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Severe flooding has caused widespread destruction to infrastructure at South Africa’s Kruger National Park, with preliminary repair costs expected to exceed $30 million, authorities said on Thursday.
Unusually heavy rainfall last week triggered flooding across large parts of the world-renowned reserve, forcing the suspension of day visits and the emergency evacuation of tourists and staff by air as rivers burst their banks and submerged roads and facilities.
Although no fatalities were recorded inside the park, officials said significant areas remained underwater more than a week after the floods, leaving 15 camps closed.
South African National Parks (SANParks) Chief Executive Officer Hapiloe Sello said hundreds of employees were still stranded in various camps, awaiting safer conditions before they could leave.
According to the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp, the scale of destruction within Kruger alone was extensive, with early assessments indicating that damage to essential infrastructure would exceed half a billion rand.
He said staff housing and tourist lodges were badly affected, while bridges, roads, water systems and electricity networks suffered severe damage.
Aucamp warned that the financial impact of lost tourism revenue from the country’s flagship park could threaten the broader sustainability of South Africa’s national park system, as SANParks relies heavily on income from Kruger to support its nationwide operations.
Officials also said that wildlife in the reserve appeared to have largely escaped harm, as animals moved to higher ground ahead of the flooding.
Aucamp noted that no animal carcasses had been found, including among the park’s iconic Big Five species.
The government has since established a recovery fund to support restoration efforts at the park, which lies in a region increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change. Authorities have further appealed for both local and international support to aid the recovery.
