Losing her car and other belongings was not at the top of Mpho Mudau’s list of priorities on 15 January 2026, when the river burst its banks at the South African National Parks (SANParks) Letaba Rest Camp in Limpopo.
“It was at about 8am on 15 January 2026, when we realised that the river had broken its banks. It started at the restaurant, which is one of the main areas where people were sitting around and having their breakfast.
“One of my managers called me because I was in the office and said: 'Come quickly, the river has broken its banks’. I had to go and see for myself. Immediately, I thought, no, let's evacuate the camp; we need to leave. I immediately informed reception to take out the list for in-house guests for everyone around this big camp,” Mudau recalls of the day.
In an interview with SAnews, Mudau, the Hospitality Services Manager at the camp, said the disaster team collected guests from the occupied units scattered across the camp.
“Some of the guests were resisting, saying the water won’t reach here, and we said no, we’re leaving the camp, so you need to make sure that you pack out your things and we leave,” the petite Mudau explains.
Despite the chalets being scattered across the camp, the team managed to evacuate it in 45 minutes.
“The water was flowing very strongly. It was like the sea, and you could actually see the waves in the water,” she said as we stood in the middle of the camp. The overcast weather during the interview helped to paint a picture of what it must have been like on that day.
This was as parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga were lashed by heavy rains in January. Floodwaters submerged areas of the camp, leading to its closure to tourists. Letaba, which is located in the Nxanatseni region, was one of the worst affected areas, with extensive damage to tourism facilities, engineering services and perimeter fencing.
However, reconstruction work at the camp has since resulted in the restoration of some tourism units, with SANParks earlier this month marking the start of National Parks Week with the handover of tourism units and the official opening of the Letaba High Water Bridge.
“So, at the highest place we could all meet was here, where we were standing, and the water was taking the furniture outside the camp,” she recalls.
Getting to safety
At the time, there were about 15 guests staying in the camp while others had already gone home given the adverse weather in the area. In addition, over 80 staff members call the camp home.
“At the time, I didn't care about anything else; the only thing I cared about was saving lives, making sure that the guests were safe and the staff were safe. So, the material things, we said no, leave them behind, let’s go.
“I lost everything, even my car. My car just came back last month [August], since [it was taken in for repair work] in January. Its sensors were out; everything was out, and my house was under water. That is my house, “she said, pointing to a nearby house with a green roof not too far from where we were standing.
“I forgot about my car at the time,” she laughs.
Mudau, who turns 45 this year, studied Hospitality Services at Wits and has worked at Letaba for about 13 years. She has also worked at other camps in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
Extent of the damage
Recalling the events of January 2026, SANParks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hapiloe Sello said that while management knew the rains were coming, it did not know their severity.
“On the day that Letaba was flooded, I was getting updates initially every hour, then it became every 15 minutes. Truly, the emotions were mixed; I was frightened and concerned, to be honest. The thing was, is everybody safe? That has to be the first thing you think about before you think about the infrastructure.
“Then something peculiar happened: in 2000 there was a flood, and if you drive around Kruger National Park you’ll see markers that say 2000 flood. That was the worst that had hit Kruger. Then the Letaba River surpassed the 2000 mark; that’s when I knew we were in serious trouble. Be that as it may, the first concern was the people,” she said of the marker seen near river at the Letaba camp.
Remarkably, not a single life was lost, with Sello adding that much of this was due to the team’s preparedness and the park’s own disaster management capability.
The rains caused substantial damage to infrastructure in the KNP, including roads, accommodation, and water-related infrastructure, with the total cost of the repairs estimated at R950 million.
Restoration journey
At Letaba, 25 tourism units in Circles A to C have been restored at a cost of R19 million. The completed work includes furniture and 10 family cottages. A further 64 tourism units remain under restoration and are expected to reopen in phases, with completion anticipated by 30 November 2026.
The bridge was opened to traffic on 23 March 2026, reconnecting the northern and southern sections of Kruger. Final work, including sand sealing of the road, was completed on 28 August 2026.
SANParks said the R9.5 million project included the reconstruction and stone pitching of the damaged bridge approach, together with improved drainage.
SANParks also recently officially opened rebuilt culverts on the H4-1 Road in the Kruger National Park’s Skukuza Rest Camp. The redesigned culverts have been reinforced with concrete.
Sello said it took about a month for the floodwaters to subside.
The January floods were not Mudau’s first experience of flooding, as she has been working at the KNP “literally from school.”
“I love this park; this is not the first flood I was in. There was the 2013 flood up in Shingwedzi which I was in as well, but you manage to get everything in order,” she said.
She rates the Mopani and Shingwedzi Rest Camps among her favourites in the KNP network.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment David Maynier said he is “hugely impressed” by SANParks’ response to the floods.
“In under a year, the KNP top management have managed to open a major piece of infrastructure, the Letaba High Water Bridge joining the north and the south of the Kruger National Park and the opening of the first 25 chalets which have been reconstructed with a wonderful new, modern feel which I think is going to contribute to a much better guest experience here,” the Minister said.
Maynier, who visited one of the upgraded units within the rest camp, said he loved the new design of the chalets.
“I think the team has got the design just right.”
Looking ahead
Maynier added that the KNP is a special place.
“As a young boy, I spent a lot of time in the park with my family and also with my aunts, and so it is a very special place. What I think we need to recognise is that the park is responding with more modern infrastructure, very different guest experiences, and I think the park is going from strength to strength, and it really is the crown jewel in the SANParks portfolio,” he said.
He said the next step for the KNP is ensuring that Phase 2 of the reconstruction, particularly of the Letaba Rest Camp, is completed by November 2026.
“That is the next big test, but everything tells me that the team are on track - the contractors are working seven days a week, often through the night, and I think we are on track to complete Phase 2 of the project and Letaba Rest Camp will be fully open for the festive season,” he said.
Mudau said while the camp is busy throughout the year, international guests mainly visit in August and September thanks to European holidays. She added that the camp also sees increased foot traffic during the Easter Holidays as well as during National Parks Week which is typically held in September annually, during which day visitors gain free access to participating national parks.
Tourism and conservation
As the country moves to the end of Tourism Month, which is commemorated annually in September, Mudau expressed her love for her work and for nature.
“I love the park and I love nature. I left the Joburg life, but from there, conservation and tourism have been one of my loves,” she said as she smiled. - SAnews.gov.za
