AU
Level 2Exercise increased caution
Exercise increased caution
South Africa · Month guide
South Africa in December
Around 30 °C with 79 mm of rain and 9.0 hours of sun a day.
December is a mixed month for South Africa — worth planning around specific regions. Around 30 °C with 79 mm of rain and 9.0 hours of sun a day. Use the regional grid below to find where this month works best — national averages hide the swings between coast, highlands, and inland.
Perfect match
South Africa · December
What the weather usually does
South Africa · typical month
- Day / night16 – 30 °CYear range 5 – 30 °C
- Rainfall79 mmYear range 12 – 79 mm
- Sunshine9.0 hr / dayYear range 6.5 – 9.0 hr / day
What’s open · December
Things to do in South Africa in December
Nothing in South Africa shuts for the season, but 1 thing below is weather-dependent in December.
- LimitedKruger game viewing
the wet months — thick green bush, dispersed water and much harder sightings
Sources: go2africa.com, approachtours.com
- OpenSouthern right whales, Hermanus
the edges of the season — first arrivals in June, stragglers into December
Sources: whalehermanus.com, farandwild.travel
Opening seasons are checked by hand against the operators and parks themselves, not derived from the climate figures on this page. Last reviewed 2026-08-28. Dates move — confirm before you book.
9 regions · current month
South Africa, taken apart
Safety · 6 governments
What the governments say about South Africa
Combined advisory · most-cautious-wins
Exercise increased caution
Highest level across 6 governments · Advisory last changed
See breakdown by countryHide breakdown
CA
Level 2Exercise increased caution
Exercise increased caution
DE
Level 1Exercise normal precautions
Exercise normal precautions
NL
Level 2Exercise increased caution
Exercise increased caution
UK
Level 1Exercise normal precautions
Exercise normal precautions
US
Level 2Exercise increased caution
Exercise increased caution
Climate at a glance · 10-year ERA5
A decade of weather, in one page
— daytime high— overnight low▬ typical range
View data table
| Month | Average daytime high (°C) | Average overnight low (°C) | Typical low | Typical high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30.3 | 17.4 | 14.6 | 33.9 |
| February | 29.7 | 17.3 | 14.5 | 33.2 |
| March | 28.4 | 15.6 | 12.3 | 32.2 |
| April | 25.1 | 12.3 | 9.0 | 29.6 |
| May | 22.9 | 8.5 | 5.3 | 26.8 |
| June | 20.0 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 23.3 |
| July | 19.7 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 23.2 |
| August | 21.8 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 26.3 |
| September | 25.0 | 9.6 | 5.9 | 29.4 |
| October | 27.1 | 12.3 | 7.9 | 32.7 |
| November | 28.5 | 14.3 | 10.8 | 33.0 |
| December | 29.5 | 16.2 | 13.3 | 33.4 |
View data table
| Month | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|
| January | 79 |
| February | 76 |
| March | 55 |
| April | 52 |
| May | 19 |
| June | 15 |
| July | 13 |
| August | 12 |
| September | 21 |
| October | 36 |
| November | 55 |
| December | 79 |
View data table
| Month | Sunshine hours (hr / day) |
|---|---|
| January | 8.9 |
| February | 8.0 |
| March | 7.6 |
| April | 6.7 |
| May | 6.9 |
| June | 6.5 |
| July | 6.8 |
| August | 7.4 |
| September | 8.0 |
| October | 8.6 |
| November | 9.0 |
| December | 9.0 |
— average▬ typical range
View data table
| Month | Average wind speed (km/h) | Typical low | Typical high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.2 | 9.7 | 15.8 |
| February | 11.5 | 9.1 | 14.7 |
| March | 10.8 | 8.4 | 14.1 |
| April | 10.5 | 7.9 | 14.3 |
| May | 10.3 | 7.7 | 14.7 |
| June | 11.6 | 8.3 | 16.5 |
| July | 11.8 | 8.5 | 17.2 |
| August | 12.1 | 8.9 | 16.9 |
| September | 12.6 | 9.3 | 17.3 |
| October | 13.1 | 9.7 | 17.6 |
| November | 13.1 | 10.3 | 16.6 |
| December | 13.0 | 10.7 | 15.9 |
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Snow depth
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Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature for South Africa is part of the Premium map and its district-level detail. See what Premium includes.
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Heat index
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Humidity
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