Flood damage at Kruger Park to take years to fix, cost millions

Kruger Park

Severe flooding has caused widespread damage to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, with repairs expected to take years and cost hundreds of millions of rand, the environment minister said on Thursday.

Authorities were forced to temporarily close the country’s flagship game reserve last week after heavy rains caused several rivers to burst their banks. Kruger is one of South Africa’s biggest tourist attractions and a key source of income for surrounding communities.

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At least 15 tourist camps remain closed, some of them completely cut off, according to Willie Aucamp, minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment. Hundreds of visitors and staff were evacuated, but no deaths were reported.

“The recent floods that we’ve experienced have had a devastating effect on the park,” Aucamp said. “The indication is that it will take as long as five years to repair all the bridges and roads and other infrastructure,” he added, according to Reuters.

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Initial assessments estimate the cost of repairs at more than 500 million rand, about $30 million. Officials said the full scale of the damage is still being evaluated.

Reuters journalists who visited the park last week saw bridges submerged under fast moving water, with hippos swimming among treetops where floodwaters had spread far beyond riverbanks.

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Park officials said they were not overly concerned about wildlife, noting that animals usually move to higher ground during floods. However, they warned nearby communities to be cautious, as crocodiles may have been swept into areas where they are not normally found.

Flooding across southeastern Africa has become more frequent and more intense in recent years, as climate change fuels stronger storms over the Indian Ocean. Neighbouring Mozambique has also been hit hard, with tens of thousands of people forced from their homes by rising waters, Reuters reported.

Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.

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