Skukuza Golf Club, famously known as the “wildest golf course in the world” due to its location within South Africa’s Kruger National Park, has been indefinitely closed following persistent heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across the region. The club confirmed its closure via its official Facebook page, stating, “Due to the current heavy rainfall and flooding in the area, Skukuza Golf Club is closed until further notice. We will share updates and advise as soon as it is safe for us to reopen.” The club also extended its thoughts to those affected by the severe weather conditions, underscoring the broader impact on the local community.

The closure of the golf club is part of extensive disruptions impacting the entire Kruger National Park. South African National Parks (SANParks) has taken stringent precautionary measures, including temporarily barring day visitors from entering the park. This decision, announced on Thursday, aims to alleviate pressure on operational and emergency response resources, allowing teams to focus on critical situations and ensure the safety of guests, staff, and surrounding communities. SANParks stated that it prioritizes safety over avoidable incidents linked to non-essential travel during this period of extreme weather.

Several entrance gates to Kruger National Park have been temporarily closed due to flooding and unsafe conditions, with SANParks issuing daily updates and advising visitors to closely monitor official communication channels. Incidents earlier in the week, such as day visitors being unable to exit the park when a bridge at Crocodile Bridge Gate became submerged, highlighted the severe dangers. Although all visitors were safely assisted, the event underscored the necessity of strict safety protocols.

Furthermore, Letaba Rest Camp is undergoing an evacuation of both staff and guests after water from the Letaba River overflowed into the camp. Phalaborwa Gate has also been closed for at least 24 hours while conditions are monitored, effectively cutting off access to the northern parts of the park. SANParks apologized for the inconvenience, reiterating that the safety of all visitors and staff remains its highest priority.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has provided detailed forecasts, indicating widespread rainfall accumulations. From January 11 to 12, falls ranged from 10mm to 50mm, with higher accumulations of 50mm to 100mm and isolated areas reaching 100mm to 200mm over parts of eastern Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The extended forecast for January 11 to 13 indicated further increases, with widespread accumulations exceeding 50mm and localized areas reaching between 100mm and 200mm, with possibly higher totals in the far north-eastern parts of Limpopo. These persistent and repeated rainfalls have significantly increased runoff and flooding potential, prompting SAWS to issue a red level 10 warning for disruptive rainfall in high-risk areas.

Forecast guidance for the next 24 to 48 hours predicted further heavy rainfall of approximately 100mm to 200mm over specific parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, including Maruleng, Ba-Phalaborwa, Nkomazi, City of Mbombela, Bushbuckridge, Greater Giyani, Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, and Collins Chabane local municipalities. Weather conditions are expected to gradually improve from around January 19, with only a 30% chance of showers and thundershowers, leading to more stable conditions from January 20 onwards. This improvement will allow river levels to recede and saturated soils to dry, with SANParks promising further updates as the situation evolves.