South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to visit the sites of devastating floods that have left at least 78 people dead in the southeast of the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday said the "catastrophic disaster" was due to climate change and estimated the flood waters had reached more than four metres high. "The latest report has indicated an increase in the number of fatalities from 88 to 90," the Eastern Cape government said in a statement.

The number of people who have died in floods in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has risen to 57 and includes several school children, who drowned when the minibus taxi they were traveling in was swamped.