Vitamin D in South Africa in January: sun, UV and what to expect
Excellent Excellent. The sun is strong for most of the day in South Africa in January, so a full vitamin D dose takes only about 7 minutes at midday, and the usable window lasts 8.4 hours a day.
8.4 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
8.0peak UV Index
7 minto a full dose
25°Cafternoon high
7/30rainy days
24/30sunny days
Best places in South Africa in January: Cape Town (excellent), Stellenbosch (excellent), Hermanus (excellent), Gqeberha (excellent), Jeffreys Bay (excellent).
Open South Africa for January on the map Find stays in South Africa
How long in the sun in January?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 8.0. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 7 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 13 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 25 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
- On clear days the UV Index reaches about 9.3, which is very strong. Keep sessions short and protect the rest of the day.
- Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.
| Skin type | Full dose, age 30 | Full dose, age 65 | Time to burn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | 4 min | 8 min | 17 min |
| Type II | 6 min | 10 min | 21 min |
| Type III | 7 min | 13 min | 25 min |
| Type IV | 10 min | 19 min | 38 min |
| Type V | 13 min | 25 min | 50 min |
| Type VI | 22 min | 42 min | 83 min |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Plettenberg Bay, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.
Places in South Africa in January
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | Excellent | 9.7 h | 6 min | 28°C | 1/30 |
| Stellenbosch | Excellent | 9.7 h | 6 min | 32°C | 3/30 |
| Hermanus | Excellent | 8.8 h | 6 min | 26°C | 5/30 |
| Gqeberha | Excellent | 8.5 h | 7 min | 24°C | 5/30 |
| Jeffreys Bay | Excellent | 8.6 h | 7 min | 25°C | 6/30 |
| Plettenberg Bay | Excellent | 8.4 h | 7 min | 25°C | 7/30 |
| Knysna | Excellent | 8.3 h | 7 min | 25°C | 8/30 |
| Ballito | Excellent | 8.3 h | 6 min | 27°C | 13/30 |
| St Lucia | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 28°C | 15/30 |
| Durban | Excellent | 7.8 h | 7 min | 27°C | 15/30 |
Other months in South Africa
- Jan Excellent
- Feb Excellent
- Mar Excellent
- Apr Good
- May Good
- Jun Too cold
- Jul Too cold
- Aug Too cold
- Sep Too cold
- Oct Too cold
- Nov Excellent
- Dec Excellent
Best months: November to May. Full South Africa guide