Film production in Cape Town
Between December and June, usable daylight in Cape Town moves by 4h 30min — from 14h 24min down to 9h 54min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Cape Town rises at 07:50 and sets at 17:45; the evening golden hour starts at 17:07 and runs for 38 minutes. By December that shifts to 05:30–19:54, with a 37-minute golden-hour window from 19:17.
In practice, a spread of 4h 30min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:51 | 20:01 | 14h 10min | 19:25 |
| February | 06:22 | 19:41 | 13h 18min | 19:07 |
| March | 06:46 | 19:06 | 12h 20min | 18:33 |
| April | 07:09 | 18:25 | 11h 15min | 17:51 |
| May | 07:32 | 17:55 | 10h 23min | 17:19 |
| June | 07:50 | 17:45 | 9h 54min | 17:07 |
| July | 07:50 | 17:56 | 10h 06min | 17:18 |
| August | 07:27 | 18:17 | 10h 50min | 17:42 |
| September | 06:47 | 18:38 | 11h 51min | 18:05 |
| October | 06:06 | 19:00 | 12h 54min | 18:26 |
| November | 05:36 | 19:28 | 13h 52min | 18:53 |
| December | 05:30 | 19:54 | 14h 24min | 19:17 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Cape Town starts at 18:02 in June and ends at 18:12 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 20:12. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:06) and September (18:38) there are 28 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Cape Town averages 11 rain days in June and 3 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in June statistically loses 1.1 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21.3 °C | 3 | 13.3 |
| February | 21.1 °C | 3 | 12.2 |
| March | 19.6 °C | 4 | 10.9 |
| April | 17.6 °C | 5 | 9.9 |
| May | 15.6 °C | 7 | 8.7 |
| June | 13.9 °C | 11 | 8.0 |
| July | 13.0 °C | 10 | 8.4 |
| August | 13.1 °C | 11 | 9.0 |
| September | 14.4 °C | 8 | 10.0 |
| October | 16.9 °C | 6 | 11.9 |
| November | 18.1 °C | 5 | 12.5 |
| December | 19.7 °C | 5 | 13.1 |
Filming permits
The responsible body is das Film Permit Office der City of Cape Town; die Cape Town Film Commission unterstützt bei Motivsuche und Verfahren. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: capetown.gov.za
Incentives and rebates
Südafrika gewährt internationalen Produktionen einen Rebate auf südafrikanische Ausgaben über das dtic. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2026-08 · Source: thedtic.gov.za
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in June, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Cape Town?
In June it starts at 17:07 and lasts 38 minutes; in December it starts at 19:17 and lasts 37 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Cape Town get?
Between 9h 54min in June and 14h 24min in December. The 4h 30min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Cape Town?
Combining daylight and rain days, January comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. December has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.