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Hotel Verde
Hotel Verde
Hotel Verde

About Hotel Verde

Hotel Verde is a modern and environmentally friendly hotel, situated just 400 metres from Cape Town International ...

... Airport and a 20 -minute drive (depending on traffic) from central Cape Town. Opened in August 2013, ‘Africa’s greenest hotel’ is high-tech yet comfortable, with 145 contemporary rooms, and is very much focused towards the international traveller.

The unique Hotel Verde puts conservation, sustainability and guests’ comfort at the top of its priorities. Its rooms are cleverly designed and comfortable, to meet the requirements of individual travellers. Its outside areas are located in small regenerated wetlands – a magnet for local birdlife. And it is very tranquil; you would never guess that you were in an industrial area, only 400 metres from the airport! The hotel’s location and facilities make it a very good base for an overnight stop before or after a flight.

Our view

The unique Hotel Verde puts conservation, sustainability and guests’ comfort at the top of its priorities. Its rooms are cleverly designed and comfortable, to meet the requirements of individual travellers. Its outside areas are located in small regenerated wetlands – a magnet for local birdlife. And it is very tranquil; you would never guess that you were in an industrial area, only 400 metres from the airport! The hotel’s location and facilities make it a very good base for an overnight stop before or after a flight.

Lucy Copson

Lucy Copson

South Africa expert

Accommodation

145 rooms

Children

Best for all ages

Open

All year

Activities

Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Boat trip

Boat trip

Canoeing

Canoeing

Cultural excursion

Cultural excursion

Dune-boarding

Dune-boarding

Fishing

Fishing

Helicopter

Helicopter

Horse-riding

Horse-riding

Hot air ballooning

Hot air ballooning

Kayaking

Kayaking

Microlight

Microlight

Mountain biking

Mountain biking

Private activities

Private activities

Quad-biking

Quad-biking

Scuba-diving

Scuba-diving

Self-guided walking

Self-guided walking

Snorkelling

Snorkelling

Watersports

Watersports

Traveller reviews of Hotel Verde

8 real, un-edited reviews from Expert Africa's travellers.


83%
8 reviews since August 2007
Excellent
2
Good
5
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Mr & Mrs PfromW Midlands

Arrived 18 Jan 2025, 1 nights

"Better than average airport hotel"

"different from other airport hotels - a pleasant place to spend the night …" Read Mr & Mrs P’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Mr&Mrs SfromArni CH

Arrived 22 Nov 2024, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde review"

"Their shuttle runs every 30 minutes to the airport. However, if you need …" Read Mr&Mrs S’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Mr and Mrs WfromGLOS

Arrived 29 Oct 2024, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde review"

"...helpful reception staff and very efficient shuttle to the airport. …" Read Mr and Mrs W’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Dr C & Mr PfromBC

Arrived 24 Oct 2022, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde review"

"Room was clean and shuttle was prompt …" Read Dr C & Mr P’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Average

Mr JfromMilton Keynes

Arrived 11 Feb 2019, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde review"

"Very helpful staff and convenient location …" Read Mr J’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs BfromCeredigion

Arrived 15 Sep 2017, 1 nights

"Wonderful surprise!"

"Wonderful surprise!... recommend this hotel... loved their 'eco-friendly ' ethos …" Read Mr & Mrs B’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs TfromTunbridgeW

Arrived 9 Aug 2015, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde review"

"Although positioned on the outskirts of an airport industrial complex, transport …" Read Mr & Mrs T’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Ms SfromBeckenham

Arrived 21 Apr 2015, 1 nights

"Hotel Verde Review"

"Although it was only a transit hotel for us, and we didn't arrive until …" Read Ms S’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

See all Hotel Verde reviews

Hotel Verde: Our full report

Hotel Verde is a modern and environmentally friendly hotel, situated just 400 metres from Cape Town International ...

... Airport and a 20 -minute drive (depending on traffic) from central Cape Town. Opened in August 2013, ‘Africa’s greenest hotel’ is high-tech yet comfortable, with 145 contemporary rooms, and is very much focused towards the international traveller.

Guests at the Hotel Verde are met by friendly, efficient staff at the modern glass reception desk. This is backed by a slate wall, where five brightly coloured clocks show different times around the world.

