1

When is sunrise and sunset in Cape Town today?

Live countdown to the next event, plus today’s exact clocks in Africa/Johannesburg.

Dawn & Sunrise
Today's Sunrise in Cape Town
06:34 AM
Civil Dawn: 06:09 AM

Horizon 79° E

Sunset & Dusk
Today's Sunset in Cape Town
06:44 PM
Civil Dusk:

Horizon 281° W

Next Event Countdown
Next sunrise or sunset
Live after load
Day Length:
7-Day Outlook

Next 7 Days Sunrise & Sunset Forecast for Cape Town

Automatic daily forecast calculated for this location. Times update with your selected date.

Date Sunrise Sunset Solar Noon Day Length Golden Hour (Eve)
2

Where on the horizon?

Sunrise and sunset compass bearings for Cape Town — face these degrees, not “due east” or “due west.”

N E S W
Sunrise Sunset
Sunrise azimuth 79° E Face E at dawn
Sunset azimuth 281° W Face W at dusk

Azimuth is degrees clockwise from true north (0°). Today the disk clears the horizon at 79° E and drops at 281° W. Use that heading to pick a rail, pier, or hill that actually sees the Sun — then jump to where to stand.

3

How long is the day?

Today versus yesterday, solstice extremes, and the earliest/latest clock times for Cape Town in 2026.

Daylight (47% of 24h) 11h 17m day / 12h 43m night
Today
Vs yesterday
Night length
Vs longest day (December solstice (southern summer)) −3h 8m Dec 17, 2026 · 14h 25m 0s
Vs shortest day (June solstice (southern winter)) +1h 24m Jun 20, 2026 · 9h 53m 0s
Earliest sunrise05:27 AMDec 2, 2026
Latest sunrise07:52 AMJun 25, 2026
Earliest sunset05:44 PMJun 4, 2026
Latest sunset08:01 PMJan 4, 2026

Clock-time extremes often miss the solstice by a few days because of the Equation of Time — earliest sunrise is not always the longest day.

4

When is golden hour and blue hour?

Photography windows when the Sun sits between +6° and −8° for Cape Town.

Golden hour

Morning
Evening

Warm, low light — arrive at the start of the evening window, not at sunset.

Blue hour

Morning
Evening

Indigo sky after sunset (or before sunrise). Pair with city lights or water.

Need the physics and camera settings? Open the Golden Hour and Blue Hour tools.

5

Where should I stand in Cape Town?

Public viewpoints aimed at today’s sunrise (E) and sunset (W) bearings.

6

What about this month and this year?

A year-long day-length curve, then the day-by-day sun calendar (azimuth, twilight, golden/blue hour) and monthly snapshot for Cape Town.

Cape Town day length through 2026

The curve peaks near the december solstice (southern summer) (Dec 17, 2026, 14h 25m 0s) and bottoms out near the june solstice (southern winter) (Jun 20, 2026, 9h 53m 0s). Today is marked on the line.

JFMAMJJASOND Long Short
Full Month Sun Calendar

Cape Town Sun Times — September 2026

Day-by-day sunrise, sunset, compass azimuth, day-length change, civil/nautical/astronomical twilight, golden hour, blue hour, and solar noon for Cape Town in Africa/Johannesburg. Times use NOAA/Meeus algorithms with standard atmospheric refraction (zenith 90.833°). Scroll sideways for photography and twilight columns, or use the arrows to browse other months.

