Johannesburg – The search for missing South African tourist 72-year-old Gerhardus Albertus Janse Van Rensburg, who went missing in the Nyika National Park in Malawi, has entered its seventh day.
Malawi authorities on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, said the tourist went missing within the boundaries of Nyika National Park in Rumphi.
Van Rensburg has been missing since Thursday, 17 July 2025.
The search involves the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with Peace Parks Foundation, Wilderness Safaris, the Malawi Police Service, Nyika-Vwaza Co-Management Trust, local communities, and individual volunteers from various regions of the country.
Van Rensburg and his wife, Noelien Janse Van Rensburg, checked in at Chelinda Lodge (Nyika) on 12 July 2025 at 20:00.
“They both checked out on Thursday, 17th July 2025. Upon checking out, Mr. Van Rensburg and his wife utilised Google Maps to explore other areas of the Park, deviating from the main route,” said the Malawi Ministry of Tourism.
However, the couple got lost on the afternoon of Thursday, 17 July 2025.
“While at a particular location within the Park, Mr. Janse Van Rensburg exited the vehicle on foot, barefoot, and dressed in shorts and a shirt, leaving his wife in the car to search for directions, as it appeared that the road they had taken was now impassable,” narrated the Ministry of Tourism.
“After some time, his wife became concerned about his absence and contacted their family in South Africa, who notified Chelinda Lodge.
“The Lodge, in conjunction with Park officials, initiated a search and arrived at the location where Mrs. Noelien Janse Van Rensburg was.
“The team remained in the area overnight on Thursday, with fires burning, hoping that Mr. Janse Van Rensburg would see them, but this effort was unsuccessful. “
The Ministry of Tourism said the terrain in the area, where the tourist got lost, was extremely challenging and hilly, with long grass, numerous ravines, and rocky areas, making it very difficult to conduct searches.
Additionally, the area is situated at a high altitude of approximately 2 500 metres, and it experiences very cold temperatures.
On the night of the incident, temperatures were approximately 9 degrees Celsius.
The intensified search for Van Rensburg continued on Friday, 18 July 2025, and Saturday, 19 July 2025.
The next day, Sunday, 20 July 2025, a helicopter was obtained from Mozambique, with support from the Peace Parks Foundation, to help in the search. However, these efforts did not yield results.
“The search is ongoing until we determine the appropriate course of action,” the Ministry of Tourism said.
“Currently, individual volunteers have joined the team in the search utilising drones.
“Mrs. Noelien van Ransburg is at Chelinda Lodge, with her family members (Son, daughter, and son-in-law) from South Africa who arrived on Sunday, 20 July, 2025.”
The Ministry of Tourism expressed its gratitude to all partners involved in the search for Van Rensburg, who have selflessly dedicated their resources and time to this important endeavor.
The Ministry said it does not take this support “for granted”.
The Ministry added: “Additionally, we extend our appreciation to Mr. Janse van Rensburg’s family for their effective collaboration with all stakeholders in the search efforts”.
