Hoedspruit, South Africa – 14 January 2026

Hoedspruit and its surrounding regions are currently experiencing extreme rainfall, with further intense precipitation forecast through Saturday. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has classified Hoedspruit as a highrisk area for flooding, issuing an Orange Level 9 Warning effective today, 14 January 2026.

Over the past several days, the area has received 256mm of rain since Saturday, representing more than half of the region’s average annual rainfall. This follows an already wet December and comes as storm systems from Mozambique continue to bring heavy rainfall to both Hoedspruit and the broader Klaserie River catchment.

Rising Water Levels and Regional Impacts

Persistent rainfall has resulted in:

• Significant flooding of roads, low-lying bridges, and settlement areas
• Rapidly rising rivers and streams, including the Klaserie River
• Mudslides and strong water flow in saturated soil
• Widespread inaccessibility of roads in and around Hoedspruit
• Several routes inside the Kruger National Park being declared impassable or under assessment

The Klaserie River flood appears to have peaked during the night of 13 January, and levels remain high with continued rainfall. The risk of dam wall breaches further upstream remains a concern due to heavy saturation, which could potentially cause downstream surges.

Jabulani & HERD Response

Both Jabulani and HERD (Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development) prepared extensively in advance of the forecasted rainfall. While no emergency protocol has been activated at this time, strict safety procedures have been implemented to protect guests, staff, and animals.

Key updates include:

• Guests currently at the lodge were safely evacuated to higherground areas.
• All local day staff were instructed not to travel to the property for their safety.
• The elephants and carer teams have moved to secure, elevated terrain, safely away from rising river systems.
• The carer team scheduled for leave has already departed the reserve before conditions escalated.
• All access routes in the immediate area have been declared unsafe or are under assessment.
• Eastgate Airport has closed for flights but remains open for controlled ground transfer checkpoints.

Impact on Travel & Bookings

As a precautionary measure, all bookings scheduled for arrival before 17 January 2026 have been postponed.

Guests and travel partners affected by these changes are being contacted directly by the reservations team.

Further communication will be provided once:

• Access routes have been assessed
• Flood levels stabilise
• Damage evaluations can be safely conducted
• Recovery timelines become clear

Guests due to check in today have been diverted, and ground transfers have been arranged for departing guests over the past two days.

Wildlife & Conservation Areas

Wildlife in the region remains safe. Animals instinctively move to higher ground during periods of intense rain and are able to roam freely across elevated terrain. HERD and Jabulani teams will enter affected areas for assessment only once conditions are safe, as many roads have transformed into flowing rivers with uncertain structural integrity beneath the water.

Our Priority

The safety of our guests, staff, elephants, and the broader conservation community remains our top priority. We will continue to monitor all conditions closely and adapt our response as necessary.

We would like to express our appreciation for the patience and understanding shown by our guests, partners, and supporters during this period of extreme weather.

Media Contact
Lerissa van Biljon | Media Manager
Email: media@jabulanisafari.com
Phone: +27 (0) 63 035 0507

Reservations Contact
Adele Welgemoed | Reservations Manager
Email: res@jabulanisafari.com
Phone: +27 (0)12 460 7348