The reconstruction of flood-damaged culverts in the Kruger National Park (KNP) has been completed just in time for South African National Parks Week, marking a significant step in the park’s recovery from January’s devastating floods.

Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister David Maynier officially opened the reinforced concrete culverts on the H4-1 Road in Skukuza rest camp on Sunday, hours before the start of the annual celebration.

The culverts, which form part of the busy route between Skukuza and Lower Sabie, were among numerous structures destroyed when heavy rains lashed the region between 10 and 20 January. The flooding caused an estimated R640.19 million in road-related damage across the park, with total damage standing at R950 million.

Building back better

Maynier said the handover represented more than just infrastructure repairs.

“The handover of these reconstructed culverts is about more than concrete. It is about more than roads and engineering structures, it’s about improving safety and strengthening resilience,” he said at Sunday’s ceremony.

The minister stressed that recovery from extreme weather events requires forward-thinking planning rather than simply replacing what was lost.

“Recovery requires better planning, more resilient design and strategic investment into infrastructure that will last for years to come and withstand future extreme weather events,” he said.

Shortly after the ribbon-cutting, tourists braved cold and wet weather to enjoy game drives over the newly opened structures.

Recovery progressing in phases

SANParks Chief Executive Officer Hapiloe Sello said the restoration work is being conducted in phases, praising staff for completing the project in record time.

“If I recall from meetings I have attended, it will take us perhaps five years, working at the same speed that we have, to get our infrastructure back to working conditions,” she said.

Phase two of the recovery is scheduled for completion before peak season at the end of November 2026.

Free access for National Parks Week

The handover coincides with the start of the 21st annual South African National Parks Week, which runs from 7 to 13 September.

Day visitors can gain free access to participating national parks during this period, though Kruger National Park, West Coast National Park and Augrabies Falls National Park will only offer free access from Monday to Friday, excluding the weekend.

Namaqua National Park, the Boulders Penguin Colony Section of Table Mountain National Park and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are not included in the free access initiative.

Maynier encouraged South Africans to take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with their natural heritage.

Opportunities for claimant communities

Meanwhile, SANParks signed the Beneficiation Scheme Framework Agreement with all claimant communities around the Kruger National Park on 29 May.

The scheme provides previously land-dispossessed communities with access to commercial and non-commercial opportunities, including shareholding, concessions, enterprise development, employment preferences, revenue sharing, bursaries and skills transfer.

Kruger Managing Executive Oscar Mthimkhulu said job advertisements in the park now give preference to dispossessed landowner communities, and these communities are being considered for small business opportunities linked to the park’s development programmes.

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