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71 / 100

South Africa

Compare countries and cities by VanSky score and pick your next stop Compare regions by VanSky score and pick your destination

Comfortable 71 / 100

17%

53%

28%

Ideal 17% Comfortable 53% Acceptable 28% Challenging 2%

Best spot: Western Cape — 87

Typical conditions: 66

Cities: 126 Regions: 9 Updated: 14 Oct, 18:01 Open-Meteo

A comparison of 126 cities in South Africa by VanSky score — how comfortable it is to travel in each today. We factor in temperature, wind, sun and conditions by the sea. Sort by any metric and pick your next stop. A comparison of 9 regions of South Africa by VanSky score — where it's most comfortable to travel right now. We factor in temperature, wind, sun and conditions by the sea.

The country score (0–100) is computed from all of its cities, not a single point. Cities are grouped into regions, and a region's score is the median of its cities so dense clusters don't outweigh sparse ones. Final score = 0.65 × “best areas” (80th percentile of regions) + 0.35 × “typical conditions” (median of regions), so one warm city can't push the whole country to 100. Each city's score blends warmth (feels-like), sun, rain and wind, adjusted for night temperature and, on the coast, the sea. Data: Open-Meteo, refreshed several times a day.

80–100

Ideal

60–79

Comfortable

40–59

Acceptable

20–39

Challenging

0–19

Extreme

The scale above shows what share of the country's cities falls into each comfort band. “Best spot” is the most comfortable region or city this week; “typical conditions” is the median score across regions.

∅ 7-day average

Top cities in South Africa by VanSky Regions of South Africa

View by regions

City	VanSky	Temp.	Solar	Wind	Water
Paarl Western Cape	98	22° / 8°	2.8 kWh	16 (↑38) km/h	—
Wellington Western Cape	98	22° / 8°	2.8 kWh	16 (↑38) km/h	—
Kraaifontein Western Cape	97	20° / 7°	2.7 kWh	18 (↑42) km/h	—
Stellenbosch Western Cape	97	20° / 7°	2.7 kWh	18 (↑42) km/h	—
Saldanha Western Cape	96	18° / 13°	2.8 kWh	17 (↑31) km/h	—
Atlantis Western Cape	96	19° / 7°	2.8 kWh	19 (↑42) km/h	—
Worcester Western Cape	96	25° / 10°	2.9 kWh	18 (↑40) km/h	—
Johannesburg Gauteng	96	26° / 15°	2.2 kWh	14 (↑41) km/h	—
Durbanville Western Cape	95	19° / 11°	2.6 kWh	18 (↑44) km/h	—
George Western Cape	95	21° / 11°	2.1 kWh	11 (↑31) km/h	—
Mossel Bay Western Cape	95	22° / 10°	2.2 kWh	15 (↑35) km/h	—
Krugersdorp Gauteng	95	26° / 16°	2.2 kWh	16 (↑41) km/h	—
Randfontein Gauteng	95	26° / 16°	2.2 kWh	16 (↑41) km/h	—
Randburg Gauteng	95	26° / 17°	2.1 kWh	14 (↑40) km/h	—
Queenstown Eastern Cape	95	28° / 11°	3 kWh	19 (↑37) km/h	—
Alexandra Gauteng	94	25° / 15°	2.1 kWh	14 (↑39) km/h	—
Somerset West Western Cape	94	19° / 9°	2.8 kWh	22 (↑61) km/h	—
Polokwane Limpopo	94	28° / 14°	3 kWh	22 (↑41) km/h	—
Alberton Gauteng	94	26° / 16°	2.2 kWh	13 (↑39) km/h	—
Germiston Gauteng	94	26° / 16°	2.2 kWh	13 (↑39) km/h	—
Soweto Gauteng	94	26° / 17°	2.2 kWh	16 (↑42) km/h	—
Carletonville Gauteng	94	26° / 16°	1.9 kWh	19 (↑47) km/h	—
Midrand Gauteng	94	26° / 17°	2 kWh	15 (↑35) km/h	—
Athlone Western Cape	93	18° / 11°	2.6 kWh	18 (↑49) km/h	—
Roodepoort Gauteng	93	27° / 17°	2.1 kWh	18 (↑34) km/h	—
Gqeberha Eastern Cape	93	23° / 16°	2.8 kWh	30 (↑50) km/h	—
Boksburg Gauteng	93	26° / 16°	2 kWh	14 (↑37) km/h	—
Knysna Western Cape	93	22° / 10°	1.9 kWh	11 (↑27) km/h	—
Schweizer-Reneke North West	93	26° / 17°	2.2 kWh	24 (↑41) km/h	—
Delmas Mpumalanga	93	27° / 15°	2.1 kWh	18 (↑32) km/h	—

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City	VanSky	Temp.	Solar	Wind	Water	Conditions

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• Open-Meteo • openvan.camp

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Sort by

Paarl

Western Cape

Wellington

Western Cape

Kraaifontein

Western Cape

Stellenbosch

Western Cape

Saldanha

Western Cape

Atlantis

Western Cape

Worcester

Western Cape

Johannesburg

Gauteng

Durbanville

Western Cape

George

Western Cape

Mossel Bay

Western Cape

Krugersdorp

Gauteng

Randfontein

Gauteng

Randburg

Gauteng

Queenstown

Eastern Cape

VanSky Index

A weather comfort index for travel: a 0–100 score. Recalculated daily from live weather data — temperature, rainfall, wind and sun.

80–100 Ideal

60–79 Comfortable

40–59 Acceptable

20–39 Challenging

0–19 Extreme

How it's calculated:

Thermal comfort 35% — temperature + humidity
Sunshine 25% — panel charge, mood; in heat the sun is no longer a bonus
Precipitation 25% — rain → muddy ground
Wind 15% — awning, driving, noise
Extremes override all: frost, heat, storm, downpour
Heat counts by feels-like temperature: at 32°+ the score can’t reach “Comfortable”, muggy nights lower it further
A dangerous day drags the week down: a storm or downpour in the forecast keeps the week from being “Comfortable”
Bonus: warm sea, high panel output

Data: Open-Meteo · Updated several times a day

Best cities now Best cities this week

1 Saldanha 96
2 Alexandra 94
3 Durbanville 95
4 Athlone 93
5 Atlantis 96

Difficult conditions

1 Richards Bay 58
2 Phalaborwa 58
3 Nkowakowa 58
4 Thohoyandou 58
5 Musina 58

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the best city in South Africa for van life?

Sort cities by the VanSky column — the higher the score, the more comfortable today. Also check solar panel output and sea temperature if you plan to stay near the coast.

What does the VanSky score mean for a city?

A score from 0 to 100 reflects a composite weather assessment: thermal comfort, precipitation level, wind strength, and sunshine. 80+ is ideal, 60–79 is comfortable, 40–59 is acceptable, below 40 is challenging.

How often is data updated for South Africa?

Weather data for all cities in South Africa is updated several times a day from the Open-Meteo service based on real observations.