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Johannesburg to Cape Town drive weather

1,397 km (868 miles), about 13 hours of driving via N1. The route stays below 1,800 m the whole way.

Distance
1,397 km
Drive time
~13 hours
High point
1,749 m
Country
South Africa

Next 7 departures

Leaving Johannesburg at 7 AM each day · Updated · Forecast: MET Norway

  1. SatOct 3

    CautionHeavy rain near Richmond around 1:45 PM SAST.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTSunny11°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTSunny16°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTCloudy20°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTCloudy19°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTCloudy20°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTHeavy rain15°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTRain16°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTCloudy14°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTLight rain12°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTPartly sunny15°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTMostly clear17°C
  2. SunOct 4

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–24°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTPartly sunny11°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTSunny16°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTCloudy19°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTCloudy20°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTCloudy19°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTRain showers19°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTPartly sunny22°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTMostly sunny24°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTPartly sunny21°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTPartly sunny22°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTPartly cloudy20°C
  3. MonOct 5

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–28°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTCloudy11°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTPartly sunny16°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTMostly sunny20°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTLight rain showers21°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTLight rain showers21°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTMostly sunny22°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTPartly sunny24°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTCloudy28°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTCloudy22°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTSunny23°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTMostly clear17°C
  4. TueOct 6

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–22°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTMostly sunny13°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTRain showers16°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTSunny19°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTSunny20°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTLight rain showers21°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTLight rain showers22°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTPartly sunny19°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTCloudy15°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTPartly sunny11°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTMostly sunny14°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTMostly clear13°C
  5. WedOct 7

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 14–23°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTSunny17°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTSunny18°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTSunny21°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTSunny23°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTSunny21°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTMostly sunny21°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTCloudy17°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTSunny18°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTSunny14°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTPartly sunny15°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTClear14°C
  6. ThuOct 8

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 14–28°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTMostly sunny15°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTSunny19°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTSunny22°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTSunny24°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTMostly sunny25°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTSunny26°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTSunny28°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTSunny24°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTSunny21°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTSunny20°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTClear14°C
  7. FriOct 9

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 15–29°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Johannesburg7 AM SASTSunny18°C
    Kroonstad8:45 AM SASTSunny21°C
    Bloemfontein10:30 AM SASTSunny23°C
    Trompsburg11:30 AM SASTSunny26°C
    Colesberg12:30 PM SASTSunny28°C
    Richmond1:45 PM SASTSunny28°C
    Beaufort West3:15 PM SASTSunny29°C
    Laingsburg5:15 PM SASTPartly sunny24°C
    Hex River Pass6:15 PM SASTMostly sunny19°C
    Worcester6:45 PM SASTMostly sunny19°C
    Cape Town7:45 PM SASTPartly cloudy15°C

The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.

The route, stop by stop

Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Johannesburg (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.

Johannesburg · 1,749 m 0 km 1,396 km
Elevation along the route (Terrain Tiles, sampled every 8 km).
  1. Johannesburg, South AfricaStart 1,749 melevation
  2. Kroonstad, South AfricaKm 185 · 1 h 41 min 1,380 melevation
  3. Bloemfontein, South AfricaKm 396 · 3 h 34 min 1,394 melevation
  4. Trompsburg, South AfricaKm 507 · 4 h 32 min 1,414 melevation
  5. Colesberg, South AfricaKm 618 · 5 h 32 min 1,373 melevation
  6. Richmond, South AfricaKm 755 · 6 h 44 min 1,425 melevation
  7. Beaufort West, South AfricaKm 933 · 8 h 22 min 847 melevation
  8. Laingsburg, South AfricaKm 1,131 · 10 h 10 min 652 melevation
  9. Hex River Pass, South AfricaMountain pass · Km 1,238 · 11 h 9 min 965 melevation
  10. Worcester, South AfricaKm 1,287 · 11 h 42 min 239 melevation
  11. Cape Town, South AfricaKm 1,397 · 12 h 48 min 31 melevation

Typical weather by month

Average daily highs and lows, and monthly rain, at Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Cape Town.

MonthJohannesburg
Johannesburg Airport station · 1,694 m		Bloemfontein
1,354 m		Cape Town
Cape Town Airport station · 46 m
High / low °CHigh / low °CHigh / low °C
Jan26° / 15°32° / 15°28° / 16°
Feb26° / 14°31° / 14°28° / 16°
Mar25° / 13°29° / 12°27° / 15°
Apr23° / 10°25° / 7°24° / 12°
May20° / 7°22° / 2°21° / 10°
Jun18° / 4°19° / -2°19° / 7°
Jul18° / 3°19° / -3°19° / 7°
Aug21° / 6°22° / 0°19° / 7°
Sep25° / 9°26° / 4°20° / 9°
Oct26° / 11°29° / 9°23° / 11°
Nov26° / 12°30° / 11°25° / 13°
Dec26° / 14°32° / 14°27° / 15°

1991–2020 averages computed from NOAA NCEI daily station records (GHCN-Daily): JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL, SF (SFM00068368, 1,694 m); BLOEMFONTEIN AIRPOR, SF (SF002613650, 1,354 m); CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL, SF (SFM00068816, 46 m). Precipitation is the monthly total of rain and melted snow, in millimetres. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.

Road conditions

Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for South Africa rather than repeat them.

Check the official forecast from South African Weather Service and each road report before you leave.

Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there

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Questions about this drive

How long is the drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town?

1,397 km (868 miles), about 13 hours of driving without stops, by way of N1. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.

How cold is Cape Town in July?

The nearest long-term NOAA station, Cape Town Airport (46 m), averages a high of 19°C and a low of 7°C in July (1991–2020 averages).

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