Ideal for late arrivals or those who just want a light snack is Verdeli, Hotel Verde’s deli, which is open 24 hours a day. It offers freshly prepared meals that can be taken to your room or enjoyed in the modern public areas. Options vary daily.

The restaurant at Hotel Verde has been designed to provide guests with good, wholesome food in a relaxed setting. Tables and chairs are dotted around inside, as well as outside on the terrace overlooking the grounds. Hotel Verde grows its own herbs and lettuces, while all other ingredients are sourced from within a 160km radius of the hotel, thereby supporting local producers. Each Wednesday, between 7.00pm and 10.00pm, they host a weekly ‘Earth Hour’ celebration, when all non-essential lights and appliances are switched off in the public areas and guests can enjoy a candlelit dinner. A special menu that requires no electricity to cook is provided on that evening.

Beside the restaurant is the bar, open from noon until 1.00am every day. It offers a unique range of cocktails as well as wines, juices and smoothies, and beers, which – in line with the hotel’s ‘green policy’ – are on tap rather than bottled. Similarly, the filtered water is bottled on site to reduce their carbon footprint.

Between the restaurant and the lounge area is a ‘living wall’ of plants, lit on one side by natural light from the skylights above, and on the other by LED lamps. As well as creating a soft green focus to the area, it also cleans the air and acts as a sound barrier between the restaurant and the seating area.

The lounge itself is fitted with vibrant orange and black contemporary furniture, with a small library in one corner and a music corner, with instruments that guests are encouraged to play. Beside the lounge is a work area where guests can use their laptops and have meetings.

Hotel Verde’s 145 rooms are reached along corridors with brighly coloured carpets and artwork by local artists. The rooms are well-equipped, with tea- and coffee-making facilities, including fresh milk, laptop-sized electronic safes, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, a desk and desk lamp, and international plug points. Only eight rooms have baths; the rest have showers. Hairdryers are also provided.

  • The 130 standard rooms are available with a choice of either an open or closed bathroom.. The rooms are airy and simple room, meeting the needs of most travellers.
  • Two universally accessible rooms have been designed to provide access for those with limited mobility.
  • The studio rooms provide accommodation for up to three adults, but can also take two adults and two children. Each consists of either a king-size bed, or twins, as well as a sleeper couch, and a private bathroom.


  • The executive rooms, with a bedroom, lounge, private bathroom and a kitchenette area, are designed for long-stay guests. The kitchenette has crockery and cutlery for four people, a washing-up area, microwave and dining area. The sofa in the lounge can be converted into a sleeper couch.
  • The executive suites are similar to the executive rooms, but with two bedrooms, so can accommodate up to six people.
Hotel Verde offers an array of indoor and outdoor facilities. On site is a state-of-the-art 24-hour gym. Impressively, it offers power-generating equipment: the health walker and bicycles pump power back into the hotel’s on-site grid, and the user can see how much energy they have generated.

Outside, sunloungers sit on a wooden deck around part of an eco-pool, where small fish and tadpoles, rather than chemicals clean the water – and it’s quite safe to swim! There is also a 350m jogging track and an outdoor gym located in tranquil regenerated wetlands.

Hotel Verde offers complimentary transfers to and from Cape Town Airport every 30 minutes, as well as to the city’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The complimentary Waterfront transfers depart at 10.00am and return at 6.00pm, but transfers at other times cost ZAR350 (about GBP20) for one person and ZAR30 (less than GBP2) for each additional person (costs correct at May 2014).

Hotel Verde’s green policy makes it a unique hotel in South Africa. As an incentive for guests to save energy, rewards are offered in the form of ‘Verdinos’, the hotels in-house ‘currency’, which can be used at Verdeli and at the bar. Rewards may be accrued by not using air conditioning, turning off lights, using the power-saving gym equipment, re-using towels and bedding and recycling waste.

By finding new concepts and angles to look at energy, water and waste reduction, the hotel has made itself completely self-sustainable. Other initiatives include recycling grey water from showers and baths, collection of rain water in a 40,000 litre tank (a recycled wine tank), immediate hot water, wind turbines, solar panels, lighting and regenerative drive elevators, meaning that they recycle the energy rather than waste it in heat. The hotel’s environmentally friendly approach has even been extended into the basement car park, where the walls have been painted by local graffiti artists, transforming a dark and dismal space into a bright and colourful area.

