The rains
Matobo in the green season
From November to March the storms roll in over the kopjes, the dams fill and the grey granite sits in a sea of green. It is a different park from the dry winter one, and for some visitors a better one.
If you only want the answer
Matobo stays open through the rains, and because its main sights are rock art and granite rather than game at waterholes, the green season costs you less here than in most parks. Expect afternoon storms from November to February, about 145 mm of rain in January, slippery rock and gravel, and summer migrant raptors. Photographers and birders do well; anyone planning long walks on bare rock or remote camps should prefer May to September.
Why the rains matter less here
In a park like Hwange the green season scatters the game away from the waterholes and changes the whole trip. At Matobo the painted caves, World's View and the granite domes are exactly where they were in July. The fenced game section is harder to read in long grass, but that was never the main reason to come.
What the rain does change is the ground. Wet granite is slippery and genuinely dangerous on steep faces, and the gravel roads to the outlying camps turn greasy after storms.
The numbers
| Month | Rain (average) | Day high | Night low |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 112 mm | 27.0°C | 16.4°C |
| December | 133 mm | 25.8°C | 16.7°C |
| January | 145 mm | 26.9°C | 17.3°C |
| February | 94 mm | 26.0°C | 16.7°C |
| March | 54 mm | 26.2°C | 16.0°C |
Open-Meteo climate normals for 1991 to 2020 at the centre of the park. Bulawayo's official 1961 to 1990 normals give a similar picture: 118 mm in January and 120 mm in December.
Who the rains suit
- Photographers: storm light over the kopjes, green valleys and full dams.
- Birders: the summer migrants arrive in November, among them Wahlberg's and steppe eagles and yellow-billed and black kites, and corncrakes appear in wet years.
- Visitors focused on rock art and World's View, which are unaffected by the season.
- Anyone who dislikes cold nights: green-season nights stay around 16 to 17°C.
Who should wait for the dry season
- Long-distance walkers on bare granite, which is slippery after every storm.
- Self-drivers heading for the outlying campsites; Toghwana may need a 4x4 in the wet season.
- Visitors whose main interest is the plains game in the fenced western section, which is easier to find once the bush thins from May.
Booking in the rains
December is busier with Zimbabwean holidaymakers over the festive season, so book Maleme early for those weeks. Some private lodges drop their rates: Amalinda's lower rate runs from November to April, and Big Cave publishes its green-season rate for October to March. ZimParks fees do not change with the season.