 26–28°C
  3. Johannesburg South Africa December: okJanuary: goodFebruary: good 2 of 3 good or better · highs 25–26°C

Fewer than two good months

South Africa, season by season

Summer elsewhere

Labelled and ranked by the score from London, as every month page is, until you choose your own city: then your own city's score decides, and the places are split into your own country, short hops within 1,500 km, and further away. A month counts when it is a sweet spot or good; two such months put a place on the list, and more months, then a higher average score, put it higher. The climate is each place's own, from ten years of readings. How we rank