Destination Information from SAA

Visit Mthatha

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About Mthatha

This Eastern Cape town, previously called Umtata, was founded in 1882, along the banks of the Mthatha River.

This is Nelson Mandela territory, with the late president born in the nearby town of Mvezo and spending his childhood in Qunu. Today the main buildings of the Nelson Mandela Museum are in Umtata. Old traditions are still strong with the women still wearing ochre-coloured dresses with turbans, wire bracelets and white clay on their faces and bodies. It’s inland from the Wild Coast, a spectacular place of rugged coastline, rolling hills, forests and wild seas.

Travel Tips

This is a quiet territory of seclusion, with a smattering of hotels and some restaurants, mostly of the franchise variety. You’ll need a car to get around since there’s little public transport available.

GMT +2
South African Rand (ZAR)
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The Nelson Mandela Route

The Nelson Mandela Route Collapsed Information

Tourism has picked up after the death of Mandela and the creation of the Nelson Mandela Route. The route starts in King Williams Town with the grave of Steve Biko, leader of the Black Consciousness movement. It moves down to Mthatha and Nelson Mandela Museum, opened 10 years to the day after he was released from prison. The museum is spread over three locations – Mthatha, Qunu and Mveso. You can also visit the Bunga, a domed building that was the seat of the Transkei Parliament and now contains some gifts given to Mandela by other countries while he was president. A number of buildings in Mthatha date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, with the prettiest being the Town Hall, constructed from sandstone and completed in 1908.
Umtata Dam

Umtata Dam Collapsed Information

This is a popular leisure area with peaceful picnic spots under shady trees and a variety of water sports available. There are also a number of nature reserves in the area with an abundance of birdlife and picturesque hiking trails.
Hluleka Nature Reserve

Hluleka Nature Reserve Collapsed Information

Hluleka Nature Reserve is 20km south of Port St Johns on the rugged Wild Coast. Staying in the reserve gives you access to a beautiful beach, hiking trails and bird watching. There are bushbuck, bush pig, eland, zebra, wildebeest, impala and blue duiker too.