hi i can start middle of september

hans

I am also planning to do a trip of Africa in the near future.

Anyone have thoughts on the best time of year to do a trip of Africa?
I am hoping to bypass regional rainy seasons as much as possible.

Depends on where you're going and how fast you're traveling. East coast isn't like west coast which isn't like North Africa which isn't like south or central. Africa is huge, as well--that means there is no single season within which to do a major Africa journey, because by the time you're nearing the finish it will be a different time of year from when you started. This can work to your advantage if you plan well and are flexible with time.

The TL/DR version would say something like "Decide the general area where you want to go, then Google rainy seasons there."