Landowners, farmers and rural communities across South Africa are being urged to prepare for what could be a destructive wildfire season, with experts warning that a combination of dry conditions, strong winds and the expected return of El Niño could fuel widespread veldfires in the coming months.
AfriForum has sounded the alarm following the release of the National Disaster Management Centre's 2026 winter seasonal risk profile, which indicates elevated wildfire risks across several provinces, including Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and North West.
The warning comes as large parts of the country remain covered in dense vegetation following favourable summer rainfall, creating conditions that could rapidly turn dangerous as temperatures rise and winter winds intensify.
Tarien Cooks, Disaster Management Specialist at AfriForum, said the combination of weather conditions and abundant vegetation should not be underestimated.
"Large parts of South Africa have experienced excellent vegetation and veld conditions following the good summer rains. While this is good news for grazing conditions, it also means that there are now large amounts of combustible material in rural areas. In combination with above-normal temperatures, strong winds and the expected development of El Niño conditions, the risk of severe wildfires later in the winter and during the spring is significant."
