The Limpopo flood death toll has risen to 25, according to the latest update from the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA). Officials retrieved two more bodies from streams in Nghomunghomu village outside Malamulele and in Louis Trichardt on Saturday, initially bringing the count to 23. By Monday, the figure increased further as search operations persisted in flood-hit regions.

Provincial police have opened inquest dockets for the incidents. In one case, a body was found floating in a river near a local restaurant, partially unclothed and wearing a brown striped T-shirt, blue and white underwear, black socks, and no shoes, as described by Provincial Police Spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba.

Background and National Response

Severe weather, including heavy rainfall, thunderstorms with hail, strong winds, and flooding, struck Limpopo starting in late December 2025. The hardest-hit districts include Mopani, Vhembe, Waterberg, and parts of Sekhukhune. Beyond fatalities, the floods damaged homes, roads, schools, health centres, agriculture, and the environment.

The National Disaster Management Centre classified the floods in Limpopo and other provinces as a national disaster on Saturday.

Head of the NDMC, Ellas Sithole, stated: “After assessing the magnitude and severity of the severe weather that resulted in lightning, strong and damaging surface winds, heavy rainfall and flooding from late December 2025 in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, that resulted in the loss of life, damage to property infrastructure and the environment, as well as the disruption of basic services, hereby give notice that I regard this occurrence as a disaster, I classify the disaster as a national disaster.”

The NDMC will lead relief efforts, with government departments mobilised to support recovery. Repair costs are estimated in the billions of rand.

CoGHSTA spokesperson Tsakani Baloyi expressed sadness over the rising Limpopo flood death toll since the weather began in December 2025. Search-and-rescue operations continue in areas like Mbaula and Thulamela, with three people still missing: a five-year-old Siyanda Baloyi from Mbaula village outside Giyani, and two bakkie occupants from Tswinga village near Thohoyandou.