By Akani Nkuna
Kruger National Park recorded a 41% decline in guest entries between 9 and 19 January as a result of widespread flood damage and closed camps, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment minister Willie Aucamp said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Cape Town, Aucamp said the damage to the park was estimated to be “hundreds of millions” of rands.
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“Despite this devastation to infrastructure and operations, the most important highlight is that no lives were lost,” he said.
“SANParks’ highly effective early warning systems and the swift, coordinated response of park management and emergency services, means that all guests and staff were safely evacuated.”
Aucamp said the floods caused extensive damage to staff villages and tourist accommodation, forcing the closure of 15 camps. Access to parts of the park has been limited to ensure movement is controlled, he said.
He said that the flooding had placed intense pressure on park management and its ability to respond to disasters.
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The combined scale of infrastructure damage and operational disruption exceeded “the park’s existing contingency and maintenance budget”, he said.
“There is no doubt that the park faces immediate to medium term revenue loss as a result – I must also indicate that SANParks is an entity that generates close to 80% of its operating budget, therefore the destruction of its tourism flagship puts the sustainability of the entire network of parks at risk,” he added.
Aucamp said the Kruger Recovery Fund would secure the park’s long-term sustainability through strong governance and transparent financial oversight, and that it would be administered via independent audit firms.
He said the fund has already attracted widespread support and welcomed the Honorary Rangers’ “Kruger Flood 2026 Fund”, noting their partnership with SANParks and their role in mobilising resources to relieve financial pressure on the park.
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Aucamp said the flood damage had rendered large parts of Kruger inaccessible, particularly in the northern Nxanatseni Region, where key roads and bridges had been washed away, forcing the closure of all tourism camps. In the southern Marula Region, several major routes remained closed, he said.
He said full assessments of damaged gravel roads would follow once access was restored.
“The following tourism camps and related facilities in the Southern part (Marula Region) have been closed: Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp and Gate, Lower Sabie, Mbiyamiti, Satara Rest Camp, and Talamati Bush Camp. The Southern and northern areas of the Park remain cut off from each other. Malelane Gate, Numbi Gate and Paul Kruger Gate remain open with an entry quota system still in place.”
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