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Best time to volunteer in South Africa

Volunteers are needed all year round, so check out the best time to volunteer in South Africa in terms of temperature and rainfall. From prime primate baby season to helping out with whale and shark watching tours, it pays to know what you’re going to be letting yourself in for, before you volunteer. Find out more in our interactive temp chart and our month by month highlights.

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BEST TIME TO VOLUNTEER IN SOUTH AFRICA

Community projects in Cape Town or Port Elizabeth are ideally situated for breaks at the beach, with Nov-May offering the warmest weather.

If you're volunteering close to Kruger National Park, Jul-Sep is the best time to spot wildlife during weekends off. Some projects peak at different times of the year with Nov-Feb the busiest time for rescuing baby monkeys, whilst Jun-Dec is shark and whale watching season. The best time to volunteer in South Africa depends where you want to go, what you want to do and how you fancy spending your free time; pick a project that suits you, find out availability and pack accordingly. For more information on the best time to visit South Africa, check out our travel guide.

Call us for the best time to go

Kruger PARK Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

166

FEB

100

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

114

DEC

112

WHEN TO VOLUNTEER IN SOUTH AFRICA & WHEN NOT TO

December, January, and February, are hot across the country. These are the wettest months in Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal and Kruger National Park, but the Western Cape will be dry and windy. March can still be wet in eastern South Africa, although storms tend to only occur during the afternoon and can be over no sooner than they've started. By June and July, South Africa is well into the dry season in the north and east of the country although take your brolly if you’re heading to Cape Town or following the Garden Route. August and September are still quite chilly on the Western Cape, especially at night. But this is when wildlife watching peaks in the northeast game reserves thanks to the lack of vegetation and little or no rain. Top tip: head to Hermanus for the start of whale watching festivities in September. Although whale watching season tends to wind up by December there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer for shark research and conservation projects close to Cape Town. Cage dives are dependent on weather conditions so take note as winds whip up at the start of the year. If you are volunteering with vervet monkeys in KwaZulu-Natal, time your visit for when primates are released back into the wild from September to March. October is the start of the rainy season outside of the Western Cape, although afternoon showers rarely bother volunteer schedules for the working week. November to February is the busiest season for baby monkeys with surrogate parents in high demand in South Africa's primate rehabilitation sanctuaries. Baboons are born all year round.

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1-866-821-6866

Call toll free

Calling from outside the USA

rosy@responsibletravel.com

What happens when in South Africa

Gemma Lay is a volunteer specialist at our supplier, Pod Volunteer:

“Some volunteers love to head to South Africa to escape the British winter; others find it easier to adapt to South African winters with warm days and breathtaking sunsets. Our projects in South Africa need volunteers throughout the year to support their ongoing work so it’s best to think about what suits you as an individual.”

Our pick from the South Africa wildlife calendar

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The sardine run

The sardine run along the coast of KwaZulu Natal in June and July is one of the world’s most spectacular marine migrations. Shoals spread to up to 7km and attract an abundance of sharks, whales and dolphins. This is a good time of year to monitor marine animals and volunteer on responsible whale watching boats.

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