Weather in Africa is a mysterious thing. And so the question most frequently asked both during my time as crew on the overland trucks and now that I run OverlandingAfrica.com is: “What time is the best time to travel in Africa?”. This question probably provokes a smile to those who have traveled through Africa, as Africa is quite a large continent, with climates ranging from hot dry deserts to cold, windy and wet coasts. Weather in Africa is as diverse as the continent itself. However, to those who have never set foot on this diverse continent, it’s a very real and often quite worrying issue. “If I’m going to spend that much money going on safari, I really want to make sure that I am there during the best season” was something one my clients mentioned the other day. So, what is in fact the best time to travel in Africa?

• East Africa is best visited during the dry seasons, July through to October and December through till March.
• Just prior to the wet season is usually the best weather in Africa for game viewing, as it is that time of year that the grass is lowest and wildlife doesn’t wander too far from permanent water holes.
• Malaria is also at its lowest level just prior to the rains. The rainy seasons move northbound in a band across continental Africa so travelling in a southbound direction means you will only be within the rain band for little more than a week.
• Southern Africa is best visited from April through to October for the same reasons as East Africa.
• You will get some fairly cool temperatures during May/June/July. Evening temperatures do drop in all other areas during winter but will only require a jersey or jacket at most.

This is standard information given by people who have a look at diagrams and use computer programs to look at the weather and then calculate ‘the best time to travel Africa’. Although I agree with the facts in the above article, I seriously disagree with the subjective ‘best time to travel in Africa’. It basically states that November through to March is not a good time to travel Southern Africa, something that will be fiercely disputed by most Southern Africans as it’s our summer! My own view on what the best time to travel in Africa is... Sure, January in the Namib desert can be scorcher but November and March are generally spoken very pleasant months to travel throughout most of Southern Africa! Those are the months that Capetonians enjoy their precious city, without the hordes of tourists that frequent our Mothercity in December and without the winds that blow in October around the Peninsula. So, what does that leave you with? I used to tell my clients, and still do, that there is no such thing as a good or a bad time to travel in Africa. If you travel in the wet season, everything is fresh and green, nature is at its best so great for photos but difficult to spot wildlife as the bush is thick. If you travel in the dry season, it’s dusty and nature’s dry, but it’s much easier to spot wildlife. About travelling during the rains in Africa I will not deny that traveling in the rainy season has an affect on your travels at all. Obviously it will, but so does traveling in the dry season. Rains in most areas in East and Southern Africa come fast and furious. This means that you’ll have some downpours but then the sun comes out again. You don’t need to fear that you will spend 3 weeks on an overland safari without seeing the sun once - that is an absurb thought! And if all else fails, a spray-on suntan seems to work wonders too, but more about that next time! Read more info on weather in Africa, on our website. Hope you found this useful. - Claudia :)

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