Date Sunrise Sunset Day Length Diff Solar Noon Civil Nautical Astronomical Golden hour Blue hour
Time Azimuth Time Azimuth Dawn Dusk Dawn Dusk Dawn Dusk Morning Evening Morning Evening
Tue, Sep 107:05 AM81° E06:28 PM279° W11h 23m 0s—12:46 PM06:40 AM06:53 PM06:11 AM07:22 PM05:42 AM07:51 PM06:50 AM – 07:39 AM05:54 PM – 06:43 PM06:30 AM – 06:50 AM06:43 PM – 07:03 PM
Wed, Sep 207:04 AM81° E06:28 PM279° W11h 24m 0s+1m 0s12:46 PM06:39 AM06:54 PM06:10 AM07:23 PM05:41 AM07:52 PM06:48 AM – 07:37 AM05:55 PM – 06:44 PM06:29 AM – 06:48 AM06:44 PM – 07:03 PM
Thu, Sep 307:02 AM82° E06:29 PM279° W11h 27m 0s+3m 0s12:45 PM06:37 AM06:54 PM06:08 AM07:23 PM05:39 AM07:52 PM06:47 AM – 07:36 AM05:56 PM – 06:45 PM06:28 AM – 06:47 AM06:45 PM – 07:04 PM
Fri, Sep 407:01 AM82° E06:30 PM278° W11h 29m 0s+2m 0s12:45 PM06:36 AM06:55 PM06:07 AM07:24 PM05:38 AM07:53 PM06:46 AM – 07:35 AM05:56 PM – 06:45 PM06:26 AM – 06:46 AM06:45 PM – 07:05 PM
Sat, Sep 507:00 AM82° E06:31 PM278° W11h 31m 0s+2m 0s12:45 PM06:35 AM06:56 PM06:06 AM07:25 PM05:37 AM07:53 PM06:44 AM – 07:33 AM05:57 PM – 06:46 PM06:25 AM – 06:44 AM06:46 PM – 07:05 PM
Sun, Sep 606:58 AM83° E06:31 PM277° W11h 33m 0s+2m 0s12:44 PM06:33 AM06:56 PM06:04 AM07:25 PM05:35 AM07:54 PM06:43 AM – 07:32 AM05:58 PM – 06:47 PM06:24 AM – 06:43 AM06:47 PM – 07:06 PM
Mon, Sep 706:57 AM83° E06:32 PM277° W11h 35m 0s+2m 0s12:44 PM06:32 AM06:57 PM06:03 AM07:26 PM05:34 AM07:55 PM06:42 AM – 07:30 AM05:59 PM – 06:47 PM06:22 AM – 06:42 AM06:47 PM – 07:07 PM
Tue, Sep 806:56 AM84° E06:33 PM276° W11h 37m 0s+2m 0s12:44 PM06:31 AM06:58 PM06:02 AM07:27 PM05:33 AM07:56 PM06:40 AM – 07:29 AM05:59 PM – 06:48 PM06:21 AM – 06:40 AM06:48 PM – 07:07 PM
Wed, Sep 906:54 AM84° E06:33 PM276° W11h 39m 0s+2m 0s12:43 PM06:29 AM06:58 PM06:00 AM07:27 PM05:31 AM07:56 PM06:39 AM – 07:28 AM06:00 PM – 06:49 PM06:20 AM – 06:39 AM06:49 PM – 07:08 PM
Thu, Sep 1006:53 AM85° E06:34 PM275° W11h 41m 0s+2m 0s12:43 PM06:28 AM06:59 PM05:59 AM07:28 PM05:30 AM07:57 PM06:38 AM – 07:26 AM06:01 PM – 06:49 PM06:18 AM – 06:38 AM06:49 PM – 07:09 PM
Fri, Sep 1106:52 AM85° E06:35 PM275° W11h 43m 0s+2m 0s12:43 PM06:27 AM07:00 PM05:58 AM07:29 PM05:29 AM07:58 PM06:36 AM – 07:25 AM06:01 PM – 06:50 PM06:17 AM – 06:36 AM06:50 PM – 07:09 PM
Sat, Sep 1206:50 AM86° E06:35 PM274° W11h 45m 0s+2m 0s12:42 PM06:25 AM07:00 PM05:56 AM07:29 PM05:27 AM07:58 PM06:35 AM – 07:23 AM06:02 PM – 06:51 PM06:16 AM – 06:35 AM06:51 PM – 07:10 PM
Sun, Sep 1306:49 AM86° E06:36 PM274° W11h 47m 0s+2m 0s12:42 PM06:24 AM07:01 PM05:55 AM07:30 PM05:26 AM07:59 PM06:34 AM – 07:22 AM06:03 PM – 06:51 PM06:14 AM – 06:34 AM06:51 PM – 07:11 PM
Mon, Sep 1406:47 AM87° E06:37 PM273° W11h 50m 0s+3m 0s12:42 PM06:23 AM07:02 PM05:54 AM07:31 PM05:25 AM08:00 PM06:32 AM – 07:21 AM06:04 PM – 06:52 PM06:13 AM – 06:32 AM06:52 PM – 07:11 PM
Tue, Sep 1506:46 AM87° E06:37 PM273° W11h 51m 0s+1m 0s12:41 PM06:21 AM07:02 PM05:52 AM07:31 PM05:23 AM08:00 PM06:31 AM – 07:19 AM06:04 PM – 06:53 PM06:12 AM – 06:31 AM06:53 PM – 07:12 PM
