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South Africa cyclone guide

A tropical cyclone making direct landfall in South Africa is rare. The country sits at the southern edge of the south-west Indian Ocean cyclone basin, and most cyclones that form there weaken or pass well offshore or over Mozambique and Madagascar first. The real risk is what is left of those storms: heavy rain and strong coastal winds that reach KwaZulu-Natal and, at times, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, on top of the ordinary summer storms this coast already gets. Tropical Storm Eloise brought heavy rain and flooding to northern KwaZulu-Natal in January 2021, and Cyclone Freddy brought heavy rain and strong wind to the north-eastern part of the country in February 2023. The catastrophic KwaZulu-Natal floods of April 2022, which the government declared a national disaster, were not linked to a tropical cyclone, but they are part of why the province's disaster management system now takes heavy rain warnings seriously. The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), under the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), coordinates South Africa's response, working with provincial and municipal disaster management centres. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issues the colour-coded severe weather warnings. South Africa is on this one page.

Checked on November 6, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), under the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). In an emergency, call 10111 for police or 10177 for an ambulance. From a mobile phone, 112 reaches an emergency call centre that can route you to the service you need.

What to know in South Africa

  • The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has directed the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to coordinate readiness and response efforts with provincial and municipal structures ahead of severe weather. Government statements on severe weather tell the public to contact their local municipal disaster management centre, the nearest police station, or the national emergency numbers 112, 10177, or 107.
  • 107 is not a nationwide number everywhere. The City of Cape Town lists 107 as its own metro emergency number for calls made from a cellphone within Cape Town, separate from the national 10111 and 10177 lines. Outside Cape Town, follow the national numbers (10111, 10177, 112) and your local municipality's own emergency line.
  • In January 2021, the Department of Water and Sanitation warned residents to stay away from flooded rivers and dams as Tropical Storm Eloise moved across Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal, with heavy rain reported in northern KwaZulu-Natal. A national state of disaster was later declared for strong winds and floods from the storm together with the summer rains.
  • The government's own news service reported that Cyclone Freddy was expected to bring heavy rain and strong wind to the north-eastern part of South Africa, adding pressure on infrastructure in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape that was already flood damaged. It did not report Freddy reaching KwaZulu-Natal directly.
  • On 13 April 2022, the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre classified the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal as a provincial disaster, giving the provincial government the lead role in coordinating the response. Cabinet later classified it as a national disaster and a national state of disaster was declared on 18 April 2022, covering KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and other affected provinces. This flooding was driven by a cut-off low weather system, not a tropical cyclone.
  • The South African Weather Service issues coloured, numbered warning levels (for example Yellow Level 2 or Red Level 10) for hazards including disruptive rainfall, damaging winds, and coastal waves, and government statements tell people to watch SAWS, their municipality, and disaster management authorities for updates.

Emergency and information numbers

Service Number Notes
Police (Flying Squad) 10111 National police emergency number, listed on the Western Cape provincial government's official emergency contacts page.
Ambulance 10177 National ambulance emergency number, listed on the same provincial government page and repeated in national government severe weather statements.
Emergency from a mobile phone 112 Works on South Africa's major mobile networks and routes the call to the nearest emergency service. Also listed by the National Disaster Management Centre as a national emergency number.
South African Red Cross Society, national office +27-10-022-4197 5 Ryder Road, Randburg, Johannesburg. Office hours Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. Not an emergency line.
South African Red Cross Society, KwaZulu-Natal provincial office +27-76-223-8425 201 Kenneth Kaunda Drive, Durban North, 4000. Office hours Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Not an emergency line.
KwaZulu-Natal COGTA, general enquiries 033-260-8375 General enquiries line for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which includes the provincial disaster management centre. 14th Floor, South Tower, Natalia Building, Langalibalele Street, Pietermaritzburg. Not a dedicated emergency line.

Official alerts and information

  • SAWS severe weather warnings: The South African Weather Service's current severe weather warnings page, with colour-coded, numbered impact levels. Website.
  • NDMC and COGTA severe weather statements: South African government media statements, where COGTA and the NDMC publish severe weather advisories and disaster classifications. Website.

National resources

  • KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Disaster Management Centre: The provincial disaster management centre for KwaZulu-Natal, under KZN COGTA, set up under the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002. KwaZulu-Natal is the province most exposed to cyclone-related rain and wind from storms that track through the Mozambique Channel. Website.
  • South African Government media statements on disaster management: How the national government directs the NDMC and describes the national emergency numbers. Website.

For state agencies across the country, see the official sources page.

Evacuation centers

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

South Africa's disaster management centres open temporary shelters for people displaced by floods and storms on a case by case basis, through the municipal and provincial disaster management structures. No standing public list of shelter locations was found on an official page. Follow your municipality, KZN COGTA, or the NDMC's statements for where to go during an actual emergency.

Radio, TV and weather

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Official forecasts

  • South African Weather Service (SAWS): South Africa's national weather service. Issues forecasts and colour-coded severe weather warnings. No phone number for the public could be confirmed on an official SAWS page as of this review. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Relief organizations

  • South African Red Cross Society: National Red Cross society, recognised by the South African government in 2007 as its official auxiliary in humanitarian aid. Provides disaster relief and preparedness work nationwide, including in KwaZulu-Natal through its provincial office. Phone: +27-10-022-4197. Website.

Sources

Checked on November 6, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.