South Africa's climate is generally sunny and pleasant, but there is considerable regional variation: the northwest is very arid, the south is temperate, and the northeast has a more typically tropical climate. Winters (May to August) are generally mild, particularly in the Western Cape; most of the rest of the country receives only a brief cold spell, when snow falls on the mountain ranges and occasionally in lower-lying areas. The rainiest months in Cape Town are May to August; Johannesburg receives most of its annual rainfall in the summer, between November and March.

Lightweight cottons and linens; rainwear. Warmer clothes are needed for winter.