Wed, Sep 1606:45 AM87° E06:38 PM273° W11h 53m 0s+2m 0s12:41 PM06:20 AM07:03 PM05:51 AM07:32 PM05:22 AM08:01 PM06:29 AM – 07:18 AM06:05 PM – 06:53 PM06:10 AM – 06:29 AM06:53 PM – 07:13 PM
Thu, Sep 1706:43 AM88° E06:39 PM272° W11h 56m 0s+3m 0s12:41 PM06:18 AM07:04 PM05:49 AM07:33 PM05:20 AM08:02 PM06:28 AM – 07:16 AM06:06 PM – 06:54 PM06:09 AM – 06:28 AM06:54 PM – 07:13 PM
Fri, Sep 1806:42 AM88° E06:40 PM272° W11h 58m 0s+2m 0s12:41 PM06:17 AM07:04 PM05:48 AM07:33 PM05:19 AM08:03 PM06:27 AM – 07:15 AM06:06 PM – 06:55 PM06:07 AM – 06:27 AM06:55 PM – 07:14 PM
Sat, Sep 1906:41 AM89° E06:40 PM271° W11h 59m 0s+1m 0s12:40 PM06:16 AM07:05 PM05:47 AM07:34 PM05:17 AM08:03 PM06:25 AM – 07:14 AM06:07 PM – 06:55 PM06:06 AM – 06:25 AM06:55 PM – 07:15 PM
Sun, Sep 2006:39 AM89° E06:41 PM271° W12h 2m 0s+3m 0s12:40 PM06:14 AM07:06 PM05:45 AM07:35 PM05:16 AM08:04 PM06:24 AM – 07:12 AM06:08 PM – 06:56 PM06:05 AM – 06:24 AM06:56 PM – 07:15 PM
Mon, Sep 2106:38 AM90° E06:42 PM270° W12h 4m 0s+2m 0s12:40 PM06:13 AM07:07 PM05:44 AM07:36 PM05:14 AM08:05 PM06:23 AM – 07:11 AM06:09 PM – 06:57 PM06:03 AM – 06:23 AM06:57 PM – 07:16 PM
Tue, Sep 2206:36 AM90° E06:42 PM270° W12h 6m 0s+2m 0s12:39 PM06:11 AM07:07 PM05:42 AM07:36 PM05:13 AM08:06 PM06:21 AM – 07:09 AM06:09 PM – 06:58 PM06:02 AM – 06:21 AM06:58 PM – 07:17 PM
Wed, Sep 2306:35 AM91° E06:43 PM269° W12h 8m 0s+2m 0s12:39 PM06:10 AM07:08 PM05:41 AM07:37 PM05:12 AM08:06 PM06:20 AM – 07:08 AM06:10 PM – 06:58 PM06:00 AM – 06:20 AM06:58 PM – 07:18 PM
Thu, Sep 24 Today06:34 AM91° E06:44 PM269° W12h 10m 0s+2m 0s12:39 PM06:09 AM07:09 PM05:40 AM07:38 PM05:10 AM08:07 PM06:18 AM – 07:07 AM06:11 PM – 06:59 PM05:59 AM – 06:18 AM06:59 PM – 07:18 PM
Fri, Sep 2506:32 AM92° E06:44 PM268° W12h 12m 0s+2m 0s12:38 PM06:07 AM07:09 PM05:38 AM07:38 PM05:09 AM08:08 PM06:17 AM – 07:05 AM06:11 PM – 07:00 PM05:58 AM – 06:17 AM07:00 PM – 07:19 PM
Sat, Sep 2606:31 AM92° E06:45 PM268° W12h 14m 0s+2m 0s12:38 PM06:06 AM07:10 PM05:37 AM07:39 PM05:07 AM08:09 PM06:16 AM – 07:04 AM06:12 PM – 07:00 PM05:56 AM – 06:16 AM07:00 PM – 07:20 PM
Sun, Sep 2706:29 AM93° E06:46 PM267° W12h 17m 0s+3m 0s12:37 PM06:04 AM07:11 PM05:35 AM07:40 PM05:06 AM08:10 PM06:14 AM – 07:02 AM06:13 PM – 07:01 PM05:55 AM – 06:14 AM07:01 PM – 07:20 PM
Mon, Sep 2806:28 AM93° E06:47 PM267° W12h 19m 0s+2m 0s12:37 PM06:03 AM07:11 PM05:34 AM07:41 PM05:04 AM08:10 PM06:13 AM – 07:01 AM06:14 PM – 07:02 PM05:53 AM – 06:13 AM07:02 PM – 07:21 PM
Tue, Sep 2906:27 AM93° E06:47 PM267° W12h 20m 0s+1m 0s12:37 PM06:02 AM07:12 PM05:32 AM07:42 PM05:03 AM08:11 PM06:11 AM – 07:00 AM06:14 PM – 07:03 PM05:52 AM – 06:11 AM07:03 PM – 07:22 PM
Wed, Sep 3006:25 AM94° E06:48 PM266° W12h 23m 0s+3m 0s12:36 PM06:00 AM07:13 PM05:31 AM07:42 PM05:01 AM08:12 PM06:10 AM – 06:58 AM06:15 PM – 07:03 PM05:50 AM – 06:10 AM07:03 PM – 07:23 PM

