After a brief postponement of a briefing that was scheduled to take place yesterday, January 21, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, shared in parliament today the latest updates on the Kruger Relief Fund during a media briefing.

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He welcomed the National Disaster Management Centre’s classification of the region as a natural disaster zone.

“In the Kruger National Park alone, the damage to critical infrastructure is so widespread that SANParks is estimating that the [cost] possibly runs into hundreds of millions. Despite this devastation to infrastructure and operations, the most important highlight is that no lives were lost,” Aucamp remarked.

“It is also important to note that the Kruger National Park (KNP) is increasingly a ‘natural disaster nodal point’ due to the confluence of hydrological networks, tourism infrastructure density and transboundary climatic influence,” he added.

Extent of the damage in the KNP

• Many bridges and roads, water and electrical systems, and services are damaged.
• Staff villages and tourist accommodation were destroyed.
• Tourism facilities and commercial operations are suspended.
• 15 camps are closed, with some completely inaccessible due to the destruction of roads and bridges.
• Continued temporary gate closures limit access to the park in certain areas for both overnight and day visits.

Between January 9 and 19, the KNP recorded 24 073 guest entries, representing a 41% decline compared to the same period in the previous year. The park faces immediate to medium-term revenue loss as a result. SANParks is an entity that generates close to 80% of its operating budget from the park, therefore the destruction of its tourism flagship puts the sustainability of the entire network of parks at risk.

Aucamp recalled the 2023 floods, from which the park was still recovering when the most recent floods hit. “The combined scale of infrastructure damage and operational disruption in the recent flooding has exceeded the park’s existing contingency and maintenance budgets,” he acknowledged.

Kruger Recovery Fund plans

The Kruger Recovery Fund will be administered through three audit firms on SANParks’ panel. Funds will be used for resilience-enhancing infrastructure reconstruction in the park.

Only two funds, the SANParks Kruger Recovery Fund and Honorary Rangers’ Kruger Flood 2026 Fund are authorised to receive donations for recovery efforts. The public and donors are warned of the risk of fraudulent fundraising schemes and are urged to donate only through these sanctioned channels.

Latest update – Northern Kruger (Nxanatseni Region):

Several roads and bridges are closed due to flood damage, including access routes to Sirheni, Mopani and Tsendzeleka. The Letaba–Mopani (H1-4) route has been washed away.

Tshokwane Picnic Site, Satara Rest Camp and the northern areas are currently not accessible. All tourism camps in the northern region are closed, including Punda Maria, Shingwedzi, Mopani, Letaba, Olifants and Balule.

Latest update – Southern Kruger (Marula Region):

Key roads are closed due to washed-away bypasses and drainage structures, including routes between Skukuza, Lower Sabie, Phabeni and Afsaal. Crocodile Bridge, Lower Sabie, Mbiyamiti, Satara and Talamati camps are closed. Gravel roads will be assessed once access is restored.

In terms of general access, the northern and southern regions remain cut off from each other. Malelane, Numbi and Paul Kruger gates remain open, with an entry quota system in place.

Aucamp concluded by inviting all South Africans to contribute to the Kruger Recovery Fund to save the country’s beloved park.

“As Kruger National Park celebrates its centenary this year, it is important to work to ensure that many generations after us will have the same pleasure and privilege to catch a pride of lions feasting on an afternoon catch at sunset, witness the sky-high giraffes reaching tree heights we can only dream of, while herds of rhinos roll around in cooling mud baths around the park.”