From dynamic Cape Town and cosmopolitan Johannesburg to staggering expanses of wilderness such as the Kalahari and the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa has a breadth of experiences that is hard to match.
The variety of the landscape, weather and festival seasons throughout the country means the best time to visit will depend on what you want to do when you get there.
In general, the climate in South Africa is warmer in the north and cooler in the south. You’ll also find different weather on the coasts compared to the elevated plateau that makes up most of the country, where it tends to be drier. Usually, the Indian Ocean coast feels more tropical, while the weather on the Atlantic coast is milder, though cold fogs and hot desert winds can still roll in.
Cape Town and the Western Cape are unique in having their rainy season in the winter (June to August). In the rest of the country, the rains arrive during the southern hemisphere summer (November through March), but the deluges…
