Hi there, @fivefiveeleven. There may be some good deals available between Uruguay and South Africa - I know quite a few South Africans choose Uruguay as an affordable destination (because our rand doesn't go very far!). Once you get here, food and accommodation are well-priced for a cost-conscious international traveller. Airbnb is well-established here and presents well-priced alternatives.
Spring here is sensational. Flowers everywhere, but especially in desert areas in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape. There, carpets of flowers explode in areas that used to look like dusty rock. A South African photographer, Bipin Prag, does quite a good job capturing these explosions, but you could google it and probably see how amazing it is.
The water temperature? Depends what side of the country you choose! The Atlantic (around Cape Town, and through the western side of the Western Cape province) is good for wetsuit use only - really cold. The Indian Ocean coastline is fabulous, with some of the best wild beaches and diving in the world. If you look through Google Earth at the Eastern Cape coastline, you'll see what I mean. Kilometres and kilometres of dunes and coastal forest, with terrific bird life. The KwaZulu Natal coastline heads up to Mozambique and is even warmer, with the St Lucia wetlands presenting world class diving. Really worth saving up for the airfare.
Ok, that was pretty long, but I do love this country....