June is winter in South Africa, with temperatures ranging from cool to warm and mostly dry weather. This time of year is great to visit Kruger National Park, Kalahari, the Drakensberg, Mountains, and Cape Town. Read on to find out more about travel and weather, including temperatures, rainfall, humidity, and tips for June.
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June Climate Comparison (Averages) for South Africa's Top Tourism Areas
| City/Area | Temp. | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town (beaches, wineries, whale watching) | Cool to Mild | Moderate |
| Johannesburg (largest city, travel hub) | Cold to Mild | Arid |
| Kruger National Park (top safari area) | Cold to Warm | Arid |
| Kalahari (northern desert trips) | Cold to Warm | Arid |
| Drakensberg Mountains (hiking, near Battlefields) | Cold to Mild | Arid |
| City/Area | Daily High | Daily Low |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town (beaches, wineries, whale watching) | 18ºC (64ºF) | 8ºC (46ºF) |
| Johannesburg (largest city, travel hub) | 16ºC (61ºF) | 4ºC (39ºF) |
| Kruger National Park (top safari area) | 26ºC (79ºF) | 6ºC (43ºF) |
| Kalahari (northern desert trips) | 23ºC (73ºF) | 5ºC (41ºF) |
| Drakensberg Mountains (hiking, near Battlefields) | 16ºC (61ºF) | 2ºC (36ºF) |
| City/Area | Rain (cm) | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town (beaches, wineries, whale watching) | 9 | 4 |
| Johannesburg (largest city, travel hub) | 1 | 0 |
| Kruger National Park (top safari area) | 1 | 0 |
| Kalahari (northern desert trips) | 0 | 0 |
| Drakensberg Mountains (hiking, near Battlefields) | 1 | 0 |
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The Best Places to Visit in South Africa in June
With June's weather being mostly mild to warm, with very little rainfall, there are lots of great things to do both indoors and outdoors. This includes going to Cape Town for sightseeing, going to visit the Drakensberg Battlefields, going for a safari at Kruger National Park, and seeing the black-maned lions on safari in the Kalahari Desert.
1. Start Your South Africa Adventure in Cape Town
Cape Town is likely to be your first stop on a trip to South Africa, and for good reason. Cape Town is bustling with things to see, such as museums, but also wildlife on its outskirts and within day-trip distance. In the evenings, you can explore Cape Town's restaurant and bar scene.
To read more about what to see in South Africa, check out our piece about visiting South Africa in April for more information about climbing nearby Table Mountain, and check out our piece about visiting South Africa in March for more tips on museums to visit if you do happen to be there on a rainy day.
2. Visit the Battlefields near Drakensberg
June is a great time of year to visit the Drakensberg Mountains, when there is less rainfall compared to the wetter season (October through to April), and the temperatures are less oppressive.
The area has lots of historic battlefields to visit, particularly if you are into military history. There are the battlefields of the Voortrekker/Zulu conflict of 1838, and the battlefields of the Anglo-Boer War of 1899–1902. These sites also have museums and explanations on site to help you understand more of the history of this area.
This area is also home to some beautiful hikes if you want to get out into nature for the day, for more information about these, check out our piece on visiting South Africa in May.
3. See Elephants in Kruger National Park
If you are planning to visit South Africa, we highly recommend going on a safari at some point during your time there. Why not visit Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves?
A visit to Kruger National Park gives you the opportunity to see the big five: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos, as well as hundreds of other mammals and diverse bird species (including vultures and eagles). June is a great time of the year to visit as the temperatures are lower, and it also falls in the dry season (between May and October), when conditions are great for walking safaris as well as game viewing.
We recommend visiting for a minimum of two days, but you can easily spend five days there to truly appreciate its beauty.
4. Catch a Glimpse of the Black-Maned Lion in the Kalahari Desert
The beautiful Kalahari Desert crosses from Botswana and Namibia into South Africa's north, and is home black-maned lions, which have roamed this desert for centuries. The landscape is also home to highly-adapted Bushmen ethnicity.
The Kalahari Desert has two seasons, a hot season that is wetter (but still with low rainfall) between October and April, and a cooler, dry season which runs from May through to November. June is a great time to visit as the temperatures are lower, and there is no rainfall.
We recommend going on a safari to see the black-maned lions, which generally live in big prides for protection, particularly as their habitats have been drastically shrinking and are protected by local laws with efforts underway to restore their habitat and their numbers.
It is also possible to go on walking tours of a different part of the desert, where you'll be able to enjoy the incredible landscapes and see other flora and fauna.
Low Season: Quieter and Less Expensive
June is not within South Africa's peak tourist season, meaning that the costs are generally lower for transportation and accommodation. This also means that there are fewer tourists around, particularly in the busier areas such as Kruger National Park and throughout Cape Town's museums.
June 16 is Youth Day throughout South Africa every year, celebrating the contribution that young people made in South Africa's struggle for freedom. On this day in 1976, school-age children marched in a protest that began the Soweto Uprising, which contributed to the struggle against apartheid. It is a public holiday, but most tourist spots remain open on Youth Day.
What to Wear in June
With temperatures ranging between cool to warm in June, what you wear will depend on where you are visiting and what you are doing during your time in South Africa. In general, we would recommend bringing multiple layers so that you can put on a light coat or a jumper should you get cold or be out in the morning or later in the evening, but a t-shirt for warmer days that you are out in the daytime.
If you are planning on going on for a hike or a trek, we recommend bringing the appropriate equipment and additional layers to keep warm in the mountains.
For those visiting the Kalahari Desert or looking to go on sunrise game drives in Kruger National Park, we recommend bringing a thicker coat to keep warm.
Monthly Weather in South Africa
Contact Global Highlights to Plan Your South Africa Tour
June is a great time of the year to visit South Africa, with plenty to see and do in pleasant weather conditions. If you want to visit South Africa next June, and you need a little help planning your time, Global Highlights can help you put together an itinerary.
If you need a little more help getting started, check out our piece about planning a trip to South Africa.
Let us know where you'd like to go, what you want to see, and how we can assist you, and our experts can put together your bespoke itinerary arranging everything from travel to accommodation and tickets for tourist spots. Contact us to begin a tour inquiry.
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