US EditionFlood damage to South Africa's Kruger park will take years to fix
Weeks of storms caused severe damage to infrastructure in Kruger National Park, displacing communities and closing 15 camps, with repairs expected to cost over R500 million, officials said.
- On Thursday, 22 January 2026, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp said flood damage to Kruger National Park will take years to repair and cost millions of dollars, with repairs possibly lasting five years.
- This past week, weeks of intense storms and torrential rains caused rivers and dams that burst their banks, forcing park closures and evacuations as officials link floods to climate change.
- Bridges and roads were washed away, leaving staff and tourist accommodation destroyed, with fifteen tourist camps closed and over 500 staff stranded, SANParks CEO Hapiloe Sello said.
- In response, the government launched the Kruger Recovery Fund, audited by three independent audit firms, and urged donors to give only via official channels using First National Bank account details amid fraud risks.
- Local communities report catching wild animals for food after flood-damaged fences, while more than 620,000 people face hunger and disease risks, as Kruger marks its centenary this year.
43 Articles
43 Articles
In southern Africa, torrential rains have caused major floods in recent weeks, killing about 100 people throughout the region, from Zimbabwe to Mozambique to South Africa. And the rainbow nation has also seen part of its famous Kruger National Park, a tourist gem, be devastated by the waters, as it is about to celebrate the 100 years of its official creation. After temporary closure and emergency evacuations, it is now time to take stock and res…
Over R500m needed to rebuild Kruger after devastating floods, says minister – The Mail & Guardian
The cost of repairing widespread flood damage to critical infrastructure in the Kruger National Park is expected to exceed R500 million, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp has said. “The extent of the damage in the Kruger park is extensive,” he told a media briefing in parliament on Thursday. “There have been several bridges that have been washed away, roads that have been washed away and a number of camps that have b…
Associated Press News
What to know about the devastating floods in southern Africa
Torrential rains and severe flooding across parts of southern Africa have killed more than 100 people in three countries, destroyed thousands of homes and caused tens of millions of dollars’ worth of damage in one of Africa’s premier wildlife parks.
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