Disaster management in South Africa operates across national, provincial and municipal levels, dealing with floods, fires, storms, drought and other large-scale incidents. Municipal disaster management centres are usually the first responders.
If lives are at risk right now
| Emergency from a mobile phone (all networks, no airtime needed) | 112 |
| Ambulance and medical emergencies | 10177 |
| Police | 10111 |
Municipal disaster and emergency contacts
| eThekwini Disaster Management (weekdays) | 031 367 0000 |
| eThekwini fire brigade | 031 361 0000 |
| City of Cape Town (fires, floods, rockfalls and other environmental emergencies) | 021 480 7700, or 112 |
| City of Tshwane Emergency Services | 107, or 012 358 9999 Option 1 |
| City of Johannesburg (Ambulance, Fire and JMPD) | 011 375 5911 |
| City of Ekurhuleni | 10177, 011 458 0911, or 112 |
| Mangaung (fire, rescue and disasters) | 051 406 6666 |
Sources: durban.gov.za, capetown.gov.za, tshwane.gov.za, joburg.org.za, ekurhuleni.gov.za and mangaung.co.za.
What disaster management covers
Disaster management handles incidents too large or too widespread for a routine emergency response: flooding affecting multiple properties, informal settlement fires, severe storms, landslides and rockfalls, and the displacement and relief that follow.
A single house fire goes to the fire service. A fire spreading through a settlement, or flooding affecting a whole area, is a disaster management matter, though in practice you should call whichever emergency number you have and let the operator route it.
Reporting a large-scale incident
- The location, with the nearest cross street or a recognisable landmark
- Roughly how many properties or people are affected
- Whether anyone is injured, trapped or unaccounted for
- Whether roads are blocked or impassable, which affects how crews reach you
- Any hazards such as fallen power lines, gas or fuel
During flooding
Never drive or walk through moving floodwater. Depth and current are difficult to judge from the surface, and an open manhole or washed-away road edge is not visible underneath. Move to higher ground rather than waiting in a vehicle, and treat any fallen power line in water as live.
Related pages
- Municipal emergency numbers South Africa
- Fire department contact details
- eThekwini emergency contact details
- Stormwater contact details
FAQs
- Who do I call about flooding threatening homes? Your municipality’s disaster management or emergency service, or 112 from any mobile phone.
- Is there a national disaster number? There is no single public disaster line. Use 112, which works everywhere and routes you to an operator.
- Can I drive through floodwater if it looks shallow? No. Depth and current are hard to judge, and road damage underneath is not visible.