“Roughly speaking, South Africa can be divided into two climate zones – of winter rains (from the Garden Route west to the Atlantic) and of summer rains (from the Garden Route east). In general, the countryside everywhere is at its prettiest and the climate at its most temperate just after the wet season. In the west this will be from September to December, and in the east from March to June. Highlights of the post-rainy season in the west are the coastal and desert wildflowers of the West Coast and Namaqualand, and the fynbos flowers of the mountain heaths. In the east after the rains, the Transvaal lowveld and Zululand game reserves are full of animals with their young.
Winters in the west can be cold. Around Cape Town, you will need a jacket and a jumper during the day, although in the Great Karoo (a desert area in the Northern Cape) a T-shirt is sufficient. However both areas experience bitter nights and snowfalls are not uncommon on the highest ground. Winters in the east are much milder, and characterized more by dryness than by cold. Here the coasts are still warm enough for swimming. The exception to this is the Highveld, where winter days can be chilly and nights frosty. Again, mountains are colder with snow on the highest tops.
Summers everywhere are baking – dry in the west and on the Highveld, but progressively more humid through the Eastern Cape, lowland Natal and the Transvaal lowveld. Avoiding Durban, Zululand, and the Eastern Transvaal in high summer is a good idea.”
By: Cadogan Guides
We are finding the weather to be a lot easier to handle than we originally expected. On a cold day you may have to wear a few layers but it’s tolerable. And the cold days are few and far between. So far, the pattern has been to have 4 or 5 days of beautiful weather comparable to a nice Fall sunny day. Then we’ll have about two days of cold and possible wet weather. Right now our specific area is in a severe drought. They say if it doesn’t rain soon we’ll be out of water at the end of November. The locals blame the multitude of golf courses in the area. They suck quite a bit of water to keep their world-renown golf courses green.
Although we have not hit summer yet, I can imagine it will be very warm. On a cold day if you sit in the sun after a while you will fill like you’re sitting a little close to a fire. The sun will bake right through your clothing and make your skin feel like it’s burning. It’s been an interesting adjustment for us.
