Time and Weather

South Africa’s climate is influenced by its location between 22°S and 35°S in the Southern Hemisphere’s subtropical zone and its proximity to the Atlantic and the Indian.

Because much of South Africa’s interior (central plateau or Highveld, including Johannesburg) is higher, it has a wider variety of climates compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has lower average temperatures than other countries within this latitude range, such as Australia.

The best time to visit

The optimum time to visit South Africa is from May to September, when the northern areas’ milder winter months provide ideal viewing conditions for a big game. It might be wet from November to February, but this is the perfect season to visit for birdwatching, with temperatures ranging from 22°C to 33°C.

On the other hand, South Africa is a year-round destination with a variety of regional temperatures and animal viewing chances.

In the summer months (November to February), the Cape boasts lovely, hot, dry weather, ranging from 23°C to 26°C. July and November is the greatest time to visit the Cape for whale viewing.

.

Wildlife

South Africa is the world’s most significant bastion for rhinos. Approximately 90% of the world’s white and black rhino population is located there. African wild dogs, cheetah, spotted hyena, giraffe, zebra, warthog, baboon, antelope, wildebeest, impalas, and vervet monkeys are other animals found in this beautiful country.

South Africa is also known for its marine fauna. The world’s best land-based whale-watching in Hermanus, a little seaside town located south of Cape Town.

Birds

South Africa is a popular location for birdwatchers. There are roughly 840 species on the national checklist, including the world’s biggest bird (ostrich) and the world’s bulkiest flying species (kori bustard), as well as a dazzling array of bee-eaters, turacos, parrots, rollers, and waxbills. Around 35 bird species are endemic to South Africa (some have a range that extends into the small neighboring kingdoms of Swaziland and Lesotho). At the same time, many more are near-endemics with ranges that extend a limited distance into Namibia and Botswana. During the southern summer (Nov-Mar), when numerous resident species transform into colorful breeding plumage and dozens of migratory species arrive from Europe, or elsewhere in Africa, avian diversity is at its peak. A reasonably proficient birder might check 100 species in a day at various places in South Africa, the most famous of which is probably Kruger.