South Africa: Floods - Jan 2026 Updates

OVERVIEW Southern Africa has transitioned from the 2023-24 El Niño–driven drought to 2025-26 La Niña-related heavy rains and flash floods, affecting Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa, Zimbabwe,...

SUMMARY OF CRISIS AND KEY FINDINGS Since mid-December 2025, heavy rainfall and cyclones across Southern Africa have affected an estimated 1.5 million people, with over 300 deaths and more than 170...

Heavy downpours in several countries have affected more than 1.3 million people, destroying houses and critical infrastructure and disrupting access to health and education services.

Since mid-December, exceptionally heavy and persistent rains, fueled by climate change and La Niña conditions, have triggered devastating floods across Southern Africa, affecting nearly 940,000...

What happened, where and when? On 17 January 2026, the Government of South Africa declared a national state of disaster in response to severe flooding in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, marking the...

HIGHLIGHTS Heavy rains and flash floods have affected more than 655,000 people and claimed at least 159 lives across Southern Africa, with Mozambique the worst affected. The flooding is linked to a...

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...

Very heavy rainfall has been affecting Mozambique (mainly the southern and the central provinces) since 24 December, causing widespread floods that have resulted in an increasing humanitarian impact...

Please refer to the attached Map.

Since December 2025, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, located in north-eastern South Africa and bordering southern Mozambique, are experiencing heavy rain and consequent floods, leading to severe...