When to go
Since it has different climates, it's hard to find a single time that is best the whole South Africa.
A good compromise between the different areas can be found in spring, in
September and October, in order to avoid the winter cold of mountains and plateaus, the summer heat of inland areas, and the summer rains of the east, as well as the tropical cyclones that may affect the eastern regions in summer and autumn.
The austral winter,
from June to August, is the best time in the north east, where Kruger National Park is located, because you can avoid both the rains and the heat of summer: however, it's better to be adequately covered in the coldest hours. In September and October, it's already hot during the day, sometimes very hot, but nights are pleasantly cool. In this period, the cold can at times be intense especially in the highlands of the center and south, in addition, there will be some rains in the area of Cape Town, and a bit of wind along the southern coast, but after all, even the austral winter is an acceptable period. If the weather conditions are good, it will also be possible to swim in the sea in Durban and on the north-eastern coast.
The austral summer,
from December to February, is the best time on the west and south coasts (see Cape Town, Port Elizabeth), but also in the higher mountains. Instead, in inland areas it is very hot, especially at low altitudes, moreover, in the eastern part it is the rainiest season of the year, and in the north-east, sometimes even tropical cyclones can pass.
Having a good climate,
Johannesburg can be visited throughout the year, perhaps excluding June, July and early August because of the risk of cold weather. The best month is probably September, in fact it is mild, sunny and with little rain. April and October, though a little more rainy, are fine too.
As previously mentioned, the
sea is cold along the Atlantic coast, and becomes gradually milder as we proceed from the south coast towards the east.
What to pack
In
winter (June to August): for the western and southern coasts, up to Port Elizabeth, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweatshirt or sweater and jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.
For the north-east coast (see Durban), bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweater and a jacket.
For the central plateau (Kimberley, Johannesburg), bring spring/autumn clothes for the day, but also a sweater and a warm jacket for the evening; for the southern part of the plateau and at higher altitudes (see Sutherland, De Aar, Bethlehem, Bloemfontein), warm clothes, such as a down jacket, gloves, a scarf, and a hat for the evening.
For the north-east (Messina, Kruger Park) and the Kalahari, bring spring/autumn clothes (light for the day), a sweater and a warm jacket for the evening. A windbreaker for off-road safaris.
In
summer (December to February): for the west coast north of Cape Town, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweatshirt and a light jacket.
For the south coast, from Cape Town to East London, light clothing, a sweater and a light jacket for the evening, and a scarf for the breeze; for the north-east coast (see Durban), light clothing, a light sweatshirt, and an umbrella or a light raincoat.
For the central plateau (Kimberley, Johannesburg), light clothes for the day, a sweatshirt or sweater and a light jacket for the evening, a sun hat, and a light raincoat or umbrella; for the southern part of the plateau and at higher altitudes (see Sutherland, De Aar, Bethlehem, Bloemfontein), a sweater, and a spring jacket for the evening.
For the north-east (Messina, Kruger Park) and the Kalahari, very light clothes, of natural fabrics, a sun hat, a light raincoat, and a sweatshirt for the evening.
Back to the climate of
South Africa