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South Africa climate

South Africa is generally sunny and hot in the summer, which lasts from December to April. The winter is mild. The country is large and has many different climates. The Cape is cold and wet in the winter, with snow falling in the mountains. Northern areas get regular thunderstorms on summer evenings, while winters are warm by day and cold at night.

Getting around South Africa

There are eight domestic airlines operating South Africa flights. British Airways flies from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, and between Cape Town and Durban. South African Airways, the national carrier, flies to several destinations including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, George, Upington, Kimberley, East London, Mthatha, Margate, and Sun City. South African Express flies between Johannesburg, Cape Town, East London and George and several other cities.

Other airlines offering domestic South Africa flights include Airlink, 1time, Mango and Nationwide. There are also smaller charter airlines

Intercape, Greyhound and Translux offer services around the country.

Rail: Spoornet connects the major cities; Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town or Durban for example. The Blue Train is a luxury service (scheduled and charter) that runs Pretoria – Cape Town – Pretoria. There are special packaged routes too. Rovos Rail is another luxury service and the Steam Train Company offers scenic tours old-style.

Roads are good and car rental companies with branches at the airports and around the country include Avis, Budget and Europcar. It’s also possible to rent a motorbike or campervan/motorhome. Drive on the left.

South Africa Travel Information

• South Africa has 20 national parks, of which Kruger is the largest and best-known. It was established in 1898 and is 217 miles long, 40 miles wide and about 7722 square miles. It is home to 147 mammals, 114 types of reptiles, and 507 species of birds. Among them are hippos, crocodiles, Impala antelopes (most numerous animal), zebras, buffaloes, giraffes and elephants. The big cats call Kruger home too – there are 1,500 lions, 900 leopards and 300 cheetahs. There are several rest camps throughout the park ranging from huts and family cottages to luxury guest houses.
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is composed of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (of South Africa) and Gemsbok National Park (of Botswana). It lies on almost 9 million acres. In such a large space, vegetation is sparse and most of the animals concentrate around the Auob and Nossob riverbeds. Ground squirrel and suricate (meerkat) are the most numerous animals; badger, pangolin (anteater) and fox are also in residence. There are raptors (eagles, vultures, falcons and kestrels) as well as predators (cheetah, leopard, hyena and lion).
• Whales, turtles and penguins: view breaching whales at Hermanus, south of Cape Town. The town has its own whale crier, which can be heard from some Hermanus hotels, who blows his horn in a “Morse” code, signaling the location of whales. There are African Jackass Penguins on Boulder’s Beach in Simonstown (Simon’s Town). To spot Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles nesting, head to St Lucia in KwaZulu Natal. The turtles nest between November and January and hatch between January and March.
• Johannesburg has the Apartheid Museum and MuseuMAfricA, a history and cultural museum. Far from Austria, the South African Lipizzaners, are in action each Sunday morning in Kyalami. During Easter, the horses will dance to the music of the 1970s. Ask your Johannesburg hotel for museum information when you arrive.
• Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. The cable car whooshes up the mountain (3,560 feet) in less than 10 minutes and has a rotating floor offering 360-degree views of the city. If heights aren’t your thing, keep your feet on the ground and enjoy the sights from your Cape Town hotel.

South Africa airport overview