South Africa
When to Visit
Choosing the most suitable time of year to visit South Africa depends very much on the activities you have planned for your holiday. The flowers are best in August and September. The ideal time for game viewing is late spring (September and October). The southern right whales can be seen off the coasts from about mid-June to the end of October.
The changing Seasons
If you're a birder, the palaeoarctic migrants arrive around November and the intra-African migrants usually by mid-October.
The diving is best in most of the country outside of summer (ie, from April through to September), and so is the surfing - but that certainly doesn't limit either activity to those times.
River rafting is better in the Cape at the end of winter, and in Kwa Zulu-Natal in the height of summer (late November to mid-February). In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, it's less time-dependent.
The shoulder seasons - spring and autumn - are best for hiking, as summer can be hot over most of the country. In the Drakensberg, summer thunderstorms are dangerous, while there is a good chance of snow in winter. In the Cape, the winters are wet, so hiking can become harder and you will need quality walking gear.
Of course, if you want to lounge around on the beach, mid-summer is the best time – though everyone else will be there too. And – a big bonus – the beaches of northern Kwa Zulu-Natal are warm and sunny even in mid winter.
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