South Africa’s intensifying cycle of floods, wildfires and severe storms is forcing both government and business to rethink how the country prepares for climate-related disasters, with insurers increasingly positioning early warning systems as a frontline defence against mounting economic losses.
On Thursday, Santam and the South African Weather Service (SAWS) announced a partnership aimed at strengthening the country’s weather forecasting and early warning capabilities through the installation of nine new automatic weather stations.
The initiative comes as the country grapples with increasingly destructive weather events, including the devastating 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods, as well as more recent deadly flooding in Mthata in the Eastern Cape last year and in Limpopo and Mpumalanga earlier this year.
By expanding SAWS’s observation network, the partnership seeks to close critical forecasting gaps in regions vulnerable to floods, storms and extreme rainfall, particularly along the eastern seaboard where repeated extreme weather has exposed structural weaknesses in monitoring capacity.
Santam group chief executive Tavaziva Madzinga said the collaboration reflected growing recognition that climate-related disasters were no longer isolated events but an escalating economic and social risk.
The SAWS was the only entity mandated to issue severe weather-related warnings over South Africa, he said.
“By strengthening its observation and forecasting capabilities, we are helping to ensure that early warnings are accessible, credible and localised, so that South Africans can act before weather hazards escalate into disasters.”
Madzinga noted that early warning systems should be understood as economic infrastructure rather than optional public services, arguing that earlier alerts could significantly reduce both human and financial losses.
“Simply put, early warning enables early action,” Madzinga said. “If people delay travel, secure property, move vehicles or protect agricultural assets based on credible early warnings, exposure is reduced and losses are minimised.”
The partnership also highlights how climate change is reshaping the insurance industry. As weather disasters become more frequent and more costly, insurers face rising claims linked to flooding, fires and storm damage, while governments are left grappling with ballooning reconstruction costs.
For South Africa, the pressure is particularly acute. Repeated flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and parts of Limpopo has exposed weaknesses in disaster preparedness systems, while fires and severe storms continue to threaten infrastructure, agriculture and households.
SAWS acting chief executive Jonas Mphepya described the partnership as a practical example of how public-private collaboration could strengthen national resilience.
“Our network boasts 276 automatic weather stations, 211 automatic rainfall stations, 26 lightning detection network sensors, 25 climate stations and 12 meteorological radar systems,” Mphepya said.
“In a time of frequent and intensifying severe weather events, the importance of reinforcing our observational infrastructure, which is the bedrock of our weather and climate services, cannot be overemphasised.”
Rudzani Malala, the SAWS head of disaster risk reduction, said South Africa’s early warning infrastructure was both technically critical and increasingly urgent.
“This observational infrastructure is the backbone of the weather and climate services that the SAWS renders day in and day out,” he said.
The system underpinned the country’s ability to protect lives through timely alerts. “It is this infrastructure on which the country relies to ensure that every person in our communities is protected from hazardous weather, water or climate events through lifesaving early warning systems by the end of 2027 in line with the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative,” Malala said.
The newly commissioned stations are operational and integrated into the SAWS network. Four pilot stations were installed in Limpopo and Mpumalanga between 2021 and 2022, while five additional stations have recently been commissioned in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and Gauteng.
The SAWS said the sites were selected based on areas with known observational gaps and heightened exposure to disruptive weather systems.
An automatic weather station electronically records and transmits data on wind speed, rainfall, temperature, humidity and air pressure at intervals ranging from five minutes to hourly, feeding directly into forecasting systems used for severe weather warnings.
Each station costs about R250 000 and forms part of the infrastructure underpinning the country’s broader disaster preparedness system.
SAWS technical services manager Nomvuso Busizi said significant gaps remained in parts of the country that were highly vulnerable to extreme weather.
She pointed to the recent flooding in Mthatha as an example of the consequences of insufficient coverage. “Through the Santam project, we managed to install one station there but during the installation we identified areas where there are gaps. We need one or two stations to fully cover that area.”
The partnership also forms part of South Africa’s commitments under the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative, led by the World Meteorological Organisation, which requires that “every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems” by 2027.
According to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, early warning systems are among the most cost-effective tools available for reducing disaster losses, yet remain underfunded globally despite rapidly escalating climate risks
In October, South Africa became the first G20 country to launch its national Early Warnings for All roadmap, a framework designed to coordinate investments across the government and improve disaster preparedness from national to local level.
But officials acknowledge the scale of the challenge.
“Here is the kicker,” Malala said. “South Africa needs R1 billion to fully implement the Early Warnings for All roadmap,” he said.
“Put differently, the country needs R1bn to ensure that its people are protected from hazardous weather, water or climate events through lifesaving early warning systems by 2027.”
The money went towards bolstering observational infrastructure including automatic weather stations, capacity building, public awareness and coordination of the roadmap rollout, he said.
While some might question affordability, he argued the economic logic was clear. “Some might say R1bn is too steep. The painful truth is that we stand to lose far more if we do not invest,” Malala said. “Already we lose billions every year rebuilding what is destroyed during severe weather events.”
The government would not be able to fund the programme on its own, he said, calling for stronger private sector participation and praising Santam’s involvement as an example of effective public-private collaboration.
Malala added that climate impacts extended far beyond infrastructure damage. “Severe weather affects human life, livelihoods, property, public health, economic stability, infrastructure, energy systems, food security and environmental systems.”
By expanding SAWS’s observation network, the partnership seeks to close critical forecasting gaps in regions vulnerable to floods, storms and extreme rainfall