- Very heavy rainfall has been affecting north-eastern South Africa (mainly the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, bordering southern Mozambique) since late December, causing severe floods that have resulted in an increasing humanitarian impact.
- On 19 January 2026, the Government of the Republic of South Africa declared a National Disaster due to the ongoing severe flooding citing widespread loss of life, infrastructure damage, displacement and disruption of schooling and agriculture.
- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reports, as of 22 January, 37 fatalities, of whom 20 are across the Mpumalanga province and 17 more in the Limpopo province. In addition, the same source also reports 51 injured people across both provinces and a total of approximately 9 900 affected people, of whom 5 000 are in the Mpumalanga province and 4 900 in the Limpopo province. One evacuation centre hosting 86 evacuated people was established in the Limpopo province. Moreover, 710 damaged houses, of which 60 were completely destroyed, were reported across the Limpopo province.
- According to the African Union Continental Watch, a possibility of heavy precipitation (between 100mm and 150 mm) is likely to be expected over the next 96 hours, over north-eastern South Africa.
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