CLIMATEP
Being in the Southern Hemisphere, our seasons are the reverse of those in Europe and North America. So please note that when I refer to summer, it means September to March, and winter means April to August.
| South Africa | Zimbabwe | Swaziland |
| Botswana | Namibia | Lesotho |
| Kruger National Park & Mpumulanga | ||
| The Garden Route | ||
| Cape Town | Johannesburg | Pretoria |
| Durban | Victoria Falls | Drakensberg |
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South Africa has many climatic variations. The most important climatic factor is the divide between the summer and winter rainfall regions. (Go Fullscreen for best view of the map).
The fuzzy line running roughly from Port Elizabeth through Upington and Windhoek shows the division. The areas above and to the right of this line receive tropical thunderstorms from approximately September to March. These storms, when they appear, bring heavy downpours, but fortunately they do not usually last very long.
During the winter, this area has hardly any rain at all. It can be cold at night, but the days are clear and the temperature is very comfortable. It is a good time to visit, especially as the tourist spots are not too crowded. Most visitors insist on coming during the summer months, because they don't want to give up their summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and they want to be sure of good weather when they get to Cape Town - see below!
The areas below and left of the line are those that get rain in winter - very roughly between May and September. Cape Town, which is the most visited city in Southern Africa, is in this region, so most visitors come during the summer months in order to have the best chance of good weather.
The winter rainfall of the western regions is very different in character to the short, sharp, tropical storms of the eastern parts. It is true cyclonic rainfall, just as experienced in Europe or on the western coastlines of the USA or Australia.
This means cold and rather miserable weather, that may endure for a number of days. We Capetonians are used to it, and it is then that we follow our indoor pursuits, like the ballet, the theatre, or simply copping out in a cosy restaurant with a suitable supply of good red wine. But if you are a visitor, the winter weather can play havoc with your plans to go up Table Mountain, or to visit the scenic splendours which have made the Cape so famous.
This does not mean that you should not visit during the winter. Some of our loveliest days are in the winter, when one lot of rain has passed by and the next lot is still hovering somewhere over the distant ocean. Problem is, when you are planning six months in advance, how do you know about something that the best of our weather experts can only predict about three days in advance?
So, come in winter by all means, but make sure that you give the western parts of the country quite a few days. That way you will have a good chance of enjoying some of the best weather, even if you also have a chance of experiencing a day or two of the worst!
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Below are some notes on specific areas:
Kruger National Park & Mpumulanga
The area now known as Mpumulanga (formerly the Eastern Transvaal) is part of the summer rainfall region. The scenic touring areas that include White River, Graskop, Pilgrim's Rest and the Blyde River Canyon are elevated, and have a pleasant and healthy climate throughout the year.
Below the Escarpment, the landscape flattens out to a low lying bushveld plain. This is where the Kruger National Park and its adjacent private reserves are located. This can be very hot in summer, but is pleasantly warm in winter. The area is popular all year, but winter is considered the best time to visit because it is not as hot, and there is little likelihood of rain.
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The Garden Route lies between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth - but specifically between Mossel Bay and Storm's River, because it is along the coastline between these two points that we find the only all year rainfall region in South Africa.
The summer rains come in shorter bursts, often in the form of an overnight shower followed by a beautifully clear day, and so spring and summer are considered to be the best times to visit.
The winter rain comes in the form of cold fronts, that may set in for a few days. This can spoil your visit if you have only a limited time to tour this region.
If you are visiting the Garden Route and bad weather overtakes you, you can always hop over the Outeniqua Mountains to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karroo. It is only 56 km (35 miles) from George, but being beyond the mountains it is a semi-desert, and very often enjoys fine sunny weather while the inhabitants of the Garden Route slosh around in the rain.
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Folk who live in Johannesburg say that it has the best climate in the world. They are possibly right.
At nearly 6,000 ft above sea level, the humidity is low, and it is seldom unpleasantly hot or cold. Winter nights can be chilly with frost. Winter days are usually lovely, and there is very little rain..
Summer days can be quite hot, and summer nights are magic.
The rain comes during the summer, in the form of brief but torrential thunderstorms, during which time it is recommended that you leave driving to the professionals. The storm will usually pass very quickly.
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Pretoria lies just 60 km (36 miles) north of Johannesburg, but is 1,000 ft lower in altitude. The temperature is almost always just 3 degrees Centigrade warmer than Johannesburg, which makes for an equally fine climate.
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Durban is on the Indian Ocean, which features the very warm Mocambique Current flowing southwards from the equator.
Humidity is very high, and Durban can be uncomfortably hot in summer. This is also the rainy season, although the rain comes mostly in the form of tropical storms which soon pass.
Winter, on the other hand, is idyllic. There is little rain, while the temperature plummets into the middle twenties (Centigrade, of course), which may be freezing for the Durbanites, but is very pleasant for visitors.
Although it is so tropical in character, Durban lies too far south for the nasty little anopheles mosquito, and is thus malaria free. If you want to guzzle gin and tonic, you will have to find another excuse!
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Travellers' wisdom suggests that one should steer clear of Cape Town during the winter. I disagree. Click here to see why.
It's true that summer is the safest time to visit, weather wise, as Cape Town falls into the winter rainfall region, and from September to April there is little rain.
