About Eswatini

Sara and John say...

Sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique, the climate of Eswatini is surprisingly varied, despite its small size. Much depends on altitude.

Western parts of the country are mountainous and relatively cool. At the capital, Mbabane, sunny winter days sit typically around 20 Celsius by day, but night frosts are quite common.

It warms up steadily through spring, and as humidity rises, the wet season arrives around October, lasting until March. During this muggy time of year, temperatures by day sit in the mid-20s Celsius.

Further east across Eswatini, the country is lower-lying and warmer. It’s drier too, with a longer dry season and less intense reliable summer rains, despite stifling heat and high humidity. In fact, in easternmost areas, towards the Mozambique border, the ‘Low Veld’ is characterised by a savannah landscape.

A short word on tropical cyclones. They infrequently threaten from the Indian Ocean, especially from December to mid-April, but severe storms are rare.

We’d recommend the driest and sunniest period between May and September for a visit. The humidity is lowest and the warmth is comfortable for hiking and wildlife watching, but remember layers for those chilly nights.