Officials said houses in Durban, a coastal city in the east of the country, were destroyed on Tuesday and roads were destroyed.
The provincial government in KwaZulu-Natal province, which confirmed the death toll, said the toll would continue to rise.
In the coastal areas of the province would remain heavy rain until the evening.
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Shipping containers and roads were washed away
Disaster management teams evacuated people in areas affected by mudslides and where buildings collapsed, officials said.
Several houses were washed away and several roads came in, affecting transportation and rescue operations.
People carried some salvaged belongings to safer places when muddy water passed over streets.
Heavy rain can become more frequent
The rains in KwaZulu-Natal also flooded a dam above capacity, making it impossible to operate a hydroelectric generator at Eskom energy company, said boss Andre de Ruyter in an online briefing.
South Africa’s largest logistics and freight operator Transnet, which runs the port of Durban, is interrupting operations across its terminals where the floods have damaged a road and blocked access to the terminals.
Floods around the coastal city of East London in January killed at least 10 people and left hundreds homeless.
The South African Water Service refused to attribute the heavy rainfall to climate change, but said such weather could become more common.
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment has drawn up a plan for South Africa to adapt to climate change, which includes strengthening its willingness to respond more quickly to weather disasters and help victims recover.
The weather department said heavy rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal will weaken sharply until tomorrow, but added that the heavy rain will return on Friday and last until Monday.
Durban floods: 45 people killed as waters wash down houses in South Africa | World news
