Berg Alert 2026

 This is the place for all updates, incidents and observations relating to security issues in the Drakensberg in 2026.

The kind of thing which should be reported here:
* new incidents of theft, mugging or any kind of verbal or physical intimidation (whether it is experienced first-hand, seen in the media, or heard through the grape vine).
* new observations of the activities of shepherds, smugglers and other parties, especially as it concerns the safety of visitors to the Berg.

The purpose of this thread is to maintain a true picture of what is happening in the Berg, to keep a concerned Berg community informed, and to create a healthy awareness of security issues which will help others avoid problems. It is not the intention to create a media hype or undue negative publicity for the Berg, nor to harm tourism the area, and definitely not to create prejudice against the Basotho and other locals living in the area. The traits that lead to crime and other security- related incidents in the Berg are traits that are common to human nature in general and are not tied to a specific culture or nation.

We advise visitors to the Berg to take the security issues seriously - but rather than being alarmed and avoiding going there, we want people to be informed on what the issues are exactly and how they occur - and to make decisions accordingly. We want people to keep hiking in the Berg.

We also encourage people to appreciate the cultures of the local people that can be encountered in the Berg and even to learn some local words and phrases. Wherever possible let your encounters with the locals be friendly and interactive. Many encounters can be very rewarding. If you do find yourself in a tense situation, do your utmost to maintain respect and stay calm.  Some helpful notes on Basotho culture have been written for hikers and travellers  .

For a complete list of historical Berg Alert threads running since 2008, please see  this link .

Known, relevant issues during recent years:

Injisuthi: Sadly the Injisuthi escarpment is now featured on this list because of 2 incidents in 2024. Problems have occurred in the past, but going back a fairly long time, so this could be considered a "new" trend. Gear was stolen during the night from a group of hikers camping in tents inside Upper Injisuthi Cave. Rocks were also hurled by shepherds at a group of hikers descending Leslies Pass. Interactions with locals in this area might be strange or somewhat intimidating in nature as has also been reported. Caution is advised if you are hiking there.

Road to Injisuthi: Youths on the side of the road may beg for handouts. Road blockages may sometimes be set up in order to compel motorists to stop, at which they may be harassed for handouts. This seems to occur particularly at the cattle grid. These are long standing issues which are ongoing. Incidents were reported in 2022. We are not certain if anything happened 2023-2024. There have been reports of stones being thrown at cars when handouts are not received.

Mzimude / Walker's Peak area: A very serious incident occurred in 2023 in which two hikers on a Grand Traverse were brutally attacked and robbed of some gear. The incident occurred during the day while they were hiking, whereas many previous incidents of this nature have happened at night. This is the first security incident in this part of the Berg, that we are aware of, since the start of Berg Alert in 2008.

Amphitheatre and Khubedu Valley: Raiding of tents at the Tugela Falls and surrounds in an old issue which is ongoing. Intimidation for handouts also occurs in the area, including the Chain Ladders, which has been known to result in stone-throwing. There was a nasty incident in the Khubedu Valley during 2016 which received a lot of publicity - the details of this incident can be read on  this thread  . 

Mbundini area: Madonna Pass area, the last reported incident was in 2018. Let's hope this trend is now gone!

Rhino Peak / Mashai Pass / Bollard Pass: Periodically we hear reports of intimidation and rock throwing by shepherds. The most recent incident was reported in 2021.

Giants Pass (Giants Castle): In 2021 a group was chased from their tents by gunshot and their tents were raided. This area went through a troubling period between ~2004-2008 and had been relatively quiet until this recent incident.

Note that for 2026, certain advisories were taken off the above list since time had passed. It reflects that trends and hotspots in the Berg tend to change. While it was good to be able remove things from the list, the serious incidents which have occurred relatively recently in the Southern Berg and at Injisuthi are a sobering reminder that these continue to happen in the Berg, even if the incidence rate is lower than in other areas of the country.

For more information read through  General Security Precautions  , and also read  this post  on the security issues around the Amphitheatre as well as the Mbundini area - included is a map indicating where the problems are occurring.