Month by month
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi in October
October is the month the rains return to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, the last month of Ezemvelo's tariff year and the last month of the year's wilderness trails.
If you only want the answer
About 75 mm of rain over 12 wet days, days of 26.1°C and nights of 16.4°C. The bush greens fast. Book a wilderness trail before 31 October, plan on 06:00 to 18:00 gate hours, and expect Ezemvelo prices to change on 1 November.
October weather
The normals give about 75 mm of rain over 12 wet days, double September's, with days of 26.1°C and nights of 16.4°C. The management plan puts the rainy season from October to March, and the first storms turn the hills green within weeks. Mosquito season starts with the rain; the US CDC recommends malaria tablets for uMkhanyakude District, which contains the park.
Gate times in October
Ezemvelo's current tariff counts October as summer, with gates open 05:00 to 19:00. Its older park pages and its booking conditions count it as winter, 06:00 to 18:00. Plan on the shorter hours. Late entry costs R500 per vehicle, collected only at Memorial Gate between 19:00 and 22:00, and only after you have phoned your camp.
The end of the tariff year
Ezemvelo's 2025/26 tariff runs to 31 October 2026, and the 2026 trails schedule ends the same day. From 1 November a new tariff applies; Ezemvelo's booking conditions say quotes are based on the current tariff and differences are settled on arrival. When this guide's research was done on 24 September 2026, the 2026/27 figures had not been published.
Sources
- Open-Meteo climate normals, 1991 to 2020
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: Fees & Charges 1 Nov 2025 to 31 Oct 2026 (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: trails schedule 2025 and 2026 (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: old Hilltop page, April 2025 (Wayback Machine)
- US CDC: South Africa traveler page (read 24 Sep 2026)