The period September to December is characterised by the "Cape Doctor", which is the local nickname for the fierce South Easter that blew the pollution of an earlier age (and the modern age) out to sea. This often reaches gale force. Fortunately, it does not blow constantly. It is part of an ever changing cycle, and the periods between are lovely.
It is the South Easter that places the famous Tablecloth upon Table Mountain. The South Easter is also a virtual guarantee that there will not be rain.
From December, the South Easter begins to abate in strength, making the later part of summer (February through April, and even into May) the best time to visit. But don't write off the winter............
Winter is the rainy season, and is characterised by the North Wester, which brings cold fronts in from the icy Atlantic. These set in for a few days at a time - but the days between are perhaps the best of all - clear and calm, with temperatures in the low to mid twenties. Just perfect!
If you are visiting during the winter, you should allow yourself more than just a few days. A two or three day visit in summer will usually be sufficient to ensure that you strike good weather, but in winter you may have to wait a day or two for a front to pass through before good weather returns.
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When South Africans talk of "the Drakensberg" we usually mean the Drakensberg of Natal. If we want to refer to the parts of the range further north, we will specify "the Transvaal Drakensberg."
It is in Natal that the Drakensberg range is at its highest and most spectacular, with winter snow on the summits occurring regularly.
The resorts, however, are located in the foothills and on the lower slopes, so you MAY experience snow in winter, but will probably not.
Being in the summer rainfall region, winter is the dry season, and the temperatures vary from chilly at night to pleasantly bracing during the day.
In summer, the days can be warm, but not unpleasantly so. Afternoon thunderstorms will regularly cool and clean the air. This is very much an all year round destination.
Although almost all resorts can be reached on surfaced roads, many of the minor roads are gravel. These become quagmires during the rains, and drivers without experience of these conditions should be extremely careful.
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Zimbabwe lies entirely within the tropics, and can be very hot indeed. The country has a number of different climatic areas. However, they are all within the summer rainfall belt (September - March) and experience dry winters.
The summer rainfall usually comes in the form of thundershowers that pass quickly, so it is unlikely that your holiday will be disrupted for more than a few hours.
The central plateau is where the major centres of Bulawayo, Gweru and Harare and Masvingo (for Great Zimbabwe Ruins) are situated. Being generally higher than 4000 ft above sea level, the climate is temperate and healthy. Summers are hot, but as the humidity is low, it is not uncomfortable. Winters can be cold at night, but the daytime temperature is very agreeable.
In the extreme south is the Limpopo Valley, which is low-lying hot and malarial. However, this is not much visited by international tourists.
In the eastern parts are two distinct regions. The Eastern Highlands embrace the Inyanga Mountains and the Bvumba plateau, which are elevated and healthy. The city of Mutare, which lies between them, is in a gap in the mountains, and is low and hot.
The south-eastern lowveld is also hot and malarial, which means that if you are planning to visit Ghona-re-Zhou, winter is definitely the best time.
In the north is the Zambezi Valley. This is an important tourist region, because it features Victoria Falls as well as some of the best game viewing areas.
Lower down in the Zambezi Valley we have the magnificent lake of Kariba and the idyllic Mana Pools. These areas are very low, very hot, and very malarial. They also boast the nasty little tsetse fly, although reports of sleeping sickness are rare. Winter is definitely the best time to visit here.
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Vic Falls lies on the Upper Zambezi River, well within the tropics, and it can experience extremely hot conditions during the summer months. These are also the rainy months. The tropical storms, though torrential, should be brief. There is also an "official" malaria risk, although I consider Vic Falls to be a borderline case. A few more feet of altitude would render it malaria free, but we recommend that people take their malaria medication anyway..
Winter is the dry season, and with temperatures considerably lower, is much more comfortable for western visitors. It is also the best time for game viewing in the surrounding areas.
However, as one of the great natural wonders of the world, Vic Falls is very much an all year round destination.
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Swaziland is a very small country, but it ranges from respectably high mountains to very low lying plains. The climate can be unhealthy in the southern lowveld during summer. However, most visitors pass through this area in the space of a few hours, and do not stay long enough to get really uncomfortable or expose themselves to malaria.
The Ezulwini Valley, where most of the tourist hotels are, has a delightful and healthy climate.
Rain, in the form of brief thundershowers, falls in the summer months.
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Botswana is a very large country, most of which is desert, or nearly so. However, the northernmost part embraces the Okavango Delta and a number of prime game viewing areas, so this is where most of the visitors will find themselves.
The climate here is tropical, and very similar to that of Victoria Falls (not so far away). This means that winter is the best time, although the area is open all year round. Be prepared for some very hot daytime conditions in summer. You will be rewarded with heavenly nights!
The rain comes in the form of summer showers; heavy, but usually brief.
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Also a large country, most of it is desert, which receives very little rain, and suffers extremes of winter cold and summer heat. The desert climate is nevertheless healthy.
Windhoek, the capital, has a pleasant and temperate climate.
The far north and north-east are reached by the summer rainfall system, so they are very unlike the rest of Namibia. They can be compared with other tropical regions like northern Botswana and Victoria Falls. As such, the drier and cooler winter months are the best time to visit.
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Lesotho is a mountainous country, and the climate ranges from temperate to snowbound. It can be visited anytime, although summer is more pleasant.
The rain falls in summer, usually in the form of brief thundershowers.
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