Mtamvuna River
# Mtamvuna River

Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during $floods.^{:329}$

## History

Historically the Mtamvuna River is the northern limit of the Pondoland region.

In 1552 a Portuguese ship ran aground at the mouth of the Mtamvuna River and a group of local people got close to the sailors wishing to trade with them.

## Ecology

The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is a protected area located close to the deep Mtamvuna River Gorge. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.

