What are the weather patterns in South Africa?

The Cape, including the Garden Route, has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Summer runs from mid-November to early April, so includes the school Christmas and Easter breaks. Autumn, from April to early June is usually a fine time to travel, with warm, mainly dry weather and colourful landscapes. From July to early November, the oceans make their presence felt with Atlantic weather fronts moderated by the influence of the Indian Ocean. A great time for whale watching!

KwaZulu Natal runs from Mozambique south along the coast, beyond Durban and inland past the Drakensberg mountains. It is mostly subtropical and from November to March is hot, quite humid and prone to rainstorms, though there is also lots of sunshine, especially in the morning. April to October temperatures are largely warm and dry, hotter in the north and cooler at altitude in the Drakensberg mountains.

The northern wildlife regions have hot weather from November to March and occasional rainstorms, diminishing as you go west towards the Namib and north towards the Kalahari. April to October is dry and the relatively high altitude of the region can make it very cold early morning and evening — ideal game viewing conditions — especially in the winter from May to early September. Even in these winter months, temperatures rise pleasantly soon after sunrise.