Summer in June? Not for folks in the southern African region!

In Zimbabwe, as well as Zambia, South Africa, and Namibia, June/July is the coldest time of the year, up to September. Namibia moves one hour back during winter time on the first Sunday of April, until the first Sunday of September. Then, the days are shorter compared to summer time, with the peak months being November/December to January/February.

Summer in Zimbabwe starts in October and ends in April. As the country is mostly an agriculture economy, farmers – both commercial and subsistence – start looking up to the skies in November. As soon as the rains fall, they start ploughing and planting cash crops like maize (corn).

For most families, schools close in December for the Christmas break, which is the longest in the year. Christmas is celebrated with family, and everyone takes a break then. Depending on their resources, some travel out of the country, others visit the many holiday resorts in the country, and yet others take the opportunity to be with the extended family at the rural home, where festivities include lots of food and meat from one or several goats from the family herd. Everyone takes time to relax, including the passionate farmers whose eye is always in the sky. New Year’s is also celebrated in the same spirit, but shortly after that, it’s time to leave for various work places where it will be business as usual. There will be a similar gathering next summer.

Summer in Namibia is also October to April. Namibia has a semi-desert climate and that goes for the land as well. Farming with crops is impossible in some parts of the country, so the people normally farm with animals like cattle, goats and sometimes game. For those parts where cultivation takes place, it starts as soon as the rains fall. Experts say the country has two rainy seasons, with the short season starting in October till December, marked by frequent thunderstorms. The longer season is from mid-January to April. This year, however, the rains were still falling in May – non-stop since end of January.

Whether you want to run away from winter, or to take a break during your summer time, you would find the southern African winters as cool as the beginning of your spring.

Most businesses close down over Christmas time in Namibia and people travel to their rural homes or the coast on that side of the Atlantic Ocean. Windhoek, the capital city, becomes a “ghost town.” In the villages, extended families gather for weddings, birthdays and memorial services. December is the month for weddings.

New Year celebrations, however, are different. Everyone comes back to Windhoek on New Year’s Eve, and they converge on the park in the middle of town. Families bring their own form of entertainment, food (mainly meat for barbeque) and drinks. They eat, drink and have fun right into the new year. This used to happen every year, but last year the festivities were moved to a soccer stadium in one of the residential locations, because the usual spot has now been taken up by a new hotel building.

Both countries, however, are significant tourism destinations. Visitors come for different reasons that include escaping the winter in the West to enjoy the colourful vegetation in Africa that time of the year, or to enjoy the sunny days and cool evenings of the African winter. Some parts of Zimbabwe, such as the famous Victoria Falls, are less cold in winter, but hot, wet and colourful in summer. Whether you want to run away from winter, or to take a break during your summer time, you would find the southern African winters as cool as the beginning of your spring. Low-lying places like the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, for example, would be just cool in the middle of winter.

Africa is not the only tourist destination, however. Edmontonians can visit countries in Europe, where summer is equally beautiful. If you are planning for a holiday at these destinations, do please take notice of the current alert to get a measles jab before setting off!

Viola is a Zimbabwean writer/editor who has just immigrated to Canada from Namibia, in southern Africa, where she has been working for the past eight years.