Sunrise & sunset times in Pietermaritzburg
Sunrise in Pietermaritzburg today is at 06:45 and sunset is at 17:24, giving 10h 40m of daylight (times for Wednesday, 29 July 2026, in Pietermaritzburg's local time zone). Evening golden hour runs 16:50 to 17:24. The moon is a full moon at 100% illumination.
Live sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length, golden hour, blue hour and moon times for Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Pick any date to see the light for that day in local time.
On the 2026 June solstice the sun rises at 06:52 and sets at 17:07 in Pietermaritzburg (10h 15m of daylight). On the December solstice it rises at 04:54 and sets at 18:58 (14h 3m).
| Event | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:01 | 18:09 | 12h 8m |
| June solstice | 06:52 | 17:07 | 10h 15m |
| September equinox | 05:48 | 17:54 | 12h 6m |
| December solstice | 04:54 | 18:58 | 14h 3m |
Full sun timeline for Pietermaritzburg
Civil dawn, when the sky starts to brighten before sunrise.
The moment the top edge of the sun appears on the horizon.
End of the soft, warm morning light photographers love.
The sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the day.
Start of the warm, low evening light before sunset.
The moment the sun dips fully below the horizon.
Civil dusk, when the last usable daylight fades.
Golden hour and blue hour in Pietermaritzburg
The best windows for warm and cool natural light on this date.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:12 | 19:02 | 13h 50m |
| February | 05:38 | 18:45 | 13h 7m |
| March | 05:58 | 18:15 | 12h 17m |
| April | 06:16 | 17:39 | 11h 23m |
| May | 06:35 | 17:14 | 10h 39m |
| June | 06:51 | 17:06 | 10h 15m |
| July | 06:52 | 17:17 | 10h 25m |
| August | 06:31 | 17:34 | 11h 3m |
| September | 05:56 | 17:50 | 11h 54m |
| October | 05:20 | 18:08 | 12h 47m |
| November | 04:55 | 18:31 | 13h 36m |
| December | 04:52 | 18:54 | 14h 2m |
Sun and moon in Pietermaritzburg
Landscape and street photographers who plan around the light rely on the daily sun and moon schedule for Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. This page shows live sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length, morning and evening golden hour, blue hour, dawn and dusk, plus the current moon phase and the moonrise and moonset times for Pietermaritzburg. Every value is calculated in the browser for the date you pick and shown in the local time of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Pietermaritzburg sits at roughly 29.62 degrees south, in the southern hemisphere, so it sees a gentle seasonal swing, since day length stays fairly even through the year and the sun climbs high overhead in summer. Because the length of the day changes with the seasons, the exact sunrise and sunset in Pietermaritzburg shift from week to week. Pick any date with the date picker to see how the light will fall on a specific day, which is handy for planning a shoot, an event, a wedding, a flight or simply the best moment to catch the last warm light of the evening. Golden hour, that soft warm window near sunrise and sunset, is the favourite of photographers in Pietermaritzburg. Blue hour, the cooler stretch just before sunrise and just after sunset, is ideal for cityscapes and long exposures. Combined with the moon phase and moon times, this gives you a complete picture of natural light over Pietermaritzburg, South Africa for any day of the year.
Frequently asked questions about Pietermaritzburg
What time is sunrise in Pietermaritzburg today?
The sunrise time in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa is shown at the top of this page for today's date and updates automatically. Use the date picker to check sunrise for any other day. All times are given in the local time zone of Pietermaritzburg.
When is golden hour in Pietermaritzburg?
Pietermaritzburg has two golden hours each day: one just after sunrise in the morning and one just before sunset in the evening. Both windows are listed above with their exact start and end times for the date you select, so you can plan a photo session down to the minute.
Why do sunrise and sunset change through the year in Pietermaritzburg?
Because Pietermaritzburg lies in the southern hemisphere, its days are longest around December and shortest around June. In Pietermaritzburg the longer solstice day runs about 14h 3m and the shorter one about 10h 15m, as shown in the table above. As Earth orbits the Sun, the point on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets moves, which lengthens or shortens the day and shifts sunrise and sunset times.
Are the times for Pietermaritzburg accurate?
Yes. Times are computed with the well established SunCalc astronomy library using the coordinates of Pietermaritzburg and shown in its local time zone. They are accurate to about a minute for a clear, flat horizon. Hills, tall buildings and atmospheric conditions can shift the moment you actually see the Sun by a few minutes.
Does this page show the moon phase for Pietermaritzburg?
Yes. The current moon phase, the percentage of the Moon that is lit, and the moonrise and moonset times for Pietermaritzburg are all shown for the selected date, so you can plan around a full moon or a dark new moon sky.
Data and methodology: every time on this page is computed from Pietermaritzburg's coordinates with SunCalc, an open source astronomy library, not estimated or looked up from a table.
Nearby cities
Sun and moon times for places close to Pietermaritzburg. Sunrise and sunset shift as you move east, west, north or south.
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Plain-English guides to the moments that shape the day in Pietermaritzburg and everywhere else.
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