Geographics

Location
Cape Town, South Africa
Ideal length of stay
Ideal for an overnight stay before or after and flight.
Accessible by
Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis
Bed & Breakfast
Food quality
When we visited Hotel Verde in May 2014, we didn’t stay long enough to eat here, but we understand that the meals are freshly prepared and imaginative.

Hotel Verde has a deli, which serves fresh food 24 hours a day – ideal for late arrivals – as well as a more conventional restaurant.

A breakfast buffet is available from 4.30am to cater for travellers leaving on an early flight. This consists of yoghurts, nuts and fruit, as well as a traditional cooked English breakfast.

For lunch and dinner, Hotel Verde offers a range of light as well as more substantial meals. They serve a variety of dishes, from favourites such as pizza (they have their own pizza oven), burgers and pasta to contemporary fusion dishes. The hotel grows its own herbs and lettuces, which are regularly featured in it meals, whilst all the other ingredients are sourced from within a 160km radius of the hotel, thereby supporting local producers. A blackboard is placed in the restaurant showing where the day’s produce is sourced and how far away that is.
Dining style
Individual Tables
Dining locations
Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service
Breakfast is included in the rate. Lunch and dinner are an extra cost. service is available 24 hours a day.
Drinks included
Drinks are not included

Children

Attitude towards children
Children are very welcome at Hotel Verde
Property’s age restrictions
There is no age restriction
Special activities & services
A separate children’s menu is available. Children are offered pizza dough to play with and make their own pizzas.
Equipment
Cots and highchairs are available
Generally recommended for children
We recommend Hotel Verde for children of all ages

Communications

Power supply notes
International plugs are provided in the rooms as well as in the main areas.
Communications
WiFi is available throughout the hotel and direct dial telephones are available in the rooms
TV & radio
All rooms have satellite TV.
Water supply
Mains
Water supply notes
All rooms have mains water for showers, basins and baths, with recycled water used for the toilets.

Sustainability

Hotel Verde sustainability

Going “carbon-neutral” for Zimbabwe

Hotel Verde is a leading example of an establishment built up with sustainability in mind ever since the beginning. Guided by strict conservation goals called ‘The Verde Principles’, the main priority of the hotel is to involve customers in its eco-friendly initiatives. Located near the airport, it offers Africa's first carbon neutral hotel experience by creating easily-accessible solutions that encourages travelers to offset their carbon footprint whilst on holiday.

The hotel grants guests a “carbon-offset” certificate at the end of their stay, creating a sense of inclusion and engagement towards achieving a better environment. The programme is a creative step to showcase ways in which guests can offset carbon emissions and get reward points for being environmentally friendly, even by simply working out at the gym, pushing the energy back into the hotel. This also serves as an educational initiative which aims to show visitors how hard it is to produce electricity versus how simple it is to waste it. Another way is only by using the elevators, fitted with regenerative breaking which allows them to recover energy as they go up or down. The financial benefits of staying “carbon-neutral” are going towards the Kariba REDD+ Project in Zimbabwe for improving the lives of local communities, as well as for reversing the negative results of threatened wildlife population and loss of forest.

Certified by Fair Trade Tourism and achieving numerous awards and certifications such as Double Platinum certification awarded by LEED - an internationally recognized green building rating, Hotel Verde is never short of thriving in each aspect of green practices.

See more great sustainability projects in South Africa

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended
No
Medical care
Doctors and hospitals are located in Cape Town
Dangerous animals
Low Risk
Security measures
A security fence and gate surround the property and a security guard is located at the main gate to the hotel.
Fire safety
Fire extinguishers are dotted around the property and main areas.

