Climate and average weather in Oudtshoorn
In Oudtshoorn, the summers are hot, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Oudtshoorn typically varies from 5°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 0°C or above 35°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Oudtshoorn for warm-weather activities is from early March to late December.
- Hottest
- Jan
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 5°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 48 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 24 mm
- Rain / yr
- 383 mm
- 71 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.8–14.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 319 m
- 33.6°S
- Clearest
- Jan
- 34% cloud
Oudtshoorn is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Density
- 1,960/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1857
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Oudtshoorn weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early March to late December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Oudtshoorn, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.9 months, from November 29 to March 26, with daily high temperatures above 27°C. The hottest month of the year in Oudtshoorn is January, with an average high of 29°C and low of 16°C.
The cool season lasts 3.2 months, from May 26 to August 29, with daily high temperatures below 20°C. The coldest month of the year in Oudtshoorn is July, with an average low of 5°C and high of 18°C.
Days typically run about 13°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 16 |
| Feb | 29 | 16 |
| Mar | 28 | 15 |
| Apr | 24 | 12 |
| May | 21 | 9 |
| Jun | 18 | 5 |
| Jul | 18 | 5 |
| Aug | 19 | 6 |
| Sep | 21 | 8 |
| Oct | 24 | 11 |
| Nov | 26 | 12 |
| Dec | 28 | 14 |
Average hourly temperature in Oudtshoorn
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on January afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 5°C.
Oudtshoorn weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 16° | 30 | 6.2 | 14 | 6.2 |
| Feb | 29° / 16° | 27 | 5.6 | 13.2 | 6.1 |
| Mar | 28° / 15° | 38 | 6.9 | 12.3 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 24° / 12° | 34 | 6.2 | 11.2 | 7.7 |
| May | 21° / 9° | 25 | 4.7 | 10.3 | 7.6 |
| Jun | 18° / 5° | 24 | 5 | 9.8 | 7.0 |
| Jul | 18° / 5° | 26 | 5.4 | 10 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 19° / 6° | 33 | 6.1 | 10.8 | 7.0 |
| Sep | 21° / 8° | 27 | 5.2 | 11.8 | 7.5 |
| Oct | 24° / 11° | 41 | 6.5 | 12.8 | 7.7 |
| Nov | 26° / 12° | 48 | 7.1 | 13.7 | 7.4 |
| Dec | 28° / 14° | 31 | 6.1 | 14.2 | 6.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Oudtshoorn gets about 383 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 1.9 months, from around Oct 9 to Dec 4, peaking in November at about 25% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around May 13.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 48 mm over about 7 wet days; June is the driest, with 24 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 20 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 6 |
| Feb | 21 | 6 |
| Mar | 22 | 7 |
| Apr | 21 | 6 |
| May | 15 | 5 |
| Jun | 17 | 5 |
| Jul | 18 | 5 |
| Aug | 19 | 6 |
| Sep | 18 | 5 |
| Oct | 21 | 7 |
| Nov | 23 | 7 |
| Dec | 20 | 6 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Oudtshoorn collects about 383 mm of rain across 71 wet days — roughly 32 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 48 mm, while June is the driest at just 24 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 33% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 30 | 27 | 38 | 34 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 33 | 27 | 41 | 48 | 31 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 6 |
| Feb | 27 | 6 |
| Mar | 38 | 7 |
| Apr | 34 | 6 |
| May | 25 | 5 |
| Jun | 24 | 5 |
| Jul | 26 | 5 |
| Aug | 33 | 6 |
| Sep | 27 | 5 |
| Oct | 41 | 7 |
| Nov | 48 | 7 |
| Dec | 31 | 6 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Oudtshoorn, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around November 30 and lasts for 4.3 months, ending around April 9. The clearest month is January, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 78% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around August 27 and lasts for 3.1 months, ending around November 29. The cloudiest month is October, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 40% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 78 | 77 | 73 | 67 | 65 | 71 | 73 | 70 | 64 | 60 | 65 | 71 |
| Cloudier (%) | 22 | 23 | 27 | 33 | 35 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 36 | 40 | 35 | 29 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78 | 22 |
| Feb | 77 | 23 |
| Mar | 73 | 27 |
| Apr | 67 | 33 |
| May | 65 | 35 |
| Jun | 71 | 29 |
| Jul | 73 | 27 |
| Aug | 70 | 30 |
| Sep | 64 | 36 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 |
| Nov | 65 | 35 |
| Dec | 71 | 29 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 14 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around June 8, only 9 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.0 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.7 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:40 | 6:09 | 6:33 | 6:56 | 7:20 | 7:38 | 7:38 | 7:13 | 6:32 | 5:51 | 5:23 | 5:21 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:41 | 7:23 | 6:49 | 6:06 | 5:35 | 5:25 | 5:36 | 5:58 | 6:19 | 6:42 | 7:10 | 7:34 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.0 | 5:40 | 7:41 |
| Feb | 13.2 | 6:09 | 7:23 |
| Mar | 12.3 | 6:33 | 6:49 |
| Apr | 11.2 | 6:56 | 6:06 |
| May | 10.3 | 7:20 | 5:35 |
| Jun | 9.8 | 7:38 | 5:25 |
| Jul | 10.0 | 7:38 | 5:36 |
| Aug | 10.8 | 7:13 | 5:58 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 6:32 | 6:19 |
| Oct | 12.8 | 5:51 | 6:42 |
| Nov | 13.7 | 5:23 | 7:10 |
| Dec | 14.2 | 5:21 | 7:34 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Oudtshoorn averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 13 and 19 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.5 months, from around Dec 9 to Mar 26. The sunniest month is January, with roughly 19 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is October, down near 13 sunny days — about 30% fewer than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 19 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | Bright |
| Feb | 17 | Bright |
| Mar | 18 | Bright |
| Apr | 15 | Mixed |
| May | 15 | Mixed |
| Jun | 17 | Bright |
| Jul | 18 | Bright |
| Aug | 17 | Bright |
| Sep | 14 | Mixed |
| Oct | 14 | Mixed |
| Nov | 14 | Mixed |
