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Warmest sea in South Africa in May

115 coastal locations in South Africa ranked by their typical May sea temperature. Region-wide average in May: 18.0°C. The top of the list is where to find the warmest swimming this month.

Warmest in May

Sodwana Bay

25.2°C May mean in South Africa

Regional May average

18.0°C

across all 115 coastal locations in South Africa

Vs annual mean

-0.4°C

below the year-round regional average

What the South Africa sea feels like in May

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 May fits in the year

May 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 May 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 May

Sorted by the typical May 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 May mean
1 Sodwana Bay 25.2°C
2 Cape Vidal KwaZulu-Natal 25.2°C
3 Kosi Bay KwaZulu-Natal 25.1°C
4 St Lucia 24.9°C
5 Saint Lucia KwaZulu-Natal 24.9°C
6 Richards Bay 24.4°C
7 Shelly Beach KwaZulu-Natal 24.4°C
8 Margate 24.3°C
9 Port Shepstone 24.2°C
10 Amanzimtoti 24.1°C
11 Umkomaas 24.1°C
12 Port Edward KwaZulu-Natal 24.1°C
13 Port Saint Johns 24.0°C
14 Scottburgh 23.9°C
15 Coffee Bay 23.8°C
16 Umhlanga 23.7°C
17 Ballito KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
18 Salt Rock KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
19 Umdloti KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
20 Umhlanga Rocks KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
21 eSikhawini KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
22 Mtunzini KwaZulu-Natal 23.5°C
23 Ballitoville 23.4°C
24 Durban 23.4°C
25 Tugela River KwaZulu-Natal 23.4°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 KwaZulu-Natal 23.3°C
27 Mazeppa Bay Eastern Cape 23.2°C
28 East London 22.9°C
29 Morgans Bay Eastern Cape 22.4°C
30 Wavecrest Eastern Cape 22.4°C
31 Chintsa Eastern Cape 22.1°C
32 Kidd's Beach Eastern Cape 21.7°C
33 Port Alfred 20.6°C
34 Kenton-on-Sea Eastern Cape 20.2°C
35 Port Alfred, South Africa Eastern Cape 19.7°C
36 Jeffreys Bay 19.3°C
37 Cape Saint Francis Eastern Cape 18.9°C
38 St Francis Bay Eastern Cape 18.9°C
39 Oyster Bay Eastern Cape 18.7°C
40 Port Elizabeth 18.7°C
41 Stormsrivier Eastern Cape 18.4°C
42 Nature’s Valley Western Cape 18.2°C
43 Plettenberg Bay 18.1°C
44 Knysna 17.9°C
45 Brenton-on-Sea Western Cape 17.7°C
46 Agulhas 17.7°C
47 Cape Agulhas 17.7°C
48 Struisbaai 17.7°C
49 Buffelsbaai 17.6°C
50 Sedgefield Western Cape 17.4°C

Coldest 10 in South Africa in May

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

# Location May mean
1 Marion Island Western Cape 6.6°C
2 Port Nolloth 13.0°C
3 Hondeklip Bay 13.5°C
4 Lamberts Bay Western Cape 13.6°C
5 St Helena Bay 13.6°C
6 Velddrif 13.6°C
7 Buffels Bay Western Cape 13.7°C
8 Schrywers Hoek Western Cape 13.9°C
9 Schrywershoek Western Cape 13.9°C
10 Bloubergstrand 13.9°C

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