South Africa in July
July is the last month of winter and the time to enjoy nature, food and wine. There are plenty of festivals to attend and you should not miss celebrating Nelson Mandela Day (July 18). Surfing and diving is at its best now and you can even plan some days out hiking.
Weather
July is the last month of winter in South Africa. The weather is dry, sunny, with crisp days and cold nights in the interior plateau. On the coast and the lower-lying areas, the weather is sunny , quite warm and with no rain. The Western Cape gets a lot of rain during winter, but there are always sunny days among the cloudy and wet ones. In the mountains, it always snows during the winter.
Some temperatures:
Cape Town avg high 16C , avg low 8C
Durban avg high 22C ; avg low 12C
Johannesburg avg high 16C ; avg low 5C
Pretoria avg high 18C ; avg low 8C
>>read more about Weather in South Africa
Facilities
July is part of the low season in South Africa. It’s the time of the year when the flight and hotel won’t burn holes in your pockets. Hostels are also good choices, particularly if you plan to do some long term traveling or your budget is quite low.
Things to do
This time of year is a good choice for those who want to dive or surf. Although it’s the last month of winter, don’t worry about being too cold for hiking or canoeing. Head to Lake St. Lucian and spend a day in nature.
The most important day this month is Nelson Mandela Day, celebrated on July 18. It’s the best occasion to take a trip to Robben Island, for example.
July is also a time when festivals are in full swing: oyster festival (in Knysna), wine festival (in Stellenbosch), a wildlife festival, jazz festival, surfing events and air show.
Spend your time visiting the important sights and , if it happens to rain, hide in one of the museums. Visit the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town and look at the stars from the Planetarium (in Cape Town or Johannesburg). Spend a day at the zoo in Johannesburg and get your adrenaline going at the Gold Reef City. In Durban , make sure to check out the Indian Market and visit the Old Fort. If you like coffee, a visit to a coffee farm is a must.