Rainfall variability and vegetation dynamics of the lower Limpopo Valley, Southern Africa, 500Â AD to present

► We analyse long‐term responses of vegetation to climate variability. ► We use palaeoecological data, pollen, spores and diatoms. ► Grassland-savannas have been stable over time. ► Riverine forests contracted during droughts but have increased in the 20th century. ► Riverine forests may become more vulnerable with extreme rainfall variation.