Residents of Matjiesriver, a tight-knit farming area near Oudtshoorn in South Africa’s Little Karoo, continue to face severe disruption more than two weeks after a powerful storm severed their primary lifeline.
On May 6, heavy rainfall triggered rockfalls along the R328, forcing authorities to close the road and leaving the Matjiesriver community completely isolated. The route also serves as the main access corridor to the internationally renowned Cango Caves and other regional tourist destinations.
“The community is scattered with tobacco farms and small businesses. Resorts and restaurants have been forced to close. They’ve also been without electricity for nearly three weeks,” reported a Matjiesriver community spokesperson.
An alternate path via Calitzdorp has been established, but it adds significant distance and expense to travel. “The roads are in a state. We have an alternative route, but there are financial implications there. People can’t get to town. Not everyone is privileged enough to go through the town to do their monthly or weekly business,” the spokesperson emphasized, urging authorities to extend greater support to overlooked rural areas.
Local education has ground to a halt. Schools remain shuttered because educators cannot reliably travel from Oudtshoorn. “It made it impossible for the learners, teachers and parents to get to the school. The ongoing challenges with access to and safety at the school affects not only the day-to-day functioning of the school but also the development and education of our children,” stated a representative for the affected schools.
The region’s tourism sector is bearing heavy losses. With the R328 impassable, visitor access to the iconic Cango Caves is suspended indefinitely. “Other tourism businesses have also suffered the same fate. And with three major routes, tourism routes to Oudtshoorn were compromised due to the storms including Meirings Poort, the Swartberg Pass and of course the road to the Cango Caves. The impact on our economy is severe,” explained a tourism sector spokesperson.
Many enterprises have been unable to operate for over two weeks—coinciding with the vital winter season that typically draws large tour groups and buses. “People coming to experience the world heritage sites like the Cango Caves and the Swartberg Pass do not have access to those,” the spokesperson added.
Repair crews caution that restoring the R328 is a technically demanding task. “Rushing might trigger secondary rockfalls we are working to prevent which can lead to longer closure, potential loss of life and damage that could take months rather than weeks to repair,” authorities noted.
Until the R328 reopens, travelers heading to the Cango Caves are directed to use the MR363 gravel road, with strong advisories to reduce speed and exercise caution. The Swartberg Pass and Meirings Poort also remain closed indefinitely due to flood-related damage, leaving smaller settlements such as Gamkaskloof in comparable isolation.
As assessment and stabilization work continues, local leaders stress that timely, safe infrastructure restoration is critical—not only to reconnect communities but to revive the agricultural and tourism-dependent economy of the Little Karoo in the Western Cape.
