Cape Town vs Johannesburg: Weather & Climate Compared
🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa · 🇿🇦 Johannesburg, South Africa
Warmer overall
Cape Town
Sunnier
Cape Town
More rainy days
Johannesburg
Cape Town vs Johannesburg weather right now
At this moment, Cape Town is the warmer of the two by 3°F (2°C).
The short answer
Cape Town takes the temperature crown. Averaged over all twelve months it runs 63°F (17°C), about 1.4°F (0.8°C) above Johannesburg's 61°F (16°C).
Head to head
- Sunshine: Cape Town collects 10.7 hours of daily sun across the year; Johannesburg manages 10.7.
- Rain: umbrellas get more use in Johannesburg - about 86 wet days a year versus 78 in Cape Town.
- Peak heat: Cape Town tops out in January (79°F (26°C) highs); Johannesburg peaks in December (79°F (26°C)).
- Coldest nights: winter bottoms out at 50°F (10°C) in Cape Town (July) and 39°F (4°C) in Johannesburg (July).
Cape Town vs Johannesburg month by month
| Month | Cape Town high / low | Johannesburg high / low | Cape Town rain days | Johannesburg rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° / 64° | 78° / 58° | 3 | 14 |
| February | 78° / 63° | 77° / 58° | 2 | 13 |
| March | 75° / 61° | 76° / 56° | 4 | 9 |
| April | 72° / 58° | 71° / 51° | 5 | 8 |
| May | 67° / 54° | 68° / 45° | 7 | 2 |
| June | 63° / 51° | 63° / 40° | 11 | 1 |
| July | 62° / 50° | 63° / 39° | 10 | 0 |
| August | 62° / 50° | 70° / 44° | 10 | 1 |
| September | 64° / 52° | 76° / 50° | 8 | 3 |
| October | 70° / 56° | 79° / 53° | 6 | 7 |
| November | 72° / 58° | 79° / 56° | 5 | 11 |
| December | 75° / 61° | 79° / 59° | 5 | 16 |
Who's warmer, month by month?
The lead changes hands with the seasons: Cape Town is the warmer city for 4 months of the year (January through June broadly), while Johannesburg takes over for the remaining 8. The starkest contrast comes in September, when Johannesburg runs about 12°F (7°C) warmer; May is the great equalizer.
Sunshine, daylight and rain chance
| Month | Cape Town sun | Johannesburg sun | Cape Town daylight | Johannesburg daylight | Cape Town wet-day chance | Johannesburg wet-day chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.3 h | 11.6 h | 14.2 h | 13.6 h | 10% | 44% |
| February | 12.2 h | 11.0 h | 13.4 h | 13.0 h | 8% | 46% |
| March | 10.9 h | 10.7 h | 12.4 h | 12.3 h | 13% | 28% |
| April | 9.9 h | 10.1 h | 11.3 h | 11.5 h | 16% | 26% |
| May | 8.7 h | 9.8 h | 10.4 h | 10.8 h | 23% | 7% |
| June | 8.0 h | 9.8 h | 9.9 h | 10.5 h | 38% | 5% |
| July | 8.4 h | 10.2 h | 10.1 h | 10.6 h | 33% | 2% |
| August | 9.0 h | 10.6 h | 10.9 h | 11.2 h | 34% | 2% |
| September | 10.0 h | 11.2 h | 11.9 h | 12.0 h | 26% | 11% |
| October | 11.9 h | 11.1 h | 13.0 h | 12.8 h | 19% | 22% |
| November | 12.5 h | 11.5 h | 13.9 h | 13.4 h | 17% | 37% |
| December | 13.1 h | 11.3 h | 14.4 h | 13.8 h | 17% | 52% |
Seasons compared
| Months | Cape Town high / low | Johannesburg high / low | Cape Town rain days | Johannesburg rain days | Cape Town sun | Johannesburg sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December - February | 77° / 63° | 78° / 58° | 11 | 43 | 12.9 h | 11.3 h |
| March - May | 71° / 58° | 71° / 51° | 16 | 19 | 9.8 h | 10.2 h |
| June - August | 62° / 50° | 65° / 41° | 32 | 3 | 8.5 h | 10.2 h |
| September - November | 69° / 55° | 78° / 53° | 19 | 21 | 11.5 h | 11.3 h |
Best months for sightseeing
Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:
- Cape Town: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December (9 months)
- Johannesburg: March, April, May, August, September, October, November (7 months)
Both cities are at their most comfortable in March, April, May, September, October, November, the easiest window for a trip that takes in both.
Records, distance and time difference
- Cape Town records (2015-2024): high of 100° in February, low of 38° in August.
- Johannesburg records (2015-2024): high of 97° in January, low of 25° in July.
- Distance: Cape Town and Johannesburg are about 784 miles (1,262 km) apart as the crow flies.
- Time difference: the two cities share the same local time right now.
Cape Town vs Johannesburg: quick answers
Is Cape Town warmer than Johannesburg?
On the annual mean, Cape Town is the warmer city by roughly 1.4°F (0.8°C), though the margin shifts with the seasons.
Which city is sunnier, Cape Town or Johannesburg?
Cape Town, with 10.7 hours of average daily sunshine against 10.7 in Johannesburg.
Which city gets more rain?
Johannesburg is the wetter city, logging about 86 rain days annually to Cape Town's 78.
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