Commercial white water river rafting, canoeing, kayaking and tubing in South Africa is a well-developed industry, and no experience is necessary if you're escorted by a reputable outfit (that is, registered with South African Rafting Association [SARA]). The Zambezi below Victoria Falls offers one of the greatest adrenaline trips on water, and is not to be missed even if you've never rafted before. The biggest wildwater in South Africa is the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal (runnable only in summer). Other rivers worth rafting are the Blyde in Mpumalanga, an 8-km (5-mile) descent with grade 3 to 5 rapids; the Doring (from late August/September) and the Palmiet in the Western Cape; and the Orange in the Northern Cape; the latter offers the most relaxing rafting trip. 

KwaZulu Natal - Canoeing / River Rafting / White Water Canoeing

Canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting, surf paddling – whatever your craft, the Kingdom of the Zulu offers big, fast rivers, lakes, dams and of course the magnificent Indian Ocean to satisfy your hunger for adventure.

The Umkomaas, Umzimkulu, Mooi, Umgeni, Umkomaas, Thukela, Buffalo, Bushmans and Pongola rivers flow across the Kingdom of the Zulu from the high Drakensberg Mountains to the sea providing challenges aplenty for rafters and canoeists. For the wilderness enthusiasts the lakes of Maputaland, Lake St Lucia, Lake Sibaya and the Kosi system allow paddlers to share the water with wildlife such as hippo and crocodile. There are also dozens of dams across the Kingdom, many of which are set in nature reserves with camping and accommodation facilities.

The long coastline stretching from Kosi Bay in the north to Port Edward in the south is ideal for surfskis and sea kayaks, windsurfers or fishing skiboats. A fast growing activity is fishing from one-man surfskis which are locally manufactured and specially adapted to the sport.

White Water Canoeing in KwaZulu Natal

Once again there are dozens of paddle-able rivers, and a number of popular canoe marathons, namely the 50 Miler on the Umsindusi and Umgeni Rivers (December) the Dusi Canoe Marathon (January), the Drakensberg Challenge on the Umzimkulu (March), the Umkomaas Marathon (February) and Tugela Marathon (March). Overnights are spent camping on the banks of the rivers.

River Rafting

This is a popular activity, especially in the rainy season when rivers are full. White water rafting is done on all the major rivers, including the upper Thugela (near Weenen), the Umkomaas near Hela Hela and further upstream near Bulwer, and the Buffalo (access from Dundee).

White Water Canoeing/Kayaking

A kayak safari through the four interlinked Kosi lakes to the Kosi Bay mouth is a unique wilderness experience. You can see hippo, flamingos, fish eagles and rare palm nut vultures, and paddle between the hand-made reed fish traps set up by the local community. Kosi mouth is a great place to finish with excellent snorkelling, fishing and hiking.

White water kayaking is a rapidly growing sport with a new section opened on the Buffalo river near Dundee. There are easy sections for beginners and tough sections for experienced adrenaline junkies.

Links to White Water Rafting, Canoeing and Kayaking sites

• Dlangala reservations
  Situated in the Umkomaas Valley 45 min from Pietermaritzburg and 90 min from Durban. Ideal for birders, school groups and adventurers. We use inflatable arc canoes, easy to paddle craft.
  Contact: Mr Dave Rigby 039 8340029/0832700403

• 180 Degrees Adventures
  180 Degree Adventures is an adventure company dedicated to provide unique experiences amidst the splendour of Africa's great wilderness.
  Contact: Brad Pearse/Xavier
  031 3122970/082822699

• River Rafting-Tugela and Bushman's River
  White River Rafting is offered by guides on either the Bushmans River (a two hour, scenic trip on rubber craft) or along the Tugela River (half a number of tour operators offer river rafting trips down the Thukela and Bushman Rivers.

• adventure specialists 
  The rafting trips are done in 2-man rubber ducks, we supply all the necessary equipment, i.e. life jackets, helmets, paddles, etc. Before entering the bigger Egerton rapids, we first paddle a quieter section of the river so that everyone can get accustomed to the boats, after which we take on "Shake, Rattle and Roll", "Long Drop", and a few more smaller rapids. The rapids are graded up to a 4 depending on the river level (with five being the highest). Experienced and qualified guides are used to ensure your safety and enjoyment.