What to Pack for South Africa: Packing List for September

Pack layers for South Africa in September, not winter clothes: a windproof and waterproof jacket, a fleece, long trousers, a few t-shirts and one warm set for early-morning game drives covers the Western Cape at the end of winter. Cape Town in September averages a high of 19°C/66°F and a low of 9°C/48°F, so the daytime is mild and the wind off the coast is what actually makes you cold.

As South Africa lies in the southern hemisphere, visiting in September means visiting at the end of winter. I researched what to pack and what to wear in South Africa extensively, and read trip reports from other people who had visited the area we were going to, the Western Cape, before putting this South Africa packing list together.

First, some tips and thoughts from our own experience of traveling there at the start of spring.

Winter and spring in South Africa

Winter in South Africa runs from June until August, so flying in on 29 August put us right at the start of spring. Winter in South Africa can bring snow to the mountainous regions, but the Western Cape has more of a Mediterranean climate, with milder winter temperatures and a higher chance of rain.

And until when is spring in South Africa?

September and October are the spring months. November is considered the start of summer, which lasts until the end of March, when fall begins.

According to Holiday-Weather.com, these are the weather averages for Cape Town in July, the middle of the South African winter:

• average low temperature: 7°C/45°F
• average high temperature: 17°C/63°F
• average rainfall: 100 mm
• average hours of sunshine: 5
• average sea temperature: 16°C/61°F

And these are the averages for Cape Town in September, when we went:

• average low temperature: 9°C/48°F
• average high temperature: 19°C/66°F
• average rainfall: 50 mm
• average hours of sunshine: 7
• average sea temperature: 16°C/61°F

Those September averages don’t look exciting, but they say something useful: you don’t need winter clothes during the day, and you do want a warm jacket at night.

We had some genuinely warm days on our 15-day trip. I even had to buy shorts, because I’d only packed long trousers, and on the day we walked the Cliff Path in Hermanus it was at least 26°C/79°F.

I frequently walked around in just a t-shirt, and there were also times when I was bundled up and cold. We spent a lot of time by the coast, where the wind can get really chilly, so be prepared for that. It’s probably worth mentioning that when I was wearing four layers and freezing, my former boyfriend was usually wearing two or three and fine.

What to wear in South Africa in September depending on your activities

What to wear in South Africa in September depends on the activity more than the date, because the same day can run from a cold boat deck to a warm coastal walk. When we visited the Western Cape, we road-tripped from Cape Town to the start of the Eastern Cape and back, covering a lot of different places and activities. Check out our complete itinerary here.

Three of those activities needed real outfit planning, and each is covered below.

What to wear in Cape Town

Wear layers in Cape Town in September, because the city was the coldest part of our trip. The four days we spent in Cape Town were easily the chilliest days we had, which is a bit odd given that cities are usually warmer. That might have been coincidence, but layers are the answer either way.

I often wore regular jeans with sneakers, then a top, a t-shirt, a fleece vest and a rain jacket, so I could take layers off as needed. My rain jacket is also windproof, which mattered when we took the boat to Robben Island and when we were standing on a cloudy Table Mountain.

If you’re wondering how smart you need to look, don’t worry about it. We ate out every night and, while we didn’t go anywhere very fancy, we never saw anyone really dressed up. Walking around the city, everyone was casual.

What to wear to go whale watching by boat

Wear a windproof outer layer and a hoodie for whale watching by boat, because you are standing still and fully exposed to the wind. Whale season was my number one reason for wanting to visit South Africa in September. I’d wanted to see whales in the wild for years, and had read they can be spotted all along the Western Cape at that time.

You can also spot them from land, but we went on a boat trip so we could see them from very close by. That day was cloudy and not especially windy, and it still got cold once the boat picked up speed heading out. Standing outside to spot the whales leaves you completely exposed, so layer up and wear something windproof.

Why a hoodie and not a hat? Because the wind takes hats off boats.

What to wear on safari

Wear long trousers and bring layers on safari, even for an afternoon game drive that starts in warm sunshine. We had a memorable stay at the Shamwari Game Reserve, though I have to admit it was a luxurious way to do a safari. We didn’t sleep in tents but in a lodge, and went out on game drives in the morning and in the late afternoon.

What I can tell you is that it gets cold. Morning drives leave around dawn, before anything has warmed up, and evening drives leave in daylight and come back after sunset. That is chilly, because safari jeeps are open so you can see the animals and take in the surroundings.

Ours had fleece ponchos and blankets we could use, and I needed them. So if you’re going on a game drive, wear long trousers and take layers with you, even if you set off in the afternoon while it is still warm.

What to pack for South Africa: my South Africa packing list

My South Africa packing list covers five groups: luggage, clothes, medication, electronics and everything else. This is what I actually took for our trip during the spring season, plus the shorts I bought while I was there, which I wore on several days when it was too warm for long trousers.

1. Luggage and day pack

I love traveling carry-on only, and that was never going to happen for South Africa. My former boyfriend and I each took a large suitcase and a regular backpack. I also packed a lighter backpack to use as a daypack, and brought my PacSafe anti-theft purse for dinners out.

