South Africa > South Africa, weather in May: Climate and travel budget
South Africa in May : Travel budget & tourist seasons.
Budget your trip depending on your departure time.
Beyond the tourist season (low, medium or high season) of the destination country, prices of your flight, hotel or all-inclusive stays may also vary depending on the demand in your country (our rates are evaluated from western Europe).
Thus, from western Europe, a stay will often be more expensive for a start during the school holidays.
In May, here's what you can expect on average:
• All-inclusive stays: 2478 € / week
• Round-trip flight: 875 €
• Tourist season: low
Climate in May, picked destinations
In May, weather conditions in South Africa make it a good trip destination. Among our chosen destinations (see below), the average temperatures you'll face in May would be between 10.0°C and 22.0°C, with exceptional possible peaks as low as -6°C and high as 34°C as observed in previous years.
Depending on your exact destination, you can face more or less rain, the average amount of rain observed during May in South Africa is 47 mm and you can have between 3 and 9 rainy days. If you want to avoid rain, your preferred destination could be Johannesburg.
Note that the gap in temperature between the different areas in the country is low and the number of rainy days should be the same across the country. The country is rather climatically homogeneous in this season.
Based on weather conditions, our advice for one of the best destinations in South Africa during May is Durban.
Click on the name of a city to read more details about it, have more climate data history and see weather forecasts.
City | Sunlight (h/d) | Average T min (°C) | Average T max (°C) | Record T min (°C) | Record T max (°C) | Precipitations (mm) | Wet days | Rating |
Cape Town | 6 | 10 | 20 | -1 | 34 | 78 | 9 | |
Durban | 7 | 15 | 25 | 7 | 34 | 50 | 4 | |
Johannesburg | 9 | 7 | 20 | -6 | 25 | 24 | 3 | |
Port Elizabeth | 7 | 11 | 23 | -1 | 34 | 60 | 5 | |
Pretoria | 9 | 7 | 22 | -3 | 25 | 22 | 3 |
South Africa: Climate & Weather
The climate varies according to the different areas: It tends to be more Mediterranean close to Cape Town, hot and dry between September and April and fairly temperate between May and August.
Towards the north and along the Atlantic the climate becomes dryer and hotter: It is more sub-tropical along the Indian Ocean with December, January and February the hottest months: Around Johannesburg, winter (which corresponds with summer in the northern hemisphere) is dry with high differences in temperature between the day and night and summer, between October and April, is very hot with periodic severe storms. Spring is the best time to benefit from warm temperatures and the flowering plant life whilst avoiding the summer crowds. |
South Africa: Map |
Not the best weather? Look for other destinations: Where to go in May