Karoo National Park Road Repairs: What visitors need to know until September 2026

Visitors to Karoo National Park should be prepared for occasional detours over the coming weeks as repair work gets underway following damage caused by heavy rain earlier in 2026.

South African National Parks (SANParks) says roads and culverts will be repaired until the end of September 2026, with intermittent closures and traffic diversions affecting parts of Karoo National Park.

The main area likely to affect self-drive visitors is Lammertjiesleegte, where sections may be closed temporarily while contractors are working. Traffic may be diverted around the affected sections. Visitors using Klipspringer Pass should also expect diversions, with traffic routed past the caravan park and staff village when necessary.

The work may mean slightly longer driving times, so allow some extra time when exploring Karoo National Park and follow any temporary road signs or instructions from staff.

The good news is that these are temporary disruptions rather than a closure of the park's road network. Karoo National Park remains open to visitors, and the repairs should help restore infrastructure damaged during the earlier heavy rains.

Traveller tip

If you are planning a self-drive safari or scenic drive in Karoo National Park before the end of September 2026, check for the latest road information on arrival and remain flexible with your route. A short diversion could be a small inconvenience, but the repairs are intended to keep the park's roads accessible and safe in the longer term.

 

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Durban Beaches Update: All 23 beaches open for swimming

Durban's beaches are fully open for swimming again, according to the latest beach status update issued on 26 August 2026. All 23 monitored beaches listed by eThekwini Municipality are currently open, giving visitors plenty of options along Durban's northern, central and southern coastline.

For travellers planning a visit to Durban, the municipality's latest status report shows that all 23 monitored beaches were open for swimming. The update follows earlier water-quality concerns and temporary closures, meaning conditions can still differ from one beach to another and may change over time. The E. coli samples produced varying results along the coastline. Under the municipality's classification system, readings below 130 are considered excellent, results between 130 and 500 are acceptable, and readings above 500 are classified as poor.

Which Durban beaches are open?

The latest update covers all 23 official beaches along the greater Durban coastline.

Northern Durban beaches open for swimming: Westbrook, Umdloti Main, Umhlanga Main and Bronze Beach.

Central Durban beaches open for swimming: Wedge, Point, uShaka, Addington, South Beach, North Beach, Bay of Plenty, Battery Beach, Country Club, Thekwini Beach and Laguna Beach.

Southern Durban beaches open for swimming: Toti Main, Ansteys, Brighton, Umgababa, Doonside Beach, Winklespruit, Pipeline and Reunion.

The strongest results were recorded at several beaches, including Umdloti Main, Ansteys, Brighton and Point, all with readings of less than 10. Reunion, meanwhile, recorded 481, while Doonside Beach recorded 146; both remain open under the municipality's published classification system.

What this means for travellers

For visitors planning a beach holiday in Durban, the current picture is straightforward: all 23 beaches on the latest monitored list are open for swimming. That includes major tourist favourites such as Umhlanga Main, North Beach, uShaka, Addington and the beaches around Amanzimtoti.

Beach conditions and water quality can change, however, and the municipality says the status will be updated when conditions change. Travellers should therefore check the latest official beach information, particularly after heavy rain or before travelling specifically for a day of swimming.

Durban beach swimming hours

According to the latest update, beaches operate from 06:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and public holidays.

Bottom line: As of 26 August 2026, Durban's latest beach update is the most positive possible for visitors: all 23 monitored beaches are open for swimming.

Source: eThekwini Municipality beach water quality results, 26 August 2026. 

 

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Cheetahs return to Eswatini after more than 35 years

Four cheetahs have been reintroduced to Eswatini, marking the return of the species to the Kingdom after an absence of more than 35 years. For travellers interested in wildlife, the reintroduction adds another potentially exciting species to Eswatini’s safari offering.

Two females and two males are now living in Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve, where conservationists hope they will establish a breeding population.

Cheetahs return to Eswatini

The four cheetahs are currently the only cheetahs in Eswatini. The females arrived from Nyosi Wildlife Reserve in South Africa in late 2025, while two males from Dinokeng Game Reserve were added in April 2026.

The animals have been monitored closely since their release. The females have already adapted well to their new surroundings, hunting successfully and establishing territories. The males are ranging through the northern and eastern parts of Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve.

Importantly, tracking data shows the males and females now occupying neighbouring areas. This raises hopes that the cheetahs could eventually breed, although there is no guarantee that cubs will be born.

If breeding is successful, the new population could become part of the wider southern African cheetah metapopulation, helping to strengthen the species beyond Eswatini.

