Month by month
Pilanesberg in December
December in Pilanesberg is hot, wet and busy: afternoon storms, green hills and school holidays that fill Sun City next door.
If you only want the answer
About 135 mm of rain on 17 days, highs of 27.4°C and lows of 17.3°C. Gates open 05:30 to 19:00, a new board tariff could start on 1 December 2026, and holiday crowds make weekdays and early starts essential.
December weather in Pilanesberg
The 1991 to 2020 average is 135 mm over about 17 rain days, close to January's peak; the Rustenburg station records 113 mm. Highs are about 27.4°C and nights about 17.3°C. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine, so drive early and late.
Holiday crowds
December school holidays bring crowds to Sun City, which borders the park on the south, and to the park itself. Weekend day-trippers from Gauteng queue at the gates from about 08:00, so arrive at opening or come midweek. A Sun City day ticket costs from R395 per adult and R290 per child aged 3 to 12 (read 24 Sep 2026).
Fees and rates in December
The board's conservation fee of R168 per South African adult and R748 per foreign adult per day has applied since 1 December 2025 with no published end date, and a new tariff could start on 1 December 2026. Check the fee before you travel. Tambuti Lodge's 2026 resident rate period ends on 15 December.
Sources
- Open-Meteo climate normals, 1991 to 2020
- pilanesberggamereserve.co.za: tariffs and gate times (agent, read 24 Sep 2026)
- Rustenburg climate table via Wikipedia (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Sun International: Sun City (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Tourism Update: Pilanesberg upgrade drives steep tariff hikes (Oct 2025)
- Tambuti Lodge: 2026 rates (read 24 Sep 2026)