A deciduous, summer-growing bulb up to 400 mm tall when in flower. The bulbs are solitary, nearly globe shaped and 50–500 mm in diameter. The 4 to 6, elliptic or oblong leaves are spreading to rarely suberect and more or less contemporaneous with the flowers. They are leathery in texture and 150–300 × 70–120 mm. The inflorescence is a hemispherical umbel, up to 300 mm wide, on an erect to suberect peduncle 180–250 mm long and 15–20 mm wide. The 30 to 60 flowers are spreading and broadly funnel shaped, with pale pink to red tepals, 35–50 mm long. The species flowers in early summer, from October to December.

Brunsvigia natalensis is easily confused with Brunsvigia radulosa, which has similar leaves and flowers, but the latter is distinguished by its broader leaves (100–200 mm wide), longer peduncle (300–500 mm long) and later flowering time (January to February) (Duncan et al. 2016).