Activities

  • Birdwatching

    Birdwatching

  • Boat trip

    Boat trip

  • Canoeing

    Canoeing

  • Cultural excursion

    Cultural excursion

  • Dune-boarding

    Dune-boarding

  • Fishing

    Fishing

  • Helicopter

    Helicopter

  • Horse-riding

    Horse-riding

  • Hot air ballooning

    Hot air ballooning

  • Kayaking

    Kayaking

  • Microlight

    Microlight

  • Mountain biking

    Mountain biking

  • Private activities

    Private activities

  • Quad-biking

    Quad-biking

  • Scuba-diving

    Scuba-diving

  • Self-guided walking

    Self-guided walking

  • Snorkelling

    Snorkelling

  • Watersports

    Watersports

Extras

Disabled access
In Place
Laundry facilities
Laundry is available at an additional cost
Money
Laptop sized digital safes are provided in each room.
Accepted payment on location
Payment is accepted in SA Rands and all major credit cards are accepted at no additional cost.

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Hotel Verde's location

Look closer at the environment and surroundings of Hotel Verde.


Excursions from Hotel Verde

Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst you're staying at Hotel Verde. Talk to us: these are usually best arranged before you go.


Cape Point and Peninsula Tour

Cape Point and Peninsula Tour

Full day - normally nine hours

Get your camera ready for one of South Africa’s most breathtaking coastal drives in the company of an informative guide. Take in magnificent beaches, stunning scenery, wildlife on land and at sea, and the meeting of two great oceans, then round off your day in the tranquillity of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

More about Cape Point and Peninsula
93% (8 reviews)
City and Table Mountain Tour

City and Table Mountain Tour

Approximately four hours - AM or PM

From atop the iconic Table Mountain, the panoramic views of Cape Town can be breathtaking – and if the cable car isn’t operating, they’re just as good from nearby Signal Hill. Back at sea level, explore the highlights of this fascinating and pretty city, including the South African Museum, the Castle of Good Hope and the Houses of Parliament.

More about City and Table Mountain
93% (3 reviews)
Winelands Private Tour

Winelands Private Tour

Full day

Spend a day exploring the beautiful vineyards, mountains and valleys of the Cape Winelands and sample some of the well-known wines they have to offer

More about Winelands Private Tour
100% (3 reviews)

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The Victoria & Alfred Hotel is a pleasant place to stay whilst visiting Cape Town. It's located at one of the Cape's most visited destinations, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.


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Cellars-Hohenort

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100% (1 review)

When to go to Cape Town

Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Hotel Verde in Cape Town


Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

South Africa in January

January is considered one of the best months to travel. In Cape Town the weather is hot and generally dry. The Garden Route is also excellent at this time of the year but has a more temperate climate, with slightly lower temperatures and rain can fall at any time of the year. In the Kgalagadi temperatures often top 40°C and short, sharp thunderstorms are also fairly frequent. Wildlife tends to disperse, although birding is excellent.

As this is the high season in the Cape there are numerous events, festivals and outdoor activities to attract visitors. Accommodation books up quickly and it may be necessary to book at least a year in advance. Reservations will often be needed for restaurants and visitor attractions too.

  • Hot, largely dry days with clear skies – except on Garden Route
  • Wildlife disperses in the Kalahari but birding excellent
  • Events, festivals and outdoor activities staged for the high season
  • The high season in the Cape, accommodation can cost up to 50% more
  • Pre-booking of activities & attractions is essential

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in January

South Africa in February

In February conditions are largely the same as in January, although temperatures can be slightly higher, especially in the interior. The wind in Cape Town starts to ease off. Although the Garden Route can experience some rain, the days are pleasantly warm and largely dry.

The Kgalagadi remains very hot, but the birding is still excellent. Wildlife viewing can be tricky especially if there has been some rain, as the resulting long grass can obscure the animals.

For visitors it’s still the high season, but with the local school holidays over and residents back at work, it is less busy than December and January. Accommodation costs remain high and it’s still advisable to pre-book certain activities and restaurants.

  • Hot, largely dry days with little cloud
  • Wind starts easing in Cape Town
  • Slightly less busy than December & January
  • Accommodation costs remain high, activities still best pre-booked

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in February

South Africa in March

March is still a very good time to visit. Conditions remain dry and very warm in Cape Town, although temperatures start dropping off towards the end of the month. The wind has usually died right down.

The Kalahari remains very hot and in years of good rains vegetation is at its most lush – making wildlife viewing tricky.

