Hiring for a Summer Function in KwaZulu-Natal

Last reviewed: August 8, 2026

December in KwaZulu-Natal is peak function season and peak everything else — heat, humidity and the afternoon thunderstorms that arrive without much warning. A setup that works perfectly in June needs rethinking for a summer function. Here is what to plan for.

Heat and humidity

Shade is not optional. A tent gives cover, but a closed tent in full sun becomes an oven. Ask about a structure that lets air move through, or plan to have the sides open on the shaded side.
Water stations. Put jugs of water and glasses where people can reach them without queuing at the bar. In humid coastal heat guests dehydrate faster than they realise, especially older guests and children.
Watch the timing of the meal. Food that sits out in humidity does not keep. Warmers and chafing dishes matter more in summer, not less, and cold dishes need to stay properly cold.
Position the kitchen and serving area out of direct sun if there is any choice at all. It affects the food and the people working.

Rain that arrives in twenty minutes

A clear morning in December tells you very little about the afternoon. Plan on the assumption that it may rain, because the cost of preparing for it is small and the cost of not preparing is the whole function.

Have cover for the seating and, separately, for the food. A soaked buffet is a disaster even if the guests are dry.
Make sure the tent drains away from the seating rather than into it, and that there is no low point where water will pool underfoot.
Have sides available even if you do not put them up. Rain in a thunderstorm comes in sideways.
Think about the walk between the parking, the ceremony and the meal. That is usually where people get wet.
Keep electrical connections, extension leads and multi-plugs off the ground and under cover.

Wind, especially near the coast

Wind is the thing most often underestimated. Anything light will move: menus, napkins, tall centrepieces, decorative panels and the corners of overlays. Weight down anything on a table that you would be upset to lose, keep centrepieces low and stable, and be honest with whoever is quoting about how exposed the site is. Tenting on paving or a driveway cannot be pegged the way it can into grass, and that changes what can safely be put up.

Ground and access

Grass that is soft after rain will not take heavy vehicle traffic. Plan the delivery route accordingly.
Chairs sink into wet lawn. A raised floor or a firmer position is worth considering for the seated area.
Check that the delivery vehicle can reach the setup point, and that gates are wide enough. Carrying two hundred chairs an extra fifty metres takes a long time.

Load-shedding in the middle of a summer function

Outages are a normal part of planning now, and a summer function is more exposed to them than a winter one because so much depends on keeping things cold and keeping urns hot. Work out in advance which items are electrical and what happens to each one if the power goes:

Boil water ahead of time and hold it in flasks, or ask about gas urns and gas warmers.
Confirm what the venue has as backup, and whether it will actually run the catering load or only the lights.
Have lighting that does not depend on mains power — battery lanterns or solar — especially for pathways, steps and the bathroom route once it gets dark.
If there is a sound system, ask the DJ or the musicians what their plan is. It is their equipment and their answer.

Book early

December weekends are the busiest of the year for event hire in this province, and the same is true of the school holidays either side of it. Stock is finite. The earlier you confirm a date, the more likely it is that the chairs, tenting and linen you actually want are still available. Send us the date and a rough guest count as soon as you have them, even if everything else is still undecided.