Sun & light planner

Golden hour in Cape Town

In mid-June golden hour in Cape Town starts at 17:07 and lasts 38 minutes; in mid-December it starts at 19:17 and lasts 37. The tool is set to Cape Town — pick your shoot date.

In Cape Town the evening golden hour starts at 17:07 in mid-June (38 min) and at 19:17 in mid-December (37 min). Pick a date for the exact day.

Location

Shoot date

Time of day

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Or drag across the day chart.

Obstruction on the horizon

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A row of buildings or a hill: about 5° for a four-storey block 100 m away.

Exact coordinates

Latitude

Longitude

Africa/Johannesburg

golden (sun 6° to −0.8°)
dusk (−0.8° to −4°)
blue (−4° to −6°)
night
sun altitude

Golden hour, evening: —
Blue hour, evening: —
Golden hour, morning: —
Sunrise: —
Sunset: —
Daylight: —
Sun sets toward: —
Highest sun: —
Sun at chosen time: —
Shadow of a 1.80 m person: —

Drag the map to place the spot exactly

One column per day, midnight at the top. Click a day to open it. Breaks in the bands are clock changes.

15th of	Sunrise	Sunset	Golden pm	Length	Blue until	Daylight
Jan	05:51	20:01	19:25–20:01	36 min	20:29	14 h 10 min
Feb	06:22	19:41	19:07–19:41	34 min	20:07	13 h 18 min
Mar	06:46	19:06	18:33–19:06	33 min	19:31	12 h 20 min
Apr	07:09	18:25	17:51–18:25	34 min	18:50	11 h 15 min
May	07:32	17:55	17:19–17:55	36 min	18:21	10 h 23 min
Jun	07:50	17:45	17:07–17:45	38 min	18:12	9 h 54 min
Jul	07:50	17:56	17:18–17:56	37 min	18:23	10 h 06 min
Aug	07:27	18:17	17:42–18:17	35 min	18:43	10 h 50 min
Sep	06:47	18:38	18:05–18:38	33 min	19:03	11 h 51 min
Oct	06:06	19:00	18:26–19:00	33 min	19:25	12 h 54 min
Nov	05:36	19:28	18:53–19:28	35 min	19:55	13 h 52 min
Dec	05:30	19:54	19:17–19:54	37 min	20:23	14 h 24 min

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Golden hour in Cape Town, month by month

The evening window in Cape Town is longest in June (38 minutes) and shortest in March (33 minutes). Values for the 15th of each month, local time, daylight saving included.

Cape Town, 2026: sun times on the 15th (Africa/Johannesburg)
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Golden hour, evening	Length	Blue hour until	Daylight
January	05:51	20:01	19:25–20:01	36 min	20:29	14 h 10 min
February	06:22	19:41	19:07–19:41	34 min	20:07	13 h 18 min
March	06:46	19:06	18:33–19:06	33 min	19:31	12 h 20 min
April	07:09	18:25	17:51–18:25	34 min	18:50	11 h 15 min
May	07:32	17:55	17:19–17:55	36 min	18:21	10 h 23 min
June	07:50	17:45	17:07–17:45	38 min	18:12	9 h 54 min
July	07:50	17:56	17:18–17:56	37 min	18:23	10 h 06 min
August	07:27	18:17	17:42–18:17	35 min	18:43	10 h 50 min
September	06:47	18:38	18:05–18:38	33 min	19:03	11 h 51 min
October	06:06	19:00	18:26–19:00	33 min	19:25	12 h 54 min
November	05:36	19:28	18:53–19:28	35 min	19:55	13 h 52 min
December	05:30	19:54	19:17–19:54	37 min	20:23	14 h 24 min

Where the sun goes down

Around the December solstice the sun sets in Cape Town at 241° (WSW), around the June solstice at 299° (WNW) — 58° apart. A façade that gets backlight at the end of a summer day is lit from the side in winter, and a street that frames the sunset in January may not see it at all in July.

The highest sun of the year stands at 80° at noon, the lowest at 33°. Below about 15° the light turns warm and the shadows long enough to shape a face; the day chart in the tool shows when the sun crosses that line on your date.

Filming in Cape Town: permits

Shoots on public ground in Cape Town need a permit from the local authority (listed source: capetown.gov.za). If a golden-hour setup sits on public space, apply for a weather cover day at the same time — the light will not wait for the paperwork.

As of 2026-08

Frequently asked

When does golden hour start in Cape Town today?

The tool above opens on today’s date for Cape Town. As a guide: in mid-June it starts at 17:07, in mid-December at 19:17.

How long is golden hour in Cape Town?

Between 33 minutes (March) and 38 minutes (June) in the evening, measured from 6° sun altitude to sunset.

Does a building to the west change this?

Yes. Set the obstruction slider to its angle: a four-storey building 100 m away is about 5° and ends direct sun noticeably before sunset. The tool shows how many minutes you lose.