Month by month
Pilanesberg in May
May is the start of the dry season in Pilanesberg: the rain stops, the bush begins to thin and game starts to come back to the dams.
If you only want the answer
Only about 17 mm of rain on 2 days, highs of 22°C and lows of 9.3°C. Gates move to 06:30 to 18:00, the shortest hours of the year, and the open-vehicle dawn drives turn cold.
May weather in Pilanesberg
The 1991 to 2020 average is 17 mm over about 2 rain days; the Rustenburg station records 18 mm. Highs fall to about 22.0°C and nights to around 9.3°C. Clear, dry days are the norm from now until September.
Why May is the start of prime time
As the grass dries and the leaves fall, animals spread less and drink more at Mankwe Dam and in front of the hides. That makes a self-drive day far more productive than in summer. Controlled burns in winter, mentioned by an agent portal, can leave black patches on the plains that draw grazers to the new shoots.
Gates open at 06:30 and close at 18:00 from May to August, with last entry about 17:00. Plan your route so you are near your exit gate by late afternoon.
Rates from 1 May
Agent rates for Ivory Tree Game Lodge (R5,110 per person sharing, full board) and Shepherd's Tree Game Lodge (R6,750 per person sharing, all meals and two activities) cover 1 May to 30 September 2026. The board's conservation fee stays at R168 per South African adult and R748 per foreign adult per day.