What's on in Gaborone, Botswana through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Summer birding season (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)), Summer flash floods (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Summer birding season (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)), Summer flash floods (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Summer birding season (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually)), Summer flash floods (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Summer birding season (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Dry winter

  1 May – 31 AugDry season

  Months of clear sky and nothing falling. Mornings start close to freezing and the afternoons are shirt-sleeve warm, which is the combination that makes this the sensible half of the year for the drive north.

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Dry winter (1 May – 31 Aug)

Busy — Presidents' Day weekend, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Presidents' Day weekend

  14–22 Jul · usuallyNational holidayClosures

  The third Monday and Tuesday of July make a four-day weekend and the city empties for the cattle post or for Kasane. Offices, banks and much of the mall shut; the roads out are the busy part. Source ↗

Still on: Dry winter (1 May – 31 Aug)

Busy — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Dry winter (1 May – 31 Aug)

Busy — Botswana Day, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Botswana Day

  30 Sep – 1 OctNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  Two days off for independence, with the stadium event and street stalls in the centre. It lands right at the start of the hot build-up, so most of it happens in the evening. Source ↗

Busy — Botswana Day, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  The build-up

  1 Oct – 20 Nov · usuallyExtreme heat

  The weeks before the rains break are the hardest of the year: still air, dust off the bare ground and afternoons nobody walks anywhere in. It ends the day the first storm arrives, which is not a fixed date.

Still on: Botswana Day (30 Sep – 1 Oct)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Summer birding season

  1 Nov – 15 Apr · usuallyBirdlife season

  Migrants from Europe and North Africa arrive with the rains and resident birds are in breeding plumage at Mokolodi, 10 km south. Parts of the reserve can close after heavy rain, so call ahead. Source ↗

Still on: The build-up (1 Oct – 20 Nov (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Hazard

  Summer flash floods

  1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyFlood seasonClosures

  Intense summer storms can overwhelm the city's drainage; the February 2025 floods killed people in Gaborone and closed roads, bridges and schools. Never drive through flooded crossings. Source ↗

Still on: Summer birding season (1 Nov – 15 Apr (usually))