Why Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve was chosen

Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve covers around 13,000 hectares and supports a healthy range of prey species, including impala, nyala, kudu, wildebeest, warthog and reedbuck.

The reserve also offers an important advantage for cheetahs: there are no lions and relatively few leopards and hyenas. These larger predators can compete with cheetahs and pose a particular threat to cubs.

The four animals are fitted with tracking collars and are monitored daily, allowing conservationists to follow their movements and respond to potential problems.

What the cheetah return means for travellers

For visitors, the reintroduction gives Royal Jozini Private Game Reserve and the wider Lubombo region another attraction for wildlife enthusiasts.

Seeing a cheetah in the wild is already a highlight of a southern African safari, and the possibility of encountering one in Eswatini adds a new dimension to the country's wildlife experiences. However, travellers should not expect guaranteed sightings. With only four animals in a large reserve, finding them will depend on their movements and the effectiveness of ongoing monitoring.

The more significant tourism benefit may therefore be longer term. If the population breeds successfully and expands to other protected areas, cheetahs could become an increasingly important part of Eswatini's safari offering.

For now, the return of four cheetahs represents an important conservation milestone — and another reason for wildlife-focused travellers to keep an eye on Eswatini.

A first step towards a breeding population

The immediate priority is to establish a viable breeding population. The males and females are already using neighbouring areas, but conservationists caution that successful breeding and raising cubs cannot be taken for granted.

If the project succeeds, however, Eswatini could once again have a self-sustaining cheetah population after more than three decades without the species.

For travellers, that makes this a development worth watching: Eswatini's cheetahs are back, and the next important sighting could be the first cubs born in the Kingdom in decades.

 

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From the Garden Route to Kruger National Park: New direct flights launch in November 2026

Travellers planning a Garden Route trip followed by a safari in the Kruger National Park will soon have a more convenient option. From 16 November 2026, Airlink will operate the first scheduled direct flights between Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ) in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP).

The new service will operate three times a week, linking Gqeberha with the airport serving Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit), the Kruger National Park and surrounding private game reserves.

Bookings for the new route are already open.

Direct flights between Gqeberha and Kruger Mpumalanga

Airlink will operate the new route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, using a 44-seat Embraer ERJ140.

The schedule from 16 November 2026 is:

• Mon, Wed, Fri    Gqeberha (PLZ) – Mbombela (MQP)    11:30 > 13:20
• Mon, Wed, Fri    Mbombela (MQP) – Gqeberha (PLZ)    13:55 > 15:35

The flight time is approximately 1 hour 50 minutes in each direction.

As with Airlink's other flights, the ERJ140 has only window and aisle seats, so passengers will not have to contend with a middle seat.

A useful new link for Kruger travellers

For visitors travelling between the Eastern Cape and the Kruger National Park, the new service could make a noticeable difference to travel time and convenience.

Until now, flying between Gqeberha and the Kruger region has generally meant connecting elsewhere, most notably in Johannesburg. A direct flight removes that additional connection and makes it considerably easier to combine a Gqeberha, Sunshine Coast or Garden Route itinerary with a Kruger safari.

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP) is particularly convenient for travellers heading to Mbombela, the southern and central Kruger National Park and private game reserves in Mpumalanga.

The route could therefore be particularly useful for international visitors putting together a multi-stop South African itinerary, as well as domestic travellers combining a coastal holiday with a safari.

What travellers should know

The three-weekly schedule is not a daily service, so travellers will need to plan their itinerary around the Monday, Wednesday and Friday operating days.

The new route also gives travellers another option when planning a trip between the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga without having to build a Johannesburg connection into their itinerary.

 

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SANParks Week 2026: Free entry to South African National Parks

South African National Parks (SANParks) is once again offering free entry to participating national parks for South African day visitors during South African National Parks Week, which runs from 07 to 13 September 2026.

The annual initiative is a good opportunity for South African residents to explore a national park close to home without paying the usual conservation fee. However, there are some important exceptions — and several parks are only included from Monday to Friday.

When is SANParks Week 2026?

The 21st annual South African National Parks Week takes place from Monday, 07 September to Sunday, 13 September 2026.

South African visitors must present an identity document to qualify for free entry. Children under 18 do not need to provide identification.

The offer covers park entry only. Accommodation, game drives, guided walks and other activities remain subject to their normal fees.

Which national parks are included?

