March in Cape Town -
time to come out and play!

I love March in Cape Town. It's one of my favourite months of the year. It’s on the cusp between summer and autumn, so it’s hot and sunny but not oppressively so.

March weather can be variable with some light rain showers but overall it's still warm to hot. The sun is strong but without the killing heat that comes in the middle of summer.

To my mind it's a month with some of the best beach weather in Cape Town!

This is the month of the March lily, which only flowers from mid-February to early April. The flowers of this amazing, sweet-scented indigenous bulb appear in clusters on the end of bare stalks – quite surreal in appearance!
Characteristics of March Weather in Cape Town

In March, the temperature in Cape Town is settling to a comfortable level. You can expect daily average maximum temperatures of 25 degrees C and minimums of 14 degrees C. (57 – 77 degrees F)

It can be hotter - the highest temperature ever recorded in March was a whopping 41 degrees C!

Rain-wise, you can expect it to be pretty dry. Total average rainfall for the month is only 20mm (a little over one inch) and it’s likely to arrive in one or two sustained showers.

Daylight still lasts for 12 – 13 hours, although the sun only rises at about 7a.m.

Sporting events -- March in Cape Town
There are two major sporting events in March, both of them involving bicycles. The first is the Cape Argus Cycle Tour, which is usually the second Sunday in March. The second is the Cape Epic, a monster of an mountain bike race which starts in Knysna and ends in Somerset West. That’s usually the last week in March.

Depending on the calendar for the year, Easter sometimes falls into the end of March, bringing the Two Oceans Marathon into the annual events of the month.

Cultural events -- March in Cape Town
The Cape Town Festival runs for most of March, taking in venues across the city and putting on a varied programme of live musical, dramatic, dance and film shows with a very South African flavour.

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival usually runs the last Friday and Saturday in March and showcases local jazz talent and international jazz acts alike. This year (2007) it’s at the Cape Town International Conference Centre again.

The Kirstenbosch Summer Concert Series runs from November to April.