Seeking funding

Mdloti Tributary – Tongaat

📍 Tongaat, iLembe District, KwaZulu-Natal

Impact score

Flagship priority

Every Bridging Africa site is assessed on the same four measures, by the same team, so this number can be compared directly against any other project on this site.

87
/ 100
Life-safety & flood risk4/5 · counts 35%

How dangerous the crossing is today: flood frequency, water speed and recorded incidents.

Population impact5/5 · counts 30%

How many people depend on this crossing, and how often they have to make it.

Access criticality5/5 · counts 20%

What sits on the other side: schools, clinics, work, and whether any alternative route exists.

Cost-efficiency3/5 · counts 15%

People served per Rand of build cost. It sets the order we build in, never whether we build.

How this compares0 to 100 across all our sites
87
Later phase
under 55
Standard priority
55–69
High priority
70–84
Flagship priority
85+

A lower score is not a rejection. Every project listed is one we intend to build; the score sets the order, not the outcome.

High complexity

24 m span and/or demanding site, needing deep foundations, extreme flood loads or difficult terrain.

24 m spanHigh flood velocityHigh sediment load — culverts non-viableSteel superstructureRaised approaches against backwater flooding

Each measure is scored 1 to 5 from field assessment, CSIR flood data and community records, then weighted and converted to a mark out of 100.

Who is affected

Major pedestrian and taxi-route connector serving roughly 4,500 residents in peri-urban villages, linking them to Tongaat CBD, schools, clinics and employment hubs.

What has happened at this site

The April 2022 KZN floods devastated this area — four people died when their vehicle was swept away at Tongaat, the M4 Mdloti bridge was destroyed, and informal crossings on Ingonyama Trust land were washed away leaving communities isolated for days. The channel expands from 8–10 m in dry season to 20–25 m at peak flow.

Public benefit when complete

Restores reliable market access, cuts travel time and enables consistent school and clinic attendance for 4,500 people. One of the most publicised flood-affected areas in KZN, making it a high-visibility recovery story.

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