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South Africa in July

Africa's best authentic tailor-made safaris

Imagine vast dry stretches of savannah, the golden grasslands rippling in the breeze. A lion hunkers down in the vegetation, its eyes fixed on the impala herd in front of it. You’re about to witness one of the most dramatic encounters in Africa…

July is in the middle of the dry season; the land has had a couple of months to dry out after the rainy season. Landscapes have thinned out and watering holes have decreased – this sets the stage for excellent wildlife viewing. Temperatures in Kruger and surrounds are cold during early morning and evening game drives, so wear warm clothing.

At the bottom of the country, in Cape Town, July brings some of the coldest temperatures and highest rainfall of the year. You can expect low-season prices, regular rainstorms, and fewer tourists. Hermanus’ whale-watching season is in full swing; watch these giants lobtailing and breaching from the shore and during marine safaris.

Weather in July

An African harrier-hawk (Polyboroides typus) perched on a tree on the woodlands of central Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
Kruger becomes very chilly during July | Photo: Getty

Daytime temperatures in Kruger National Park and surrounds can reach a high of 24 °C/75 °F and a low of 11 °C/52 °F, with very chilly conditions in the early mornings and evenings. The dry weather opens up more opportunities to explore the wilderness, such as horseback riding safaris and walking safaris. Cape Town’s temperatures can reach a high of 18 °C/64 °F and a low of 7 °C/45 °F, with an average rainfall of 3.3 in.

Average Weather in July

Kruger and Surrounds

Temperature Celsius Fahrenheit Rainfall
Min 11℃52℉0.2 inches
Max 24℃75℉0.4 inches

Cape Town

TemperaturesCelsiusFahrenheitRainfall
Min7℃45℉1.1 inch
Max18℃64℉5.3 inches

Destinations to Visit in South Africa in July

Two white rhinos in Manyeleti
Manyeleti offers a tranquil safari experience with exceptional stargazing opportunities | Photo: Getty

Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve

July is one of the best months for a safari at Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. The lack of rain over the last couple of months (the dry season starts in May) dries out the land, thinning out vegetation and making wildlife (including the Big Five) far easier to spot. Watering holes also decrease, causing a multitude of animals to gather on the banks of rivers and dams.

Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve

Africa’s oldest proclaimed nature reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, is a Big Five safari destination renowned for rhino conservation. The dry winter season, between June and September, is the best time for game drives and walking safaris. During a bush walk, you’ll get closer to the smaller animals and flora that call this park home and learn to identify wildlife tracks.

Manyeleti Game Reserve

Manyeleti offers a tranquil safari experience with exceptional stargazing opportunities. As it shares unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands, and Timbavati, wildlife sightings are spectacular. Due to the low light pollution in the area, stargazing is a not-to-be-missed activity that can be done year-round.

Activities to Do in July in South Africa

Land based whale watching at Groobtos.jpg
Whale watching is particularly good during July | Photo: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
  • Whale watching by boat and along the coast
  • Game drives in national parks and game reserves
  • Walking safaris and animal tracking
  • Horseback riding safaris
  • Stargazing

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"This is the second safari holiday we have used Dev to organise. We had the privilege of visiting three beautiful lodges on this trip, Devs recommendations in three different locations, Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Makalali, which entailed a lot of organising ..."

Vivienne Lister, Australia21 May 2026

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"After discovering a high number of camps in and around the Okavango, and at a price higher than we typically go for on a safari, we were very unsure on the route to go down for our honeymoon (especially whilst trying to planning our wedding!). So we reached..."

Rhys and Grace Fitzgerald, Bahrain10 Apr 2026

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"Very professional in the approach of customer’s needs. Intelligent in the approach and in the design of our safari in Botswana taking into account some of the constraints that we had. We were extremely happy with all the camps that were recommended to us. T..."

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"Vihann was responsive and friendly, worked patiently with me as I tweaked my itinerary three times. I researched the camps myself and Vihann supported with his local knowledge so the result was very memorable and extraordinary holiday. I was very happy with..."

Aarti Sharma, Australia10 Dec 2025

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"Chrizaan Troch of Discover Africa helped us organize a recent safari in Chobe National Park. She was great to deal with - listened to what we wanted, and also offered other suggestions. She was very efficient, and always replied promptly to our questions. ..."

Celia Schroeder, Canada03 Dec 2025

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"Megan with Discover Africa did an excellent job planning our trip. We are from the US and it was so great to get her help. It made our trip so much easier. We flew into Cape Town and were there a few days. Then we were flown to Kruger National Park. Our sta..."

Catherine Hughes, United States14 Oct 2025

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