30/08/2026
Holdfast ambassador Brad Boulle’s top 5 places to paddle in South Africa, flat-water edition! 🛶
South Africa is home to come beautiful bodies of water, scattered all across the country. Between our rivers and dams, there are ample opportunities to get out and experience the richness of our land from the seat of a canoe or kayak!
We asked the well travelled and Johannesburg-based Brad Boulle, one of our ambassadors in the paddling world, for his top reccomendations from around SA and this is what he had to share:
“Having seen a lot of South Africa by boat, there are definitely a few gems that I have come across through racing or training missions, but there are certainly still other corners of the country I have yet to take my boat and thus I have broken this into a 3 places I have paddled and 2 I would love to get to. I hope that this can inspire and set you up for some epic days on the water!”
1. Longmere Dam - White River, Mpumalanga
I have only paddled here once, but that was enough to make it my favourite paddling location in South Africa. The dam is deep and the water is crystal clear. It is one of the most suitable venues for a marathon race in South Africa and is situated in an underrated part of our country. You are very likely to be greeted by the resident Fish Eagles here, who have been seen catching dinner right in front of paddlers on the water.
Home community: Lowveld Canoe Club
2. The Vaal Barrage - Gauteng Side
This is the distance location of choice for Gauteng Paddlers. You have over 50KM of navigable river that is flat and wide. Some of my greatest paddling memories come from the days on the Vaal with my friends.
Nearby Canoe Clubs: Dabulamanzi Canoe Club, Florida Lake Canoe Club, Victoria Lake Club, East Rand Kayak, and Centurion Canoe Club.
3. Midmar Dam - Howick, KZN
Midmar Canoe Club is one of the fastest growing in the country right now. A clean, big dam with stunning views in all directions. Home to the Midlands Paddle School, a weekly race on Tuesday evenings and the famous Midmar Mini. The Mini takes place in January and is an official seeding race for the Dusi Canoe Marathon with 22km of paddling and 5km of running.