Tip: pair this calendar with our Day Length, Twilight, and Golden Hour tools for photography and planning.

Hourly sun altitude in Cape Town

Altitude (degrees above the horizon) and azimuth (clockwise from north) at each local clock hour. Negative altitude means the Sun is down. Polar Day stays positive all 24 rows; Polar Night stays negative.

Local clock hours in Africa/Johannesburg for 2026-08-29.

Local timeAltitudeAzimuthSky
00:00-63.2°206.9°Night
01:00-65.4°172.7°Night
02:00-60.4°141.7°Night
03:00-51.0°121.2°Night
04:00-39.7°107.6°Night
05:00-27.5°97.4°Night
06:00-15.1°88.7°Astronomical twilight
07:00-2.7°80.5°Golden hour
08:00+9.4°72.0°Daylight
09:00+20.9°62.2°Daylight
10:00+31.3°50.5°Daylight
11:00+39.8°35.5°Daylight
12:00+45.3°16.8°Daylight
13:00+46.7°355.5°Daylight
14:00+43.5°335.0°Daylight
15:00+36.6°317.8°Daylight
16:00+27.2°304.3°Daylight
17:00+16.3°293.4°Daylight
18:00+4.6°284.3°Golden hour
19:00-7.7°275.9°Nautical twilight
20:00-20.1°267.6°Night
21:00-32.4°258.4°Night
22:00-44.1°246.6°Night
23:00-54.8°230.6°Night

Cape Town Sunrise & Sunset by Month (2026)

This table shows the sunrise, sunset, and day length in Cape Town on the 1st of every month, computed with the same NOAA/Meeus solar algorithms used across this site. Day length is longest in January and shortest in July.

MonthSunriseSunsetDay Length
January 105:38 AM08:00 PM14h 22m 0s
February 106:07 AM07:52 PM13h 45m 0s
March 106:33 AM07:23 PM12h 50m 0s
April 106:57 AM06:41 PM11h 44m 0s
May 107:20 AM06:06 PM10h 46m 0s
June 107:43 AM05:45 PM10h 2m 0s
July 107:52 AM05:47 PM9h 55m 0s
August 107:38 AM06:06 PM10h 28m 0s
September 107:05 AM06:28 PM11h 23m 0s
October 106:24 AM06:49 PM12h 25m 0s
November 105:46 AM07:13 PM13h 27m 0s
December 105:28 AM07:41 PM14h 13m 0s
7

Why is Cape Town special?

Facts, daylight saving, and how Cape Town sits in the South Africa east–west spread.

