What's on in Pretoria (Tshwane), South Africa through the year

Peak crowds — The city empties, Term 4–1 (summer, year-end) break in South Africa

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Afternoon thunderstorms (15 Oct – 15 Mar (usually)), The city empties (15 Dec – 5 Jan (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: Afternoon thunderstorms (15 Oct – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Term 1–2 (autumn) break in South Africa, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Afternoon thunderstorms (15 Oct – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Term 1–2 (autumn) break in South Africa, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

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

• Season

  Highveld winter

  1 May – 31 Aug · usuallyDry season

  Pretoria sits lower and warmer than Johannesburg, and its winter is dry, still and mild by mid-morning. It is the easy half of the year, and nothing here is scheduled around the weather.

Busy — Term 2–3 (winter) break in South Africa, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Winter haze in the valley

  1 Jun – 31 Aug · usuallyWinter smog

  Cold air settles between the ridges and holds smoke from veld fires and household coal under it, so the horizon browns out for weeks. Worst at dawn, and it goes when the first storms arrive. Source ↗

Still on: Highveld winter (1 May – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Term 2–3 (winter) break in South Africa, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Highveld winter (1 May – 31 Aug (usually)), Winter haze in the valley (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Jacaranda Agricultural Show, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Jacaranda Agricultural Show

  20 Aug – 10 Sep · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  The old Pretoria Show at the Tshwane Events Centre in late August: livestock judging and championships at the core of it, with a fairground and exhibition halls built around the edges. Source ↗

Still on: Highveld winter (1 May – 31 Aug (usually)), Winter haze in the valley (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))

Peak crowds — Jacaranda Agricultural Show, Term 3–4 (spring) break in South Africa

• Nature

  Jacaranda season

  25 Sep – 10 Nov · usually

  Around seventy thousand trees, and Brooklyn, Arcadia and Hatfield disappear under a purple roof from late September. The bloom moves a week or two with the spring, and the Union Buildings terrace is the free overview.

Still on: Jacaranda Agricultural Show (20 Aug – 10 Sep (usually))

Busy — Term 3–4 (spring) break in South Africa, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Afternoon thunderstorms

  15 Oct – 15 Mar · usuallyStorm season

  Storms come off the Magaliesberg most summer afternoons: hail, lightning and half an hour of water the stormwater drains cannot take. Mornings are almost always clear, so the day gets front-loaded. Source ↗

Still on: Jacaranda season (25 Sep – 10 Nov (usually))

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

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Jacaranda season (25 Sep – 10 Nov (usually)), Afternoon thunderstorms (15 Oct – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — The city empties, Term 4–1 (summer, year-end) break in South Africa

• Holiday

  The city empties

  15 Dec – 5 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearClosures

  Government shuts, the students go home and the roads that are impossible in November run clear. Half the restaurants close with them, so the city is pleasant and largely useless for three weeks. Source ↗

Still on: Afternoon thunderstorms (15 Oct – 15 Mar (usually))