Climate zones in South Africa, 1991 to 2020
Share of South Africa's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,627,931 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,220,923 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 72%, C (temperate) 28%, A (tropical) 0.5%.
South Africa has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, BSk (cold semi-arid (steppe)), covers only 22% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSh (21%) and BWh (20%). 9 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, cold semi-arid (steppe) means dry grassland with cool or cold conditions. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 45% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)). The most common zone would then be BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How South Africa's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 30% | 7% | BSh +9.7 percentage points | BWk -6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 29% | 3.8% | BSh +9.7 percentage points | BSk -10.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 45% | 5.8% | BSh +14.5 percentage points | BSk -16.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 60% | 12% | BWh +19 percentage points | BSk -20.3 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 27% | 22% | 12% | 5.9% | 1.9% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 11% | 21% | 30% | 35% | 39% |
| BWh Hot desert | 12% | 20% | 27% | 32% | 39% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 18% | 13% | 9% | 5.3% | 1.3% |
| BWk Cold desert | 15% | 9.4% | 4.9% | 2.6% | 0.6% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 9% | 6.7% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 0.8% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 1.7% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 3% | 2.4% | 4.8% | 7.9% | 8.6% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.6% | 0.8% | 1% | 1% | 0.9% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 0.1% | 0.5% | 1% | 1.7% | 3.2% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in South Africa and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Cape Town | Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Durban | Cfa Humid subtropical | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Pretoria | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Soweto | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Gqeberha | Cfa Humid subtropical | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Soshanguve | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Pietermaritzburg | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Evaton | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Benoni | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
Zones found in South Africa
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BSk. See data sources and licences.