Typically, the crowds dwindle, but it can get very busy if Easter falls in March. It is also worth bearing in mind that during major events in March, including the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Cape Epic Mountain Bike Tour, The Cape Town Carnival and the International Jazz Festival, accommodation can get very full.

Attractions remain busy but booking is less essential.

  • Temperatures start falling towards the end of the month
  • Cape Town hosts a number of world class sport and cultural events
  • Wildlife in the Kgalagadi disperses, game viewing more challenging
  • Crowds diminish as the high season comes to an end
  • Accommodation can get busy during major events

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in March

South Africa in April

April is South Africa’s “shoulder” season and is often the most pleasant. Not too hot, not too cold, some rain but not masses. In Cape Town and along the Garden Route days are usually sunny, warm, windless and largely dry, although in Cape Town the chance of rain increases from the end of the month.

In the Kgalagadi the rainy season is typically over and migratory birds are starting to make their journey back up North. Vegetation remains lush but wildlife viewing starts picking up towards the end of the month.

The region is still relatively busy (especially of its still Easter) but it gets quieter towards the end of the month thus availability improves. Accommodation rates start to decrease, and it becomes less important to book restaurants and attractions in advance.

  • Temperatures still warm and very pleasant, with little wind.
  • Rain starts easing in the Kalahari and migratory birds start to depart
  • Less busy, especially towards the end of the month - busy over Easter
  • Accommodation frees up and prices start to come down

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in April

South Africa in May

May marks the start of the dry season in the Kgalagadi. Days are warm and dry with almost zero rainfall. Night-time/early-morning temperatures can drop towards 0°C. Wildlife viewing is at its peak as animals concentrate around the few remaining water sources.

Days can still be warm and sunny in Cape Town and on the Garden Route, but the weather becomes a lot more variable. May heralds the start of the rainy season in Cape Town and the winelands. Night-time temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees in the coastal areas.

With far fewer tourists, accommodation prices are at their lowest. There is rarely any need to pre-book activities, but reservations are still advisable at some of the top restaurants.

  • Higher chance of rain in Cape Town & the Winelands
  • Day time temperatures drop significantly
  • Wildlife viewing peaks in the Kgalagadi
  • Low season so rarely busy & very few crowds
  • Low season rates at the hotels & lodges

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in May

South Africa in June

Winter is now in full swing. Maximum temperatures in Cape Town rarely reach 20°C and the rainy season is well under way. Outdoor activities therefore become limited, but a number of high-quality indoor events are organised.

The Garden Route has, in general milder weather and less rain than Cape Town.

June sees the arrival of the first whales which migrate to the South African coastline to give birth.

In the Kgalagadi, daytime temperatures are warm but nights and early mornings are bitterly cold. Wildlife viewing is excellent as animals are drawn to the few remaining permanent water points.

Overall tourist numbers are at their lowest, as are the costs of flights and accommodation.

  • Cold & wet weather in Cape Town, Kgalagadi warm days but cold at night
  • One of the best months for wildlife viewing in the Kgalagadi
  • Whales start arriving to have their calves
  • Low visitor numbers & no crowds
  • Accommodation & flight prices remain low

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in June

South Africa in July

The winter weather continues with very cold nights and early mornings in the Kgalagadi and virtually no rainfall. Vegetation here is really thinning out now and water even more scarce – so wildlife is easy to spot.

Despite the winter and local school holidays, Cape Town remains a great place to visit. On a wet and cold day, the Two Oceans Aquarium, Zeitz Mocca (art museum) and the Cape Town Comedy Club all make for great days out, as does a trip to the wine country or the annual Oyster Festival at Knysna.

By mid-July most of the whales have arrived to give birth. Hermanus is the best place to see them.

At the height of the low season, so accommodation and flight prices remain low.

  • Generally cold & wet in the Cape, but good quality indoor events
  • Very good wildlife viewing in the Kgalagadi
  • Oyster festival in Knysna
  • Local school holidays can make places a little busier than usual
  • Accommodation and flight prices remain low

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in July

South Africa in August

While August experiences mostly wintry weather it does mark the very beginning of spring with temperatures starting to rise. Visitors are drawn to the West Coast and Namaqualand to see the wildflowers, which start blooming in late August and can be seen until mid-September. Whales are still in abundance now too.

