For many visitors, the floods in Kruger National Park have meant cancelled drives and altered itineraries. For many freelance guides, they mean something far more serious: the sudden loss of income.
Latest Sightings reached out to Excellent Nicolas Hlatshwayo, a freelance guide working in the park, who was able to provide direct insights into the situation.
“With the freelance guides, the flood ironically means it’s going to be like a drought again… there will be fewer activities.”
With roads damaged, bridges washed away, and entire regions closed, guiding opportunities have all but vanished. Walking safaris, wilderness trails, and off-road experiences (some of the most sought-after activities in Kruger) are also currently impossible.
Excellent added that as a result, most guides will be sitting around at home with no work for quite a long time due to all the restricted access.
“Those people, like guides, will be sitting at home doing nothing for quite a long time now because there’s no access.”
Roads Washed Away, Plans Cancelled
The physical damage across Kruger has been extensive, and its ripple effects are being felt daily. Nicolas pointed out that key infrastructure failures have effectively cut sections of the park off from one another.
Some roads reopen briefly, only to close again.
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“Delaporte was closed this morning, it was overflooding, but reopened again.”
This uncertainty has led to widespread cancellations, and many guests having to return back home. For freelance guides, this means fewer bookings and fewer chances to work.
Limited Roads, Limited Sightings
Even where access remains, conditions are far from ideal. Excellent explained that the northern part of the park is completely inaccessible, while the south is severely restricted.
“The northern side of the park is not accessible, and the southern part is limited to our drivers. The only road that is open now is gonna be Numbi Road to Skukuza, and Numbi Road to Malelane.”
With animals avoiding flooded areas, sightings have become more difficult, but some species remain easier to find than others. Leopards seem to remain mostly up in the trees, while lions are still present, but less visible.
“The rain itself pushes the animals away from the roads… they’re avoiding the streams and rivers because they can be washed away.”
Crowding and Competition
With so few roads open, pressure has been building in the areas that remain accessible.
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At the same time, accommodation closures and access restrictions mean many operators simply can’t function.
“Lots of companies, they can’t operate… most of the cancellation have happened, and sighting will not be easy”
Looking Ahead with Cautious Hope
Excellent is realistic about recovery timelines, waging it will likely take a long time for things to return to normal. He notes that while floods have occurred before, this event feels different.
“This is the first, I think, in two years now, it’s the first time the flood comes like this… last year it was there, but not as much as this.”
Still, like many guides, he remains hopeful that activities will start to resume early this year.
Until then, freelance guides who are often overlooked in broader discussions will have to wait patiently as Kruger heals, knowing that when the roads reopen and the rivers recede, the bush will once again call them back to work.