The following parks offer free entry for the full 07–13 September 2026 period:

• Agulhas National Park
• Bontebok National Park
• Table Mountain National Park*
• Tankwa Karoo National Park
• Addo Elephant National Park
• Camdeboo National Park
• Karoo National Park
• Mountain Zebra National Park
• Garden Route National Park
• |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
• Mokala National Park

* At Table Mountain National Park, free entry excludes the Boulders Penguin Colony and Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.

Parks with weekday-only free entry

Free access is limited to 07–11 September 2026 at:

• Kruger National Park
• West Coast National Park
• Golden Gate Highlands National Park
• Mapungubwe National Park
• Marakele National Park
• Augrabies Falls National Park

This means that Kruger National Park is not free on the weekend of 12–13 September2026.

The weekday restriction at West Coast National Park is particularly relevant for visitors hoping to combine South African National Parks Week with the 2026 wildflower season, when the park is traditionally very busy.

Parks not included

Not every SANParks destination participates in the initiative.

Namaqua National Park is excluded from South African National Parks Week 2026, while the Boulders Penguin Colony and Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are excluded from the offer despite Table Mountain National Park participating.

What does free entry include?

South African National Parks Week covers the normal conservation/entrance fee for South African day visitors. It does not make other park services free.

Visitors will still pay the normal rates for:

• accommodation
• guided game drives
• guided walks
• other organised activities and attractions

It is therefore particularly useful for a self-drive day visit, where the normal conservation fee would otherwise be the main park admission cost.

A good opportunity to explore

South African National Parks Week has become one of SANParks' biggest public-access initiatives since it was introduced in 2006. More than 105,000 visitors took advantage of the free-entry offer in 2025.

For South African residents, the 2026 edition provides another opportunity to visit a national park — perhaps one that is close to home but has never made it onto the itinerary.

If you are planning to take advantage of the offer, it is worth checking the individual park's opening times and any access restrictions before travelling. Popular parks and gateways can be busy during South African National Parks Week.

International visitors should note that the free-entry offer is aimed at South African day visitors. Foreign tourists should budget for the applicable normal conservation fees.

 

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|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park: Sendelingsdrift Pontoon to reopen on 01 September 2026

Travellers planning a road trip through the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park have an important update: the Sendelingsdrift Pontoon at the Sendelingsdrift border post is scheduled to reopen on 01 September 2026.

The pontoon crosses the Orange (Gariep) River between South Africa and Namibia, providing a convenient cross-border route for travellers combining the Richtersveld with southern Namibia. It also avoids the lengthy detour around the river.

What travellers need to know

When operational, the pontoon at Sendelingsdrift operates seven days a week, from 08:00 to 16:15, according to South African National Parks (SANParks).

The reopening date is scheduled, so travellers should confirm that the crossing is operating before setting out, particularly as water levels in the Orange River can affect operations.

Sendelingsdrift Pontoon:

• Scheduled reopening: 01 September 2026
• Operating hours: 08:00–16:00 daily
• Location: Sendelingsdrift border post, |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
• Park reception: +27 (0)27 831 1506

The Sendelingsdrift border post is an important gateway to the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, a remote wilderness area straddling the South Africa - Namibia border.

 

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Durban Beaches Update: All 23 beaches open for swimming

If you're planning a beach day in Durban, there is good news. All 23 beaches listed in the latest eThekwini Municipality update are open for swimming. The latest water-quality results,  dated 19 August 2026, show generally good conditions, with most beaches recording excellent E. coli results.

Durban beaches open for swimming

The municipality's 19 August 2026 status update lists 23 beaches as open for swimming, covering Durban's central beachfront as well as beaches to the north and south of the city.

Among the central beaches, uShaka, Addington, South Beach, Bay of Plenty and Thekwini Beach all recorded excellent water-quality results. North Beach and Battery Beach recorded 146 E. coli units, putting them in the municipality's acceptable category, but both remain open.

Further north, Westbrook, Umhlanga Main and Bronze Beach recorded excellent results, while Umdloti Main's result of 185 falls into the acceptable range. All four beaches remain open.

The southern beaches are also open. Ansteys, Brighton, Umgababa, Doonside and Winklespruit recorded excellent results, while Toti Main and Reunion were in the acceptable range.

What this means for travellers

For visitors staying in Durban, Umhlanga or along the city's southern coastline, there are currently no swimming closures among the 23 beaches listed in the municipal update.

The municipality classifies E. coli results below 130 as excellent, 130–500 as acceptable and above 500 as poor.

As beach water quality can change, travellers should still check the latest municipal status before swimming, particularly after heavy rain or other events that could affect water quality.

 

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