Kruger National Park makes R37.5 million progress in repairs

The programme also coincided with the start of the 21st annual SA National Parks Week. The Kruger National Park has made progress towards recovering from the damage it suffered from floods dating back to 2023. The handover of reconstructed culverts on the H4-1 route between Skukuza and Lower Sabie, and a ribbon-cutting at the restored Letaba High-Level Bridge were done over a two-day programme held on 6 and 7 September. This also included a walkabout through reopened tourism facilities at Letaba Rest Camp. Restoration focuses on more than repairs The minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, was in attendance and welcomed the completion and opening of critical flood-recovery infrastructure at the park. “Our recovery efforts must be about more than rebuilding. We must use each project as an opportunity to strengthen resilience, reduce vulnerability and ensure that our national parks remain safe, functional and accessible in the face of increasingly severe weather events,” he said. Here’s where Kruger was mostly hit Some of the worst-hit camps include the Skukuza Rest camp and the Letaba campsite. The Letaba High-Level bridge was severely damaged. On Sunday, Maynier officially handed over reconstructed culverts, identified as L27, L34 and L35, on the H4-1 road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie. These are the culverts damaged during the 2023 floods, which affected roads, bridges, tourism facilities, and other critical infrastructure across the park. The 10-month reconstruction project was completed on 31 July 2026 at a total cost of R37.5 million. The reconstructed culverts have wider openings to accommodate greater water flows, while stone pitching has been installed to protect the embankments and reduce damage in the event of water overtopping the structures. “Kruger National Park is the backbone of SanParks and a key driver of conservation and nature-based tourism in South Africa. When the Kruger Park succeeds, SanParks succeeds,” said Maynier.