Hartbeespoort Dam: NSRI issues urgent safety warning as water hyacinth chokes!

The South African National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has issued a strong alert to the public regarding hazardous conditions at Hartbeespoort Dam, where rapidly spreading water hyacinth is creating dangerous and unpredictable circumstances for anyone considering launching boats or watercraft.

Hartbeespoort Dam, located in South Africa’s North West Province near the town of Hartbeespoort and roughly an hour from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, is one of the country’s most popular recreational water bodies. Nestled between the Magaliesberg mountain range, it attracts thousands of visitors for boating, fishing, and water sports. However, recurring water hyacinth infestations have become a major environmental and safety challenge.

(c) NSRI

Vast sections of the dam are now blanketed by thick mats of floating hyacinth, which are expected to expand significantly in the coming summer weeks. Seasonal growth, combined with frequent and sudden wind shifts, is causing these dense clusters to drift quickly across the water - transforming previously navigable channels into blocked or impassable routes within minutes.

Key dangers linked to current hyacinth conditions at Hartbeespoort Dam:

• Watercraft becoming trapped in dense vegetation and unable to return to shore.
• Engines overheating or failing due to tangled plant material and hidden debris.
• Concealed hazards such as illegal fishing nets or submerged objects caught within the hyacinth.
• Sudden wind changes pushing large hyacinth mats across the dam, cutting off escape routes.

While NSRI crews remain on standby for critical emergencies, the organisation stresses that conditions are severely compromised and should not be underestimated.

If you still choose to launch a boat, NSRI advises you to:

• Check the latest weather and wind forecasts before departure.
• Closely monitor hyacinth movement before and during your trip.
• Share your planned route and return time with someone on land.
• Carry sufficient supplies and protective gear in case you become stranded.
• Keep a charged mobile phone in a waterproof pouch, wear a lifejacket at all times, and log your journey using the NSRI SafeTRX app.

The NSRI urges all visitors to exercise extreme caution as Hartbeespoort Dam faces one of its most challenging hyacinth surges in recent years.

 

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African Parks to release 2,000 southern white rhino into the wild over the next 10 years!

African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages 22 protected areas in partnership with 12 governments across Africa, has announced that it will take over the 7,800 hectare "Platinum Rhino" site near Klerksdorp in South Africa's North West province from wealthy property developer turned conservationist/wildlife rancher/rhino breeder John Hume (81). The world’s largest private captive rhino breeding operation is home to over 2,000 southern white rhino, which is equivalent to 15% of the world's remaining wild population of southern white rhino. According to African Parks, it has one clear objective: to rewild these rhino over the next 10 years to well-managed and secure areas, establishing or supplementing strategic populations, thereby de-risking the future of the species. The breeding programme will be phased out and the project will end once all the rhino are released into the wild. This is one of the largest continent-wide rewilding endeavours to occur for any species.

John Hume's "Patinum Rhino" farm went up for auction on 26 April 2023 due to financial reasons, but did not receive any bids. On 04 August 2023, African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead confirmed in a statement that his organisation had agreed to take over the farm and and all its rhinos – with the endorsement of the South African Government, which will support African Parks with technical and scientific advice, and the African Rhino Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. African Parks manages 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Pilanesberg National Park: A massive fire burned down about 50% of the National Park!

North West Parks Board (NWPB), which manages 15 protected reserves in South Africa's North West Province, has released a media statement regarding the massive fire that occured in Pilanesberg National Park in early September 2018. According to the NWPB, the fire entered the National Park from the north and burnt very intensly through the central parts towards the southern boundary. The fire also spread to the east and the area known as the Wilderness Area burnt down completely. The total area burnt to date is approximately 50% of the National Park. Little damage was done to infrastructure of Pilanesberg National Park. Unfortunately, the well-known and very popular Mankwe hide, situated on the edge of the Mankwe dam, was completely destroyed, but lodges like the Ivory Tree Game Lodge and the Bakgatla Resort as well as pupular picnic sites like Fish-Eagle picnic site suffered no damage.

South African Tourism: South Africa's nine provinces in one video (18 min)

South African Tourism has released new promotional videos: an 18-minute video about all nine provinces of South Africa, as well as single videos about the provinces, namely the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal. I couldn't find the video about the Free State on youtube, though. We will add the video as soon as it appears on the video-sharing website and let you know!

South African Tourism: new promotional videos for all 9 provinces

South African Tourism seems super busy today uploading new promotional videos. They just presented short films about all nine provinces, as well as another new country-wide promo named "South Africa...a good place to make a thousand memories" (also watch "Leave ordinary behind" & "Highlights of South Africa" & "A journey through South Africa's extraordinary landscapes"). Have a look!



"South Africa...a good place to make a thousand memories"