One of our suitcases is a brandless one we got free with a magazine subscription ages ago. The other is a Thule Subterra.

As a laptop backpack I’ve used an Eastpak Egghead for years. It’s indestructible, but it’s an older model and hard to find now, so treat it as a category rather than a recommendation: what you want is a padded laptop sleeve inside a bag small enough to count as a personal item.

The other backpack we took is a Tatonka. It’s a bit smaller than the Eastpak and, while it has a padded back, it isn’t a laptop backpack, which makes it good for carrying things onto the plane and for use as a daypack or beach bag. Mine is an older model that I can’t find online any more either.

Lastly, my PacSafe anti-theft travel purse. This one has been with me for several years. It’s slashproof, has an RFID pocket and a lockable zipper, and mine is black so it doesn’t look like a special purse. Read my review here.

2. Accessories, shoes, and clothes to wear in South Africa

Apart from a warm sweater and a wind and waterproof jacket, I didn’t need any special gear for the trip we did. I usually pack hiking socks because they keep my feet drier, but those are optional. For shoes, I wore sneakers, as I always do.

• my fleece zippered Quechua jumper
• my fleece zippered Quechua hoodie
• 1 light cardigan
• 3 pairs of loose trousers
• my Weekday Thursday skinny jeans
• my Icebreaker lightweight Oasis Henley 200 g merino base layer
• my warm Icebreaker merino leggings
• a bunch of t-shirts
• 3 tops as base layers
• daily fresh socks, most of them low ankle hiking socks
• compression socks for the flight
• pyjamas
• basic underwear and bras
• my Quechua wind and waterproof jacket, though I would have taken a light Fjällräven jacket if I’d owned one back then
• my 13-year-old sunglasses, which I really had to throw away after this trip
• my Reebok Women’s Classics
• my Asics Gel Lyte sneakers
• 1 pair of extra warm socks for hotel rooms and Airbnbs
• a black scarf that matched all of my outfits

3. Medication

• zomig (for migraine attacks)
• Imodium (against diarrhea)
• montelukast (against allergies)
• cetirizine (against allergies)
• motilium (against nausea)
• spidifen (painkiller)
• symbicort (inhaler)
• birth control pill
• plain bandages
• Compeed blister pads against blisters
• cold medicine, because I had a cold

Bring the blister pads even if you never get blisters at home. Cape Town is a walking city with a lot of hills, and Table Mountain and the Cliff Path both punish shoes you have not broken in.

4. Electronics

• my laptop and charger
• my Kindle
• my phone and charger
• USB cables to connect all the electronics to each other
• my Fuji mirrorless camera
• my Airalo eSIM, which was branded Skyroam when I bought it Use code HARRY5578 for €3 off your first eSIM.
• a plug adapter

The plug adapter is the item most people get wrong. South Africa runs on 230 V at 50 Hz and its standard socket is the Type M plug, the large three-round-pin one, which many “universal” adapters do not actually fit. Newer buildings also fit the slimmer Type N socket, and Type C sockets turn up for small appliances, so an adapter that only covers European or UK plugs will leave you stuck. A Type M South Africa plug adapter is the one to pack, and taking two is sensible when you are charging a laptop, a phone and a camera in the same room.

5. Other things

• 3 packs of paper tissues
• a notebook and two pens
• a chin-supporting flight pillow, which is the only style that keeps my head up
• facial cream
• lip balm
• deodorant
• hair brush
• sunscreen and body lotion
• basic make-up and make-up remover
• toothpaste and toothbrush
• other basic bathroom items such as shampoo and shower gel
• my Eagle Creek packing cubes
• travel-sized toiletry containers

Wondering how we survived the 15-hour flight to Cape Town?

Check out my post on long-haul flight essentials, and compare flights to South Africa for your own dates before you settle on a month, because the fare gap between low and high season on this route is large.

Reasons to visit South Africa in the low season

There are 7 reasons to visit South Africa in the low season, and they run from the weather to the parking, listed below in the order they mattered to us.

1. Warm days are still likely. Early spring weather in South Africa can be moody, but there’s a good chance of sun, and no need to bring a winter coat.
2. The big sights are quiet. You get the penguin colony at Boulders Beach without the hordes of tourists.
3. Safari and hotel prices are lower, which is where the saving actually shows up. It is worth checking places to stay in South Africa for September and October before you commit to a summer trip.
4. Game drives are calmer, and you might even get a ranger to yourself, like we did.
5. The beaches are mostly empty.
6. Parking is easy at the various stops around Cape Point.
7. Hiking is comfortable, because it is not too hot.

And that’s it. I hope this helps you with packing for South Africa in September, or in another month. We’re still happy we went in whale season and would recommend springtime in South Africa. If you’re completely flexible, late September into early October is probably slightly better and a bit more stable than when we went.

Now go, pack, and enjoy.

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the packing list in this post comes from her 15-day road trip through the Western Cape in September. The team covers South Africa for independent travellers, including the tours, lodges and packing gear worth booking, and updates this page when prices, seasons and products change.