Bloemfontein

Capital of South Africa: population, location, elevation, climate and landmarks.

Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa (20351086709)

Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa (20351086709): South African Tourism from South Africa, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Overview

Bloemfontein is the capital of South Africa, in Free State. About 556,637 people live in the city proper, making it the 11th largest city of South Africa in our atlas.

It lies at 29.12° S, 26.21° E, about 1,396 m (4,580 ft) above sea level, and keeps time on the Africa/Johannesburg time zone.

Location

Red dot: Bloemfontein. Green dots: other major cities of South Africa. Map data: Natural Earth.

Climate

Bloemfontein has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The warmest month is usually Jan, with average highs near 32°C (90°F); the coolest nights come in Jul at about 0°C (33°F). Around 489 mm (19 in) of rain and snow falls in a typical year, most of it in Jan.

32°17°Jan7931°16°Feb7429°14°Mar6424°9°Apr4820°5°May1617°1°Jun1417°0°Jul520°3°Aug1125°7°Sep1029°11°Oct3430°13°Nov5932°15°Dec75mm

Bars: average daily high and low (°C) for each month; blue columns and figures: average precipitation (mm). Gridded 2001-2025 averages from NASA POWER, so mountain and coastal spots can differ from local station records.

Landmarks and places to see

National Women's MonumentMonument in Bloemfontein, South Africa
Chevrolet ParkCricket oval
Government House, Orange Free State
Government House, Orange Free StateBuilding in South Africa
Seisa Ramabodu StadiumBuilding in Africa
National Afrikaans Literary Museum and Research Centre
National Afrikaans Literary Museum and Research CentreMuseum and research center in South Africa
Free State National Botanical GardenBotanical garden just outside Bloemfontein
Observatory TheatreLandmark

Popular sights within a few kilometres of the city centre, ranked by how widely they are documented on Wikipedia.

What to eat in South AfricaNational dishes, street food, desserts and drinks on Intercontinental Chef.

Nearby major cities

← South AfricaAll cities

Sources

Text written by Geographical Effect from these sources.

Photo credits
  • Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa (20351086709): South African Tourism from South Africa, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Bloemfontein Oliewenhuis Art Museum seen from the south: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Bloemfontein National Afrikaans Literary Museum seen from the northeast: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)