Travel Alert: Sani Pass closed until further notice due to heavy snowfall

update 09 June 2026

Authorities have provisionally reopened Sani Pass on 07 June 2026 following the recent heavy snowfall. However, conditions remain challenging, with snow and ice still present in some areas. Travellers are urged to exercise extreme caution and ensure their vehicles are suitable for mountain driving conditions.

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The famous Sani Pass—the sole road link connecting South Africa and Lesotho over the Drakensberg escarpment in KwaZulu-Natal—has been closed to all traffic effective immediately. This closure follows severe winter weather conditions and heavy snowfall on the Lesotho side of the mountain route.

Current conditions and safety advisory

Due to significant snow accumulation and icy road surfaces, travel through the pass has been deemed highly hazardous.

• Vehicle restrictions: The closure applies to all vehicles, including 4x4s and overland transport.
• Travel  advice: Motorists and travellers intending to cross the border via this route are strictly advised to postpone their trips. Do not attempt to approach the pass until authorities officially declare the route safe for transit.

KwaZulu-Natal on the Sani Pass Lesotho Border Post

Pics: @kzncogta pic.twitter.com/fmKJHqrkog

— Nhlanhla Mabaso (@_NMabaso) June 5, 2026

Government response and monitoring

According to Senzelwe Mzila, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), provincial disaster management teams have been deployed to the area. These units are currently assessing the severity of the snow blockage, monitoring regional weather patterns, and standing by to provide emergency assistance to any stranded travellers as required.

Key takeaways for travellers

• Check border status: The Sani Pass port of entry operations are affected by this closure. Ensure you verify border accessibility before undertaking any travel toward the area.
• Monitor updates: Road clearance operations will depend entirely on weather conditions on the upper escarpment. Monitor official COGTA communications or local KwaZulu-Natal traffic updates for reopening announcements.
• Alternative routes: Consider utilizing alternative, low-altitude border posts (such as Ficksburg Bridge or Caledonspoort) to travel between South Africa and Lesotho, though these should also be checked for localized weather disruptions.

 

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Sani Pass: Lesotho introduced an "attraction fee and tourism levy" at Sani Pass Border Gate!

The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) has introduced a tourism levy at Sani Pass Gate in Lesotho's Mokhotlong district. Effective since 01 April 2024, all visitors with foreign passports, expect for children under the age of 13 years, must pay an attraction fee and tourism levy of M100* upon entering the Sani Pass Gate.
According to LTDC Public Relations Manager Mr. Molapo Matela, the levy will be collected by accommodation owners, tour operators as well as events organisers on behalf of the LTDC.
Sani Pass is a mountain pass located in the West of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on the road between Himeville and Mokhotlong in Lesotho. The South African/Lesotho border is at the summit of the pass and not at the South African border control point. Sani Pass therefore lies entirely within South Africa.

 

*The Lesotho loti is pegged to the South African rand on a 1:1 basis through the Common Monetary Area, and both are accepted as legal tender within Lesotho.

Sani Pass & Skeleton Coast made it to the list of the world's 25 most-instagrammed road trip locations!

TravelSupermarket, on of the market-leading price-comparison service for package holidays in the UK, undertook research and have revealed what the most popular pit stops road trip routes around the world are, by analysing which places are most tagged on Instagram. According to the findings, the Sani Pass (22; #sanipass) in South Africa and the Skeleton Coast (24, #skeletoncoast) in Namibia made it to the top 25 most instagrammed road trip locations in the world. The Chapman's Peak Drive (26, #chapmanspeakdrive) in Cape Town missed the top 25 by one rank, while the Garden Route (#thegardenroute), also in South Africa, is the the 38th most tagged road trip location on Instagram.

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An attempt at the Sani pass is challenging enough without adding fire to the experience!! #sanipass #southafrica

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Morgan Cardiff (@rhys_morgan) am Jul 16, 2018 um 12:31 PDT

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Skeleton coast is as desolate as it sounds- 4 x 4s and adventurous spirits only. . . . #namibia #africa #namibdesert #skeletoncoast #travel #explore #neverstopexploring #getoutside #desert #backpacking

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Katie 🌲 (@ktkendall) am Aug 17, 2018 um 8:47 PDT

The 25 most popular pit stops and road trip routes, according to Instagram:

01. Route 66, USA #route66
02. Great Ocean Road, Australia #greatoceanroad
03. Ruta, Argentina #ruta
04. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina/Virginia, USA #blueridgeparkway
05. Finger Lakes Highways, New York, USA #fingerlakes
06. Valley of Fire Road, Nevada, USA #valleyoffire
07. Ring Road, Iceland #ringroad
08. Trollstigen, Norway #trollstigen
09. Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada #icefieldsparkway
10. Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia, Canada #cabottrail
11. Serra Do Rio Do Rastro Road, Brazil #serradoriodorastro
12. Highway One, California, USA #highwayone
13. Rohtang Pass, India #rohtangpass
14. Hai Van Pass, Vietnam #haivanpass
15. Going-to-The-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA #goingtothesunroad
16. Stelvio Pass, Italy #stelviopass
17. Furka Pass, Switzerland #furkapass
18. Atlantic Road, Norway #atlanticroad
19. Hana Highway    Maui, Hawaii, USA #hanahighway
20. Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland, UK    #causewaycoastalroute
21. Grimsel Pass, Switzerland #grimselpass
22. Sani Pass, South Africa #sanipass
23. Karakoram Highway, China/Pakistan #karakoramhighway
24. Skeleton Coast, Namibia #skeletoncoast
25. Seward Highway, Alaska, USA #sewardhighway
26. Chapman's Peak Drive, South Africa #chapmanspeakdrive
38. The Garden Route, South Africa #thegardenroute

To check out the full list of TravelSupermarket's top 25 most popular pit stops and road trip routes on Instagram, click here.

South Africa: Sani Pass gets fully tarred within the next five month!

The famous Sani Pass, located in Western KwaZulu Natal, is getting fully tarred. The road, famed for being a great, but notoriously dangerous, 4x4 vehicle drive, links Underberg in South Africa with Mokhotlong in Lesotho. The route up Sani Pass starts at 1544m and climbs 1332 vertical metres to an altitude of 2876m.
The first phase of the upgrade of the gravel road to tar has already been completed, with 14km of the road now fully tarred. The construction of the remaining 5km will begin within a five month period from 21 May 2014, if there are no further appeals. The total cost of upgrading the 19km from Old Good Hope Trading Post to the summit of the Sani Pass at the border post to Lesotho is expected to cost R887m.

South Africa: Sani Lodge Backpackers is the 2nd FTTSA-certified accommodation in KwaZulu Natal!

Sani Lodge Backpackers, a backpackers on the famous Sani Pass to Lesotho bordering the uKhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Site, is the second accommodation tourism business to become Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA)-certified in KwaZulu Natal. Sani Lodge Backpackers is one of the oldest owner run backpackers in the country that offers good value they offer while also contributing to sustainable tourism.

FTTSA certification is an independent endorsement of fair and responsible tourism practice in South Africa. It is based on adherence to specific criteria including fair wages and working conditions, fair distribution of benefits, ethical business practice, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment. Certification is offered on a voluntary basis to providers of tourist accommodation, activities and attractions.

View Sani Lodge Backpackers in a larger map

Of the various practices reviewed, FTTSA looks for evidence that the business supports community investment as a developmental tool in relation to the business’ unique context. For example, FTTSA investigates efforts made by the business to support the local economy. Sani Lodge Backpackers makes significant efforts towards this, not only through permanent employment of most people from the local area but also by assisting entrepreneurs and communities by allowing them to provide products to their tours for which they are paid. This is exemplified in their Eastern Lesotho village tours, where over 60 families in the Matsaoing district of Eastern Lesotho benefit directly from the tour by payments made to them for services rendered in the fields of accommodation and food, dancing and traditional culture, traditional healer and primary school visits as well as pony trekking. Since their longer tours started in 2005, over R1 million has flowed directly to grassroots tourism enterprises and service providers around Lesotho and allowed local people to showcase their culture and take a real pride in it!

One of FTTSA’s key principles is Respect for Environment, which can be measured in relation to planning, operational management, and investment in conservation activities. Sani Lodge Backpackers rehabilitated their badly degraded property by eradicating the invasive bramble and are making inroads on the other alien species such as wattle, pine and eucalyptus. They propagate their own indigenous plants, and have replaced the alien species with thousands of indigenous tree and shrub seedlings in an on-going program. They have also been at the forefront of fighting environmentally unfriendly and unsustainable development projects in their area and are currently deeply involved in trying to prevent the destruction of one of Southern Africa’s most unique treasures, the Sani Pass and the road to Mokhotlong.

This is what owners of Sani Lodge Backpackers’ Simone and Russel Suchet said about being FTTSA-certified, "Sani Lodge Backpackers is honoured and excited at being FTTSA-certified, joining the portfolio of other certified establishments allows us to join a group of tourism establishments which we are delighted to be associated with. It is a vindication and reward for our efforts over nearly 20 years."