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Warmest sea in South Africa in August

115 coastal locations in South Africa ranked by their typical August sea temperature. Region-wide average in August: 16.8°C. The top of the list is where to find the warmest swimming this month.

Warmest in August

Sodwana Bay

22.5°C August mean in South Africa

Regional August average

16.8°C

across all 115 coastal locations in South Africa

Vs annual mean

-1.6°C

below the year-round regional average

What the South Africa sea feels like in August

At this temperature, water will feel cold compared to a swimming pool, but with a bit of experience and practice most people will find the water relatively comfortable to swim in.

South Africa monthly average 16.8°C to 20.4°C
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  • Warmest month February 20.4°C
  • Coldest month August 16.8°C
  • Annual mean 18.4°C
  • Months above 20°C 2 of 12

Where August fits in the year

August sits inside the regional pattern shown on the left. Pick a different month to see how the ranking shifts.

All twelve South Africa month rankings:

South Africa sea temperature map (live)

The map shows today's latest reading at every South Africa location. The list below is based on the typical August mean, useful for trip planning weeks or months ahead.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Top 50 warmest South Africa locations in August

Sorted by the typical August mean built from a decade of daily readings at each location. Click any place for its 30-day chart, monthly profile, and full 10-year history.

# Location August mean
1 Sodwana Bay 22.5°C
2 Kosi Bay KwaZulu-Natal 22.5°C
3 Cape Vidal KwaZulu-Natal 22.4°C
4 St Lucia 22.3°C
5 Saint Lucia KwaZulu-Natal 22.2°C
6 Richards Bay 21.8°C
7 Margate 21.8°C
8 Port Shepstone 21.7°C
9 Port Saint Johns 21.6°C
10 Amanzimtoti 21.6°C
11 Umkomaas 21.6°C
12 Shelly Beach KwaZulu-Natal 21.5°C
13 Coffee Bay 21.4°C
14 Port Edward KwaZulu-Natal 21.4°C
15 Scottburgh 21.3°C
16 Umhlanga 21.0°C
17 eSikhawini KwaZulu-Natal 20.9°C
18 Mtunzini KwaZulu-Natal 20.9°C
19 Mazeppa Bay Eastern Cape 20.8°C
20 East London 20.7°C
21 Ballitoville 20.7°C
22 Durban 20.7°C
23 Ballito KwaZulu-Natal 20.7°C
24 Salt Rock KwaZulu-Natal 20.7°C
25 Umdloti KwaZulu-Natal 20.7°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 Umhlanga Rocks KwaZulu-Natal 20.7°C
27 KwaZulu-Natal 20.6°C
28 Tugela River KwaZulu-Natal 20.5°C
29 Morgans Bay Eastern Cape 20.2°C
30 Wavecrest Eastern Cape 20.2°C
31 Chintsa Eastern Cape 20.1°C
32 Kidd's Beach Eastern Cape 20.0°C
33 Port Alfred 19.2°C
34 Kenton-on-Sea Eastern Cape 18.8°C
35 Port Alfred, South Africa Eastern Cape 18.4°C
36 Jeffreys Bay 18.0°C
37 Cape Saint Francis Eastern Cape 17.5°C
38 St Francis Bay Eastern Cape 17.5°C
39 Oyster Bay Eastern Cape 17.5°C
40 Port Elizabeth 17.5°C
41 Stormsrivier Eastern Cape 17.4°C
42 Plettenberg Bay 17.3°C
43 Nature’s Valley Western Cape 17.3°C
44 Knysna 17.1°C
45 Buffelsbaai 17.0°C
46 Brenton-on-Sea Western Cape 16.9°C
47 Victoria Bay 16.7°C
48 Sedgefield Western Cape 16.7°C
49 Wilderness 16.5°C
50 Herolds Bay Western Cape 16.4°C

Coldest 10 in South Africa in August

Same data the other way. Helpful if you want to know which South Africa coasts to avoid for swimming in August.

# Location August mean
1 Marion Island Western Cape 5.3°C
2 Port Nolloth 12.2°C
3 Alexander Bay 12.8°C
4 Hondeklip Bay 13.0°C
5 Elands Bay 13.2°C
6 Lamberts Bay Western Cape 13.2°C
7 St Helena Bay 13.5°C
8 Velddrif 13.5°C
9 Bloubergstrand 14.2°C
10 Camps Bay 14.2°C

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