Latitude-33.9249°
Longitude18.4241°
TimezoneAfrica/Johannesburg
Elevation25m

Solar facts

  • 1Top sunrise and sunset spots in Cape Town: Signal Hill, Camps Bay Beach, Chapman's Peak Drive.
  • 2Cape Town sunrise and sunset times are calculated for latitude -33.9249° and longitude 18.4241°.
  • 3Local solar times in Cape Town use the Africa/Johannesburg timezone.
  • 4Day length in Cape Town, Western Cape changes through the year with Earth's axial tilt and seasonal solar angle.

Daylight Saving Time

Cape Town stays on Africa/Johannesburg year-round with no daylight-saving jump. Sunrise and sunset drift only because of Earth’s orbit, not because the clock shifts.

East–west spread

Across South Africa on this site, the Sun rises first in Durban (06:15 AM, 31.0218°) and last in Cape Town (07:09 AM, 18.4241°). That east–west spread is about 54m. Both cities share the same clock, so this gap shows up directly on the wall clock. Cape Town sits at 18.4241°.

Check sunrise and sunset times in Cape Town, South Africa today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at -33.9249°, 18.4241° (Africa/Johannesburg). Popular places to watch the sun include Signal Hill, Camps Bay Beach, Chapman's Peak Drive. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.

Plan beyond sunrise

Solar Tools for Cape Town

Sun CalculatorCustom Lat/LngDay LengthTwilightGolden HourBlue HourDawn & DuskSeasonsMidnight SunSunrise SpotsSunset SpotsSolar TourismTourist GuideManhattanhengeSolar Noon

Cape Town Sunrise & Sunset FAQ

Sunrise in Cape Town is calculated daily from its coordinates (-33.9249°, 18.4241°) and the Africa/Johannesburg timezone using NOAA/Meeus solar algorithms.
Sunset in Cape Town updates daily on this page. Check the solar cards above for the exact local sunset time and day length.
Popular sunrise and sunset viewpoints in Cape Town include Signal Hill, Camps Bay Beach, Chapman's Peak Drive, and Lion's Head. Open the Popular Places to See Sunrise & Sunset guide for timing tips at each spot, and check today's solar times to plan golden hour and blue hour.
Sunrise and sunset in Cape Town are calculated daily from its coordinates and the Africa/Johannesburg timezone. Check the live solar cards on this page for today’s exact local times, day length, and the countdown to the next event.
Today the sun rises at 79° E and sets at 281° W in Cape Town. Face that compass bearing from an open viewpoint — sunrise is rarely due east, and sunset is rarely due west.
Evening golden hour in Cape Town starts about an hour before sunset; evening blue hour follows as the Sun drops below the horizon. Morning windows are listed in the golden hour section on this page.
In 2026, the longest day in Cape Town is Dec 17, 2026 with 14h 25m 0s of daylight, and the shortest is Jun 20, 2026 with 9h 53m 0s.
In 2026, the earliest sunrise in Cape Town is 05:27 AM on Dec 2, 2026. The latest sunset is 08:01 PM on Jan 4, 2026. The latest sunrise is 07:52 AM on Jun 25, 2026, and the earliest sunset is 05:44 PM on Jun 4, 2026. These clock-time extremes often miss the solstice by a few days because of the Equation of Time.
No, Cape Town maintains a fixed standard time offset year-round and does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Nearby Cities in South Africa

Johannesburg

South Africa • Gauteng

Check sunrise and sunset times in Johannesburg, South Africa today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at -26.2041°, 28.0473° (Africa/Johannesburg). Popular places to watch the sun include Northcliff Ridge, Melville Koppies, Delta Park. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.

Durban

South Africa • KwaZulu-Natal

Check sunrise and sunset times in Durban, South Africa today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at -29.8587°, 31.0218° (Africa/Johannesburg). Popular places to watch the sun include Golden Mile, uShaka Marine World Beachfront, Moyo Pier. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.

Pretoria

South Africa • Gauteng

Check sunrise and sunset times in Pretoria, South Africa today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at -25.7479°, 28.2293° (Africa/Johannesburg). Popular places to watch the sun include Union Buildings, Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.