Six South Africans missing in the Nepal floods were named by Gift of the Givers on Friday, 28 August 2026, days after flash floods and landslides tore through the Nepal-Tibet border region.
The disaster began on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, when a glacier collapsed just after 08:30 local time (04:45 SAST), as reported by Daily Maverick. The number of missing South Africans has risen from four to six.
Who are the six South Africans missing in the Nepal floods
The missing are Terricia Govender, 33, of Isipingo Beach; Bavikaben Ramjee, 43, of KuGompo, formerly East London; and two married couples from Ladysmith, Vivaganathan Pillay, 66, and his wife Janet, 56, alongside Surendranath Maharaj, 74, and his wife Anitha Devi, 67.
Govender was travelling with the Isha Foundation, Ramjee with Kailash Journeys and the Pillays with Alpine Eco Trek and Expedition.
No South Africans appear on the list of rescued people published by Nepalese authorities. The toll has kept climbing, with at least 538 people confirmed dead and about 1 300 unaccounted for, among them several hundred foreign pilgrims and tourists.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation had not issued comment at the time of writing. Gift of the Givers, the South African relief organisation, said it was ready to move should Nepal request outside assistance. The group set out its position in a statement:
“As search and rescue efforts intensify, we have placed an 11-member team of urban and water search specialists on standby, ready to assist should they be deployed.”
“Our thoughts remain with those missing and their families as rescue teams continue the search.”
A mother’s wait as South Africans remain missing in Nepal
Linda Govender was due to welcome her daughter home on Friday, 28 August 2026. “Today she was supposed to come home,” she said. The two had spent about four hours on a video call on the day of the flood:
“When I spoke to Terricia, it must have been about 11 am where she was. She told me, ‘Mommy, when I reach Nepal, I’ll call you, and we can do more shopping’.”
Calls went unanswered from about 09:45, and an email from the Isha Foundation arrived at about 14:30. Linda said: “When I opened that email, I knew it was bad news. Terricia was in trouble.” She has since seen the footage:
“When you look at the videos on social media, on TV, and when you see what happened… all that water just came gushing down. It really tells us a different story.”
“But I don’t want to even imagine that. I am just praying and hoping that my daughter comes home.”
What happens next in the search for the missing South Africans
Search and rescue teams are still working on both sides of the border. Members of the Govender family are planning to travel to Nepal, though the Isha Foundation, which has helped them with Flight Centre, has advised them to wait until conditions stabilise. Linda said of her daughter:
“She is out there and she’s very strong. She’s a great thinker, you know? She’s a fighter. I’m hoping that she will do whatever it takes to actually survive this.”