The Kgalagadi is now very dry and wildlife vieiwng is still good. Temperatures start climbing towards the end of the month.

Despite the weather , visitor numbers can be high as the northern hemisphere schools close for their summer holidays. It may be a good idea to book certain attractions and restaurants in advance.

Simlarly, although accommodation prices are still low, flight prices can be a little higher than in previous months.

  • Temperatures start rising – but still potential for cold & wet weather
  • Wildflowers on the West Coast & in Namaqualand
  • Good wildlife viewing in the Kgalagadi
  • Whales continue to attract visitors
  • Can get busy due to northern hemisphere school summer holidays

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in August

South Africa in September

Good wildlife viewing in the Kgalagadi continues and daytime temperatures increase quite dramatically. Mornings and evenings are still on the chilly side, but not as cold as they are in June, July and August.

The 1st of September is officially the start of spring in Cape Town. Days become warmer but not quite warm enough to enjoy the city’s beautiful beaches. Venues all over Cape Town play host to various artists during the Cape Town Fringe Festival.
Rainy days are fewer, but night times can still get chilly. Many hotels are still charging low season rates making September great value for money.

Elsewhere, Hermanus hosts the popular annual Whale Festival, and in the West of the Cape, wildflowers continue to bloom until the middle of the month.

  • The start of spring; temperatures start rising
  • Whale festival in Hermanus
  • Cape Town Fringe Ferstival attracts a wide range of artists
  • Wildflowers blooming well until the middle of the month
  • Good wildlife viewing continues in the Kgalagadi

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in September

South Africa in October

The weather starts warming up nicely, Cape Town experiences pleasant days, with much less rain, nights can still be quite cool, but not cold. Some days are now warm enough to enjoy the beach. This is one of the best months to visit the Cape Region.

October is one of the hottest months in the Kalahari. Water remains very scarce, so the wildlife viewing is still very good. Towards the end of the month the odd spectacular thunderstorm is possible with much lightning and thunder. Migratory birds start to arrive, and resident species gear up for the breeding season.

The whales are still present with Hermanus and False Bay the best places to see them.

  • Days start warming up; fewer rainy days in Cape Town
  • Very hot in the Kalahari – thunderstorms season starts
  • Migratory birds start arriving & resident birds start breeding
  • Whale watching still excellent in Hermanus and False Bay areas
  • Start of the high season, getting busy and accommodation prices rise

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in October

South Africa in November

By November Cape Town is experiencing summer conditions with hot, clear days and warm, pleasant evenings. It’s a great month to enjoy the beaches before the peak holiday season in December. There are no real downsides to visiting in November and you may even get a few accommodation specials before prices go up for the festive season. Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens begins their summer outdoor concerts with local and international artists performing.

The Kgalagadi remains hot but thunderstorms are a bit more regular. With the rains, water sources become more plentiful and wildlife disperses but this is when herbivores such as Springbok start lambing. Photography improves as conditions become less hazy.

This is the last month for regular whale sightings – they tend to migrate back down south by early December.

  • Summer now in full swing, with temperatures often reaching 30°C
  • Rainy days scarce; evenings warm & very pleasant
  • Antelope start lambing in the Kgalagadi; wildlife generally dispersed
  • Last month for regular whale sightings
  • Good time to visit Cape Town before the peak holiday season

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in November

South Africa in December

December is usually Cape Town’s hottest month when temperatures frequently breach 30°C. You can expect hot and cloudless days, and almost no rain but December does see the occasional very windy day.

The Kalahari is still hot, but temperatures are not quite as high as previous months. With the rainfall the bush transforms into various shades of green. Wildlife disperses as water become more widely available.

The Garden Route enjoys warm to hot days with rain at any time but usually not over an extended period.

Mid to late December becomes incredibly busy with concerts, festivals and various outdoor activities in Cape Town. Hotel prices rise, tourist attractions and beaches are crowded and most popular sites and restaurants need to be booked in advance.

  • Long, hot sunny days
  • Kgalagadi bursts into life as rainy season kicks in
  • Wildlife viewing a bit trickier as wildlife disperses
  • Cape Town buzzing with concerts, events, festivals etc
  • Peak season: attractions get very busy & accommodation costs rise

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in December

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