FAM TRIPS TOAfricaJoin RepBuddies free

Where to go · November

Where to go in Africa in November

The short answer

In November, the main safari areas of Ethiopia and South Africa are in the dry season. Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have short rains. Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe are in the rainy or green season there. Places at their best include Makgadikgadi Pans and Liuwa Plain National Park.

By RepBudUpdated

Rain falling from storm clouds over the open grassland of Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia

Photo: S1m0nB3rry, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is the season in each country in November?

In the dry season

  • EthiopiaBega (dry season)Mostly dry across most of the country; Timkat (Epiphany) is celebrated in January
  • South AfricaSpringKruger and the north-east: warming up before the rains. Cape Town and the Western Cape: spring; whale season continues

In the short rains

  • KenyaShort rainsShowers rather than days of rain; quieter before the holiday peak
  • NamibiaShort rainsHot, with the first short-lived showers, mainly inland
  • RwandaShort rainsRain returns, heaviest from October to December
  • TanzaniaShort rainsHerds return south; green landscapes and fewer visitors
  • UgandaSecond rainy seasonRains return over most of the country, easing towards December

In the green season

  • BotswanaGreen seasonRain, newborn animals, migrant birds, the zebra migration in the Makgadikgadi, the Kalahari at its greenest; lower rates
  • MalawiRainy seasonMostly short storms and green landscapes, with some of the best birdwatching; floods can make roads difficult
  • MozambiqueRainy seasonHot and humid; cyclones and floods can occur, and low-lying roads can become impassable
  • ZambiaRainy seasonRain starts in November and is heaviest from December to February; green landscapes and migrant birds. Confirm with each camp whether it is open
  • ZimbabweRainy seasonMost of the year's rain, often in afternoon storms, with a dry spell common around late December and early January; green landscapes and migrant birds

General pattern from each country’s guide; it varies by region and from year to year. Compare all twelve months.

Which places are at their best in November?

Palm trees silhouetted against a pink dawn sky on the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans, BotswanaDesert

Makgadikgadi Pans

Central and North-West districts, Botswana

One of the largest salt-pan systems in the world, partly protected by the Makgadikgadi Pans and Nxai Pan national parks. In the green season zebra and wildebeest migrate to its grasslands; in the dry season the open pans are the attraction.

Best months
November to April for the zebra migration
Getting there
By road from Maun or Nata, or light aircraft
Open in Google Maps ↗

Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rain falling from storm clouds over the open grassland of Liuwa Plain National Park, ZambiaNational park

Liuwa Plain National Park

Western Province, Zambia

A remote grassland park in western Zambia, managed by African Parks with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and the Barotse Royal Establishment. It hosts Africa's second-largest wildebeest migration, which arrives with the early rains.

Best months
November and December for the wildebeest
Getting there
Light aircraft, or 4x4 via Kalabo
Open in Google Maps ↗

Photo: S1m0nB3rry, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions travel agents ask about November

Is November a good time for a safari in Africa?

For dry-season game viewing, yes in Ethiopia and South Africa, which are in their dry season in November. Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe are in the rainy or green season, with greener landscapes and, in some areas, lower rates or closed camps.

Where is it rainy in Africa in November?

The countries in this guide with rain in November: Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Patterns vary by region and year.

Talk to agents and hosts who sell Africa

The group on RepBud

Join the Fam Trips to Africa group

A group chat on RepBud for travel agents and tour operators who sell Africa, and the reps, DMCs and tourist boards who host fam trips there. Ask questions, hear about fam trips and meet the people behind them.

Join free, then the group

Fam trip information is only shared by members who are currently organising fams, and connecting is not a guarantee of a place.

Already on RepBud

Open the group

Sign in, open Fam Trips to Africa and tap Join. Reps, DMCs and tourist boards who host Africa fam trips are welcome too.

Open the group on RepBud

Next step

Connect with the hosts and agents behind Africa fam trips

Fam trips are offered to agents hosts already know. A RepBud profile connects the two sides: reps, DMCs and tourist boards on one, travel agents and tour operators on the other.

Travel agents and advisorsJoin RepBuddies, free

Full information about fam trips is found by connecting on RepBud with the reps, DMCs and tourist boards organising them.

Join RepBuddies

Fam trip information is only shared by members who are currently organising fams, and connecting is not a guarantee of a place.

DMCs, tourist boards and repsList your fam trip

Choose the markets your guests sell from. Economy is free, with no card.

Create your free RepBud profile

Photo: S1m0nB3rry, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons