List of rivers of South Africa
This is a list of rivers in South Africa.
It is quite common to find the Afrikaans word -rivier as part of the name. Another common suffix is "-kamma", from the Khoisan term for "river"
. The Zulu word amanzi also forms part of some river names.
The Afrikaans term spruit often labels small rivers.
List
| River | Drainage basin | Province and location | Source location | Tributary of | Dam in river | Mouth / junction at location | Mouth / junction coordinates |
| Ingulube | C2 | Gauteng | West of Nigel | Spaarwater | Vaal River | - | |
| Spaarwater | C2 | Gauteng | North of Daveyton | Vaal River | |||
| Amanzimtoti River, | U7 | KwaZulu-Natal, Amanzimtoti | northwest of Adams Mission | an Ocean | - | - | |
| Apies River | A2 | Gauteng, Tshwane, Pretoria | Bronberg, southeast of Pretoria | Moretele River, then Crocodile River and Limpopo River | Bon Accord Dam | Makapanstad | |
| As River | C8 | Free State | Southeast of Bethlehem | Liebenbergsvlei River, then Wilge River | Sol Plaatjie Dam | ||
| Assegaai River | W5 | Mpumalanga | North of Wakkerstroom | Mkondo River | Heyshope Dam | Swaziland border | |
| Baakens River | Eastern Cape | Port Elizabeth | - | - | - | - | |
| Bamboes Spruit | C2 | North West | South of Ottosdal | Vaal River | Bloemhof Dam | ||
| Baviaanskloof River | L8 | Western and Eastern Cape | North of Plettenberg Bay | Kouga River | |||
| Bell River | D1 | Eastern Cape | Near Naudé's Neck | Kraai River, then Orange River | Near Moshesh's Ford | ||
| Berg River | G1 | Western Cape | Franschhoek Drakenstein | Berg River Dam | Velddrif north of Vredenburg, Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Berg River | D3 | Free State | 22 km Southwest of Jagersfontein | Orange River | Vanderkloof Dam | Vanderkloof Dam | |
| Bhira River | R5 | Eastern Cape | North of Eleqolweni | between Port Alfred and East London, near Begha, Indian Ocean | |||
| Bivane River | W5 | KwaZulu-Natal | Pongola River | Bivane Dam | |||
| Black Kei River | Eastern Cape | Southwest of Queenstown | Great Kei River | ||||
| Blesbokspruit | C2 | Gauteng | North of Daveyton | Vaal River | |||
| Blood River | V3 | KwaZulu-Natal | Knight's Pass, Utrecht | Buffalo River | |||
| Bloukrans River | V1 | KwaZulu-Natal | North of Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg foothills | Tugela River | none | near Tugela Estates, Weenen area | |
| Bloukrans River | K | Western and Eastern Cape border | Near Peak Formosa | n.a. | Near Bloukrans Bridge | ||
| Bloukrans River | Eastern Cape | Near Grahamstown | Kowie River | none | Near Langholm, Grahamstown | ||
| Blyde River | B6 | Mpumalanga | West of Sabie | Olifants River | Blyderivierpoort Dam | Lissataba game farm, Mica area | |
| Boesmans River | Western Cape | Northeast of Pearly Beach | Uilkraal River | Uilkraalsmond, Atlantic Ocean | |||
| Boesmans River | Eastern Cape | North of Kirkwood | Kenton on Sea, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Boesmanspruit | Mpumalanga | South of Secunda | Waterval River then into the Vaal River | ||||
| Bonte River | Western Cape | Alphen Dam | |||||
| Bot River | G | Western Cape | South of Teewaterskloof Dam | Fortuin Reservoir | Fischerhaven, Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Braamfontein Spruit | Gauteng | Greymont Roodepoort | Jukskei River | Emmarentia Dam | |||
| Brak River | A7 | Limpopo | Sand River | Magkabeng Plateau | |||
| Breede River | H | Western Cape, Overberg | near Ceres the Koekedou River and Dwars River become the Bree River | West of Mossel Bay, Indian Ocean | |||
| Bronkhorst Spruit | B2 | Gauteng | Wilge River | Bronkhorstspruit Dam | |||
| Buffeljags River | Western Cape | joining of the Tredou River and Grootvadersbos River | Breede River | Buffeljags Dam | |||
| Buffalo River | R2 | Eastern Cape | Northwest of King William's Town | Laing Dam, Bridle Drift Dam | East London harbour | ||
| Buffalo River | V3 | KwaZulu-Natal | northeast of Volksrust | Tugela River | |||
| Buffels River | F3 | Northern Cape | |||||
| Buffels River | J1 | Western Cape | The Komsberg River and the Venters River, join together to become the Buffels River | Floriskraal Dam | at Buffelspoort, the Klein-Swartberg River joins the Buffels River to become the Groot River | ||
| Bushman River | V | KwaZulu-Natal | at Giant's Castle | Tugela River | Wagendrift Dam | ||
| Caledon River | D2 | Free State border Lesotho and South Africa | southwest of Witsieshoek | Orange River | Knellpoort Dam, Welbedacht Dam | Bethulie | |
| Chalumna River | R4 | Eastern Cape | |||||
| Crocodile River | X3 | Mpumalanga | North of Dullstroom | Komati River | Kwena Dam | Komatipoort | |
| Crocodile River | A3 | North West, Gauteng and Limpopo | Roodepoort | Limpopo River | Hartbeespoort Dam Roodekoppies Dam | ||
| Diep River | G | Western Cape | North of Malmesbury | Table Bay Cape Town | |||
| Diep River | A7 | Limpopo | Southeast of Polokwane | Sand River | |||
| Doring River | Western Cape and Eastern Cape | Northeast of Ceres | Olifants River | Doring River Dam | |||
| Duiwenhoks River | Western Cape | North of Heidelberg | West of Mossel Bay, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Elands River | B2 | Gauteng | Near Rayton | Olifants River | Rust de Winter Dam, Rhenosterkop Dam | Marble Hall | |
| Elands River | A | North West Province | Near Koster | Crocodile River | Vaalkop Dam | ||
| Elands River | X3 | Mpumalanga | Northeast of Belfast | Crocodile River | |||
| Ga-Selati River | Limpopo | Wolkberg | Olifants River | South of Phalaborwa | |||
| Gamka River | J | Western Cape | North of Beaufort West | Gourits River | Gamkapoort Dam | South of Calitzdorp | |
| Gamtoos River | L9 | Eastern Cape | The Kouga River and Groot River become the Gamtoos River | Northeast of Jeffreys Bay | |||
| Gouritz River | Western Cape | The Gamka River and Olifants River become the Gourits River | at Gouritsmond | ||||
| Great Fish River | Eastern Cape | East of Graaff-Reinet | North of Seafield, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Groenrivier | Northern Cape | About 120 km NNW of Strandfontein by Green River Mouth Lighthouse | |||||
| Great Kei River | Eastern Cape | The Swart-Kei River and the White Kei River become the Great Kei River | Kei Mouth, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Great Letaba River | B8 | Limpopo | The Great Letaba River and Little Letaba River become the Letaba River | Letaba River | Ebenezer Dam | ||
| Great Usutu River | W5 | KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and Mozambique | Northwest of Amsterdam | South of Maputo, Mozambique | |||
| Great Brak River | K | Western Cape | Perdeberg River, Tweeriviere River and Varings River | Wolwedans Dam | Great Brak River, Indian Ocean | ||
| Groot Brak River | Eastern Cape | North of Steynsburg | Teebusspruit | Great Fish River | |||
| Groot Marico River | North West | ||||||
| Groot River | Eastern Cape | where the Kariega River and Sout River join | Gamtoos River | Beervlei Dam | |||
| Groot River | partly the border between Eastern Cape and Western Cape | The Buffels River becomes the Groot River from where the Klein-Swartberg River joins the Buffels | Gouritz River | Beervlei Dam | |||
| Groot River | Western Cape | Doring River | |||||
| Groot Vet River | Free State | ||||||
| Groot Vlei River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Hantams River | Northern Cape | ||||||
| Hartbees River | Northern Cape | ||||||
| Hartenbos River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Harts River | North West | ||||||
| Hennops River | Gauteng | East of Tembisa | Crocodile River | ||||
| Heuningnesrivier | Western Cape | ||||||
| Hex River | H | Western Cape | Breede River | ||||
| Hex River | North West | Elands River | Bospoort Dam | ||||
| Hluhluwe River | W | KwaZulu-Natal | Hluhluwe Game Reserve | Hluhluwe River | Hluhluwe Dam lake St Lucia | ||
| Hoeksrivier | Western Cape | ||||||
| Hol River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Hout River | A7 | Limpopo | Sand River | Hout River Dam | |||
| Illovo River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Incomati River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Indwe River | Eastern Cape | Lubisi Dam | |||||
| Intombe River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Jakkals River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Jordaan River | Free State | ||||||
| Jordaanspruit | Free State | Bloemhoek Dam | |||||
| Jukskei River | Gauteng | Crocodile River then Limpopo River | |||||
| Kaaimans River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Kabeljous River | Eastern Cape | Jeffreys Bay | |||||
| Kaalspruit | Free State | ||||||
| Kaba River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Kamma River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Kammanassie River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Kandandlovu River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Karatara River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Karoospruit | Free State | ||||||
| Kat River | Eastern Cape, Seymour, Fort Beaufort | Amatola Mountains | Great Fish River | Katrivier Dam | Great Fish River south of Fort Beaufort | ||
| Kat Spruit | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Kariega River | Eastern Cape | Settlers Dam | Kenton-on-Sea | ||||
| Keisers River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Keiskamma River | R1 | Eastern Cape | Amatola Mountains | Sandile Dam | Hamburg northeast of Port Alfred, Indian Ocean | ||
| Keurbooms River | Western Cape, Plettenberg Bay | Northeast of Plettenberg Bay, Indian Ocean | |||||
| Kingna River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Klaas Smits River | Eastern Cape | South of Molteno | Swart-Kei River | ||||
| Klaserie River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Klasies River | Eastern Cape, Tsitsikamma coast | Klasies River Caves | |||||
| Little Letaba River | B8 | Limpopo | The Great Letaba River and Little Letaba River become the Letaba River | Letaba River | |||
| Klein Marico River | North West | ||||||
| Klein Olifants River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Klein River | Western Cape | Hermanus, Indian Ocean | |||||
| Klip River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Klip River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Klip River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Knysna River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Kobongaba River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Komani River | Eastern Cape | North of Queenstown | Klaas Smits River | Bongolo Dam | |||
| Komati River | X1 | Mpumalanga, Komati Gorge | |||||
| Koshwana River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Kouga River | L8 | Eastern Cape | |||||
| Kowie River | Eastern Cape | Grahamstown | Port Alfred | ||||
| Kraai River | D1 | Eastern Cape | Confluence of Bell River, Sterkspruit and Joggem River at Moshesh's Ford, Eastern Cape Drakensberg | Orange River | Aliwal North | ||
| Kromdraai Spruit | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Krom River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Krom River | Western Cape, Stellenbosch | ||||||
| Kuils River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Kwenxura River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Laai Spruit | Free State | ||||||
| Langvlei River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Latonyanda River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Liesbeek River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Leeu River | Free State | Armenia Dam | |||||
| Levubu River | A9 | Limpopo | Albasini Dam | Limpopo River | |||
| Lephalala River | A5 | Limpopo | Vischgat Dam, Susandale Dam | ||||
| Letaba River | B8 | Limpopo | The Great Letaba River and Little Letaba River become the Letaba River | Olifants River | |||
| Liebenbergsvlei River | C8 | Free State | |||||
| Liesbeeck River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Letsitele River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Liesbeek River | Western Cape, Cape Town | ||||||
| Limpopo River | A | Limpopo, on Zimbabwe, Botswana borders | The Marico River and the Crocodile River become the Limpopo River | Xai-Xai, Mozambique into Indian Ocean | |||
| Little Brak River | Eastern Cape | Little Brak River, Indian Ocean | |||||
| Lourens River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Lovu River | U7 | KwaZulu-Natal | West of Richmond | Beaulieu Estate Dam | Lovu Langoon at Illovu Beach, Indian Ocean | ||
| Lower Brandvlei River | Western Cape | Brandvlei Dam | |||||
| Lunsklip River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Lyndoch River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Maitland River | M | Eastern Cape | West of Port Elizabeth | ||||
| Malips River | Limpopo Province | Olifants River | |||||
| Maputo River | Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Marico River | A2 | North West | Groot-Marico River | Limpopo River | |||
| Matlabas River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Mbhashe River | Eastern Cape, Transkei region | East of Elliot | South of The Haven, Eastern Cape | ||||
| Mbango River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mbizana River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mbodi River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Mbokodweni River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mdesingane River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mdlotane River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mdloti River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mdumbe River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Mgobezeleni River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mgwalana River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Mhlabatshane River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Middle Letaba River | B8 | Limpopo | |||||
| Mlalazi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mhlali River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mhlatuze River | W | KwaZulu-Natal | |||||
| Mkomazi River | Kwazulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mkuze River | W | KwaZulu-Natal | |||||
| Mlazi River | KwaZulu-Natal, Durban | ||||||
| Mngeni River | U | KwaZulu-Natal | north of Durban, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Modder River | Northern Cape and Free State | Riet River | |||||
| Mogalakwena River | A6 | Limpopo | Limpopo River | ||||
| Mokolo River | A4 | Limpopo | The Sand River and Grootspruit River become the Mokolo River | Limpopo | Mokolo Dam | ||
| Molopo River | D4 | North West border Botswana | Disaneng Dam | ||||
| Mooi River | V | KwaZulu-Natal | Tugela River | ||||
| Mooi River | North West | Vaal River | Boskop Dam | ||||
| Mooi River | T | Eastern Cape | |||||
| Mpenjati River | KwaZulu-Natal | Near Hamburg | Palm Beach | ||||
| Msunduzi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mthatha River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Mtamvuna River | KwaZulu-Natal - Eastern Cape border | ||||||
| Mtontwanes River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mugwenya River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mximkulwana River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mzamba River | Eastern Cape, Transkei region | ||||||
| Mzimkulu River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Mzimkulwana river | KwaZulu-Natal, Oribi Gorge | ||||||
| Mzimvubu River | Eastern Cape, Transkei region | ||||||
| Mzumbe River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Nahoon River | R3 | Eastern Cape, East London | |||||
| Ngagane River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Ngotwane River | North West | ||||||
| Ngwavuma | KwaZulu-Natal | Pongola River | |||||
| Nossob River | D4 | Northern Cape, Kalahari | |||||
| Nqabara River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Nsama River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Nsuze River | V4 | KwaZulu-Natal | Tugela River | ||||
| Nswamanzi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Nuwejaarspruit | Free State | ||||||
| Nyalazi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Nyl River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Nyoni River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Nzhelele River | A8 | Limpopo | |||||
| Nwanedi River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Ohlanga River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Ohrigstad River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Olifants River | B | Mpumalanga and Limpopo | Loskop Dam, Flag Boshielo Dam | ||||
| Olifants River | Western Cape Oudtshoorn | ||||||
| Olifants River | Western Cape | Clanwilliam Dam | |||||
| Ongers River | Northern Cape | ||||||
| Oompies River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Orange River | Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State | Gariep Dam, Vanderkloof Dam, Boegoeberg Dam | Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay, Northern Cape | ||||
| Os Spruit | Gauteng | ||||||
| Palala River | A5 | Limpopo | |||||
| Palmiet River | Western Cape | Eikenhof Dam | |||||
| Pienaars River | A2 | Gauteng and Northwest | northwest of Bronkhorstspruit | Crocodile River | Roodeplaat Dam, Klipvoor Dam | ||
| Pienaars River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Plankenbrug River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Poesjenels River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Pongola River | W5 | KwaZulu-Natal | |||||
| Riet River | Free State | Vaal River | |||||
| Riet River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Rietspruit | Free State | ||||||
| Riviersonderend | Western Cape, Overberg | ||||||
| Rondegat River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Rooiels River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Rufanes River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Sabie River | Mpumalanga | X3 | Incomati River, Mozambique | ||||
| Sak River | Northern Cape | ||||||
| Salt River | Western Cape Cape Town | ||||||
| Sand River | A | Limpopo Province | Limpopo River | ||||
| Sand River | Free State | Vet River | Allemanskraal Dam | ||||
| Sandspruit | Free State | ||||||
| Sandlundlu River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Sandpoort River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Selons River | B2 | Mpumalanga | Highveld east of Middelburg | Olifants River | Near Loskop Dam | ||
| Smalblaar River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Sout River | Western Cape, Cape Town | ||||||
| Spoeg River | Northern Cape | About 18 km SSE of Hondeklip Bay | |||||
| Steelpoort River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Steenbras River | Western Cape | ||||||
| Sterkstroom River | North West | Buffelspoort Dam | |||||
| Storms River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Suikerbosrant River | C2 | Gauteng | Vereeniging | ||||
| Sundays River | V1 | KwaZulu-Natal | Tugela River | ||||
| Sundays River | M1 | Eastern Cape | Darlington Dam | ||||
| Swart River | Western Cape | North of Caledon | Bot River | ||||
| Swartkops River | Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth | ||||||
| Tamboti River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Tarka River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Tele River | Eastern Cape | Southern Drakensberg | Orange River | near Palmietfontein | |||
| Timbavati River | Mpumalanga | Olifants River | near Olifants Camp, Kruger National Park | ||||
| Tongati River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Touws River | Western Cape | Groot River | |||||
| Treur River | B6 | Limpopo | |||||
| Troe-Troe River | Northern Cape | ||||||
| Tsitsikamma River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Tsomo River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