06/06/2026
Potchefstroom recorded the coldest temperature in South Africa on Tuesday morning, July 14, 2020. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) confirmed that the town in the North West province dropped to a freezing overnight low that made it the chilliest spot in the country for that specific day.
On July 14, 2020, Potchefstroom experienced a clear, cold winter day with a minimum temperature of -4.3°C and a maximum temperature of 21.2°C.
While Potchefstroom frequently experiences crisp winter weather during July, this particular cold snap made headlines. However, looking at overall climate statistics, Potchefstroom is not the country's undisputed, year-round coldest place.
Potchefstroom’s coldest recorded ambient temperature is approximately -5° C, while some severe localized cold snaps have dipped as low as -10° C. For daytime temperatures, the city's coldest maximum daytime temperature on record is 9.1° C, which occurred during a historical, nationwide cold front on October 19, 2003.
