Before you step out, grab your sunscreen, umbrella, or jacket—because South Africa’s weather is serving up a bit of everything today.
From warm sunshine in Gauteng to chilly showers in the Western Cape, here’s the province-by-province forecast, plus some fun facts about each region.
Gauteng – Small in Size, Big in Population
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Forecast: Expect fine and warm conditions.
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UVB Sunburn Index: High – so don’t skip the sunscreen.
Did you know? Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest province by size (18,178 km²) but the largest in population, with about 16 million people.
The capital city is Johannesburg, the bustling heart of the province.
Mpumalanga – Warm and Welcoming
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Forecast: Fine and warm throughout the day.
Did you know? Mpumalanga is the country’s second smallest province (76,495 km²) and home to roughly 4.7 million people. Its capital city is Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit).
Limpopo – Hot in Some Areas
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Forecast: Mostly fine and warm, but hot in certain places.
Did you know? Limpopo is the fifth largest province (125,754 km²) with a population of about 5.9 million. Its capital city is Polokwane.
North West – Warm but Windy
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Forecast: Fine, windy, and warm.
Did you know? North West sits as the sixth largest province (104,882 km²) and has about 4.2 million residents. The capital is Mahikeng, once known as Mafikeng.
Free State – Cool to Warm with Wind
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Forecast: Conditions will be fine, windy, and range from cool to warm.
Did you know? The Free State is South Africa’s third largest province (129,825 km²) but has one of the smallest populations—just under 3 million. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also the nation’s judicial capital.
Northern Cape – Foggy Start, Windy Afternoon
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Forecast: Expect some morning fog in the south, followed by cool to warm weather. The coast will see changing winds, turning moderate south-westerly by afternoon.
Did you know? The Northern Cape is by far the biggest province (372,889 km²), but the least populated with only about 1.3 million people. Kimberley serves as its capital.
Western Cape – Showers Incoming
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Forecast: Partly cloudy and cool to cold, with showers likely in western and south-western areas. Winds will pick up, reaching gale force along the south-west coast later.
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UVB Sunburn Index: Very high.
Did you know? The Western Cape is the fourth largest province (129,449 km²) and the third most populous with 7.2 million residents. Cape Town is the provincial capital.
Eastern Cape – Split Conditions
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Western half: Foggy in the morning, then partly cloudy, windy, and cool.
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Eastern half: Morning fog inland, otherwise fine and cool, though coastal areas may see cloud cover.
Did you know? The Eastern Cape is the second largest province (168,966 km²) with around 6.7 million residents. Its capital is Bhisho.
KwaZulu-Natal – Cloudy with Coastal Showers
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Forecast: Fog patches inland in the morning, becoming partly cloudy by the afternoon with showers along the coast.
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UVB Sunburn Index: Very high.
Did you know? KwaZulu-Natal ranks seventh in size (94,361 km²) but is the second most populous with 11.5 million people.
The capital city is Pietermaritzburg.
Weather Alerts You Should Know About
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Warnings: A Yellow Level 2 warning has been issued for waves that could damage coastal infrastructure between Lambert’s Bay and Plettenberg Bay, spreading further by Saturday evening.
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Fire Danger: Extremely high fire risks are in place across parts of Northern Cape, North West, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape.
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Advisories: None issued today.
