Season guide · Johannesburg · South Africa
Johannesburg in summer
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Warm days with dramatic afternoon thunderstorms; the city is quieter in late December and early January while residents are at the coast. Expect highs up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 14°C (57°F), with about 34 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 14°C (57°F) to 26°C (79°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 34
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°C (79°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 12 | 13.6 h | 3/5 |
| February | 25°C (77°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 10 | 13 h | 3/5 |
| December | 26°C (79°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 12 | 13.8 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 26°C (79°F) against a yearly 22°C (72°F), and 34 of the year's roughly 76 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- December: Day of Reconciliation — public holiday (16 December)
Good choices for summer
Museum · Ormonde
Apartheid Museum
Opened in 2001 next to Gold Reef City, the museum tells the story of racial segregation from the gold-rush era to the 1994 elections through film, photographs, documents and personal testimony.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Soweto
Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum
Walk the route between the museum and Vilakazi Street; markers on the pavement follow the students' march.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Braamfontein
Origins Centre
At the University of the Witwatersrand, this museum explores human origins in Africa and holds one of the finest collections of southern African rock art.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Orchards
Satyagraha House
Read up on Gandhi's arrest and time at the Old Fort first; Constitution Hill and this house tell two halves of the same story.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
Gallery · Rosebank
Rosebank galleries and Keyes Art Mile
A cluster of commercial galleries around Jellicoe Avenue and Keyes Avenue shows leading contemporary South African and African artists, with design shops and restaurants in between.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Shopping
Day trips in summer
- Cradle of Humankind (About 1 hour by car) — A UNESCO World Heritage Site of limestone caves where many early hominin fossils, including the skull nicknamed 'Mrs Ples', were found.
- Pretoria (About 40 minutes by Gautrain from Sandton) — South Africa's administrative capital has the Union Buildings with a nine-metre Mandela statue, the hilltop Voortrekker Monument and the historic Church Square.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Johannesburg?
It is a trade-off: Warm days with dramatic afternoon thunderstorms; the city is quieter in late December and early January while residents are at the coast. The best months overall are April–May and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Johannesburg in summer?
Highs of up to 26°C (79°F) and lows around 14°C (57°F), with about 34 rainy days over the season.