ABSTRACTSoil surface partitioning of rainfall into overland flow and infiltration will greatly determine the amount of soil water and groundwater resources in an area. The partitioning depends on factors linked to natural processes as well as to the action of man. In the present study, conducted in semi-arid Botswana and Tanzania, soil surface and subsoil characteristics were studied along transects. Factors such as surface seals, soil texture, vegetation cover, slope gradient and land use were observed. The infiltration capacity was measured by means of the double-ring method and the dropper method. It was found that the soil texture and the vegetation cover were important factors for infiltration. The percolation rate depending on subsoil conditions was shown to vary up to five times. However, the infiltration rate depending on soil surface conditions has been shown in other studies to vary up to 20 times. This indicates that the surface is sensitive to land use practices and will highly influence the overall amount of water moving through the soil profile. In the present study it was shown that the occurrence of surface seals was related to soil conditions, vegetation cover and microtopography. Therefore, aerial photographs can give easy access to factors which influence rainfall partitioning.