| Dec | 17 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Oudtshoorn, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.5 months, from around December 11 to March 28. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 18% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around March 29 to December 10, and April is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 49 | 39 | 57 | 87 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 94 | 86 | 67 |
| Comfortable (%) | 37 | 42 | 35 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 27 |
| Humid (%) | 13 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Muggy (%) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 37 | 13 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 42 | 18 | 1 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 8 | 0 |
| Apr | 87 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| May | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 86 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Dec | 67 | 27 | 6 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Oudtshoorn is steady company: average speeds sit near 9 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | calm |
| Feb | 9 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 8 | calm |
| May | 8 | calm |
| Jun | 9 | calm |
| Jul | 9 | calm |
| Aug | 9 | calm |
| Sep | 8 | calm |
| Oct | 9 | calm |
| Nov | 9 | calm |
| Dec | 9 | calm |
Best time to visit Oudtshoorn
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Oudtshoorn throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late December, Oudtshoorn is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Oudtshoorn for general outdoor tourist activities is from late February to late December, with a peak score in the second week of May.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.2 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 6.9 |
| Rating | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | good | good | good | ideal | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.2 | good |
| Feb | 6.1 | good |
| Mar | 7.0 | good |
| Apr | 7.7 | ideal |
| May | 7.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 7.0 | good |
| Jul | 6.9 | good |
| Aug | 7.1 | good |
| Sep | 7.5 | good |
| Oct | 7.7 | ideal |
| Nov | 7.4 | good |
| Dec | 6.9 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Oudtshoorn for hot-weather activities is from mid October to mid April, with a peak score in the third week of January.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Oudtshoorn, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around January (highs near 29°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 18°C), pack a warm layer.
In January, Oudtshoorn sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Oudtshoorn
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 61 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 16°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 13 to Mar 19 — about 3.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 20 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 18 | Cool |
| May | 17 | Cool |
| Jun | 17 | Cool |
| Jul | 16 | Cool |
| Aug | 16 | Cool |
| Sep | 17 | Cool |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 19 | Cool |
| Dec | 20 | Refreshing |
UV index (midday) in Oudtshoorn by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Oudtshoorn peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 4 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 5 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Oudtshoorn
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 1.5 |
| May | 3.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 1.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 4 | 0 |
| Sep | 6 | 1.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 9 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Growing season
Oudtshoorn is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 96 | 0 |
| Jul | 94 | 0 |
| Aug | 98 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Oudtshoorn banks about 2,628 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 388 | 356 | 345 | 239 | 151 | 52 | 38 | 73 | 145 | 224 | 269 | 348 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 388 |
| Feb | 356 |
| Mar | 345 |
| Apr | 239 |
| May | 151 |
| Jun | 52 |
| Jul | 38 |
| Aug | 73 |
| Sep | 145 |
| Oct | 224 |
| Nov | 269 |
| Dec | 348 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Oudtshoorn receives about 5.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.8 and 7.9 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Sep 21 to Mar 22. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.8 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 2.8 kWh/m² — roughly 64% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.7 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 7.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.7 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.9 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.6 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.3 | Bright |
| May | 3.3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2.8 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3.0 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Sep | 5.2 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.3 | Intense |
| Nov | 7.3 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.8 | Intense |
Where is Oudtshoorn?
Oudtshoorn sits at 33.6°S, 22.2°E, 319 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Dysselsdorp, 23 km away.
Topography around Oudtshoorn
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Oudtshoorn.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Oudtshoorn has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 145 m around an average of 330 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 723 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,272 m.
The land around Oudtshoorn is covered by shrubs (35%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, shrubs (63%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and shrubs (35%) and grassland (32%) within 80 km.
South Africa travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / M / N
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 41% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $6,598
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 68%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 43.7
- per 100k, 2022
- Road deaths
- 22.2
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very high
- EF EPI 602
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Oudtshoorn (-33.6005°, 22.1995°, elevation 319 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).