Best time to visit the Pilanesberg

The Pilanesberg is open year round and it is malaria free in every season, so the question is not whether to come but what you want out of the trip.

May to September — the dry season

This is peak game viewing. The bush thins out as the ground dries, and animals concentrate around the permanent waterholes, which makes them far easier to find. Skies are clear and the weather is mild.

Pack layers. Winter mornings on an open game-drive vehicle are genuinely cold — average lows around 6 °C — while afternoons warm up to a comfortable 23 °C or so. Most lodges supply blankets and ponchos for the early drive.

October to April — the green season

The rains arrive and the reserve transforms. The bush turns thick and green, newborn antelope appear, and migratory birds push the species count towards its annual peak. If you are a birder or a landscape photographer, this is your season.

Game viewing is harder — the vegetation is dense and animals are dispersed because water is everywhere, not just at the waterholes. In exchange you generally get lower rates, fewer people, and dramatic afternoon thunderstorms.

Month by month

• January – February — hot, green, wet. Best birding, hardest game viewing. Quietest and often cheapest.
• March – April — the bush starts drying out. A good compromise, and pleasant temperatures.
• May – June — dry, cool, clear. Game viewing improving fast. Cold mornings.
• July – August — peak game viewing and peak season. Book well ahead, especially over the school holidays.
• September – October — very dry, warming up. Excellent sightings before the rains break.
• November – December — first rains, the bush greens, migrants return. Busy over the festive period.

Time of day matters more than time of year

Whenever you come, the early morning and late afternoon drives are when the animals move. A midday drive in any season is mostly a drive. Lodge-based guests get both prime slots as standard.

Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly what to expect.