Today, Saturday, October 3, 2026, the Sun rises at 05:45 and sets at 18:08 in South Africa (local time, based on Johannesburg). That gives 12h 23min of daylight, with solar noon at 11:56.
The Sun today
It's nighttime now Sunrise in 3h 6min.
Compared with yesterday, today is 1min 32s longer, and tomorrow will be 1min 33s longer than today: days are getting longer.
Today's timeline: twilight, sunrise and sunset
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical twilight begins (Sun 18° below the horizon) | 04:27 |
| Nautical twilight begins (12° below) | 04:55 |
| Civil twilight begins (6° below) | 05:22 |
| Sunrise | 05:45 |
| Solar noon | 11:56 |
| Sunset | 18:08 |
| Civil twilight ends | 18:31 |
| Nautical twilight ends | 18:58 |
| Astronomical twilight ends | 19:26 |
Dawn and dusk are not instant. Today in South Africa, civil twilight begins 23 minutes before sunrise, so it is already light enough to walk outdoors at 05:22, and it fades about 23 minutes after sunset. At this latitude the Sun sinks at a shallower angle, so twilight lasts longer than in the tropics. Photographers often plan around the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the light is warm and soft, and drivers, cyclists and runners can use these times to know when to switch on lights.
Next 14 days
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Solar noon | Length | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 3 | 05:45 | 18:08 | 11:56 | 12h 23min | +1min 32s |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 05:44 | 18:09 | 11:56 | 12h 24min | +1min 33s |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 05:43 | 18:09 | 11:56 | 12h 26min | +1min 32s |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 05:42 | 18:10 | 11:55 | 12h 27min | +1min 32s |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 05:41 | 18:10 | 11:55 | 12h 29min | +1min 32s |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 05:40 | 18:11 | 11:55 | 12h 30min | +1min 32s |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 05:39 | 18:11 | 11:55 | 12h 32min | +1min 31s |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 05:38 | 18:12 | 11:54 | 12h 33min | +1min 31s |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 05:37 | 18:12 | 11:54 | 12h 35min | +1min 32s |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 05:36 | 18:13 | 11:54 | 12h 37min | +1min 31s |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 05:35 | 18:13 | 11:54 | 12h 38min | +1min 31s |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 05:34 | 18:14 | 11:53 | 12h 40min | +1min 31s |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 05:33 | 18:14 | 11:53 | 12h 41min | +1min 30s |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 05:32 | 18:15 | 11:53 | 12h 43min | +1min 30s |
How daylight changes through the year in South Africa
The longest day of 2026 is December 22, with 13h 47min of daylight, and the shortest is June 21, with 10h 29min: a seasonal swing of 3h 17min. The earliest sunrise is at 05:07 (November 24) and the latest at 06:56 (July 1); the earliest sunset is at 17:23 (May 30) and the latest at 19:05 (January 9). At this latitude the change is clear but moderate, and summer, with the longest days, falls around December.
Monthly table: October 2026
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Length | Civil twilight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 1 | 05:47 | 18:07 | 12h 20min | 05:24 – 18:30 |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 05:46 | 18:08 | 12h 21min | 05:23 – 18:31 |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 05:45 | 18:08 | 12h 23min | 05:22 – 18:31 |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 05:44 | 18:09 | 12h 24min | 05:21 – 18:32 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 05:43 | 18:09 | 12h 26min | 05:20 – 18:32 |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 05:42 | 18:10 | 12h 27min | 05:19 – 18:33 |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 05:41 | 18:10 | 12h 29min | 05:17 – 18:33 |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 05:40 | 18:11 | 12h 30min | 05:16 – 18:34 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 05:39 | 18:11 | 12h 32min | 05:15 – 18:34 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 05:38 | 18:12 | 12h 33min | 05:14 – 18:35 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 05:37 | 18:12 | 12h 35min | 05:13 – 18:35 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 05:36 | 18:13 | 12h 37min | 05:12 – 18:36 |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 05:35 | 18:13 | 12h 38min | 05:11 – 18:36 |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 05:34 | 18:14 | 12h 40min | 05:10 – 18:37 |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 05:33 | 18:14 | 12h 41min | 05:09 – 18:38 |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 05:32 | 18:15 | 12h 43min | 05:08 – 18:38 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 05:31 | 18:15 | 12h 44min | 05:07 – 18:39 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 05:30 | 18:16 | 12h 46min | 05:06 – 18:39 |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 05:29 | 18:16 | 12h 47min | 05:05 – 18:40 |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 05:28 | 18:17 | 12h 49min | 05:04 – 18:40 |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 05:27 | 18:17 | 12h 50min | 05:03 – 18:41 |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 05:26 | 18:18 | 12h 51min | 05:02 – 18:42 |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 05:25 | 18:19 | 12h 53min | 05:01 – 18:42 |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 05:24 | 18:19 | 12h 54min | 05:00 – 18:43 |
| Sun, Oct 25 | 05:23 | 18:20 | 12h 56min | 05:00 – 18:44 |
| Mon, Oct 26 | 05:23 | 18:20 | 12h 57min | 04:59 – 18:44 |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 05:22 | 18:21 | 12h 59min | 04:58 – 18:45 |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 05:21 | 18:22 | 13h 0min | 04:57 – 18:46 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 05:20 | 18:22 | 13h 2min | 04:56 – 18:46 |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 05:19 | 18:23 | 13h 3min | 04:55 – 18:47 |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 05:19 | 18:23 | 13h 4min | 04:55 – 18:48 |
Where these times come from
All times are calculated astronomically for Johannesburg (26.20° S, 28.05° E) and shown in the local time zone (Africa/Johannesburg, UTC+2). Sunrise and sunset refer to the moment the upper edge of the Sun touches the horizon, already counting atmospheric refraction. They refer to the reference city; other cities in South Africa differ by a few minutes for every degree of longitude (about 4 minutes per degree) and by their latitude. In countries that span several time zones, the local clock times can differ a lot. Values are accurate to within about a minute.
See also
- Current time in South Africa
- Sunrise and sunset in every state and country
- Moon phase today · Start of the seasons
Other places
Coordinates used: 26.20° S, 28.05° E