🇿🇦 South Africa
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| Police (SAPS Flying Squad) |
10111 |
| Ambulance and fire |
10177 |
| Single emergency number from a mobile phone (all networks) |
112 |
| Cell phone emergency (routed to your network's call centre) |
112 |
| Crime Stop (anonymous crime tip line) |
0860 010 111 |
| National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) emergency |
087 094 9774 |
112 works from any mobile phone (MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom) and connects to an operator who dispatches police, ambulance, fire, or sea rescue. Landline callers use 10111 (police) or 10177 (ambulance/fire). Numbers can vary by metro — many cities also run their own control room (e.g. Cape Town 021 480 7700, Johannesburg 011 375 5911).
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In South Africa |
| National agency |
National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) — a body within the Department of Cooperative Governance (COGTA / DCoG); ndmc.gov.za |
| Legal framework |
Disaster Management Act No. 57 of 2002 and the National Disaster Management Framework (four key performance areas + three enablers) |
| Territorial crisis authority |
Provincial Disaster Management Centres (PDMC) in each of the 9 provinces and Municipal Disaster Management Centres at metro/district level — the first responders and declaration authority |
| Declaration ladder |
A disaster is classified as local, provincial or national by the NDMC; a matching state of disaster unlocks emergency funding and powers (e.g. national state of disaster after the April 2022 KZN floods) |
| Military support |
The SANDF is deployed on request to reinforce relief (water purification, field shelter, medical, engineers) — 10,000 troops were deployed to KwaZulu-Natal in 2022 |
| Citizen preparedness |
The NDMC promotes community awareness, volunteer recruitment and training (including in schools) under the Act |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| SAWS Impact-Based Warnings |
Colour + likelihood system (Yellow / Orange / Red, levels 1–5, exceptional "10") focused on real-world impact, not jargon |
weathersa.co.za |
| South African Weather Service (SAWS) |
Official forecasts, severe-weather warnings, cyclone/storm tracking |
weathersa.co.za |
| Fire Danger Index (FDI) |
Daily veld/forest fire danger rating under the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (1998) |
Fire Protection Associations / SAWS |
| Provincial / municipal alerts |
SMS, radio, community networks and ward councillors during floods and storms |
Local PDMC |
| Cellular emergency broadcast |
Network alerts increasingly used for severe weather |
Automatic where available |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) |
Emergency relief in all 9 provinces (food parcels, blankets, shelter referral, psychosocial first aid, family tracing) — redcross.org.za |
| Gift of the Givers |
Largest African disaster-relief NGO — water, search & rescue, food, medical |
| Provincial / Municipal Disaster Management Centre |
The club's institutional contact (register BEFORE the crisis) |
| Working on Fire / Fire Protection Associations (FPAs) |
Veld and forest fire prevention and suppression |
| National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) |
Volunteer water rescue (coast, rivers, dams) |
| SANDF / SAPS / provincial EMS |
State response, security, medical evacuation |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Flood / flash flood |
Nationwide, esp. KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape (e.g. 2022 KZN floods, 436+ dead) |
Card B2 |
| Drought / water crisis |
Western Cape, Eastern Cape, interior (Cape Town "Day Zero" 2017–2018) |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Veld / wildfire |
Winter-rainfall Cape (summer fires), Highveld grasslands (winter fires) |
Card C2 |
| Severe storm / hail / tornado |
Highveld, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng |
Dedicated card in preparation — see roadmap |
| Heat wave |
Northern Cape, Limpopo, interior |
Card B4 |
| Industrial / hazmat accident |
Mining and industrial corridors (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Sasolburg) |
Card D1 |
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
South African equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
NDMC (within COGTA / DCoG) + Provincial & Municipal DMCs |
| National response plan |
Disaster Management Act 57/2002 + National Disaster Management Framework |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
Provincial EMS (via 10177 / 112) |
| Territorial state authority |
Provincial / Municipal Disaster Management Centre |
| Mass casualty protocol (MCI) |
Provincial EMS major-incident / triage protocols |
| Civil-security citizen reserve |
Registered disaster-management volunteers; Fire Protection Associations |
| Inter-agency coordination |
NDMC Disaster Management Advisory Forum |
Donation tax rules: to give a South African donor a tax deduction, the beneficiary must be an approved Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) able to issue a Section 18A certificate (Income Tax Act). Deductible donations are capped at 10% of the donor's taxable income; from 1 March 2023 the 18A certificate must carry detailed donor data and PBOs file bi-annual IT3(d) reports to SARS. Confirm your club or club foundation holds valid PBO + Section 18A approval before promising a tax certificate.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox / disaster-response contact |
____ |
| Provincial/Municipal DMC (contact) |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: National Disaster Management Centre / COGTA (ndmc.gov.za, cogta.gov.za), Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002, South African Weather Service (weathersa.co.za), Western Cape Government emergency numbers, South African Red Cross Society (redcross.org.za), SARS Section 18A (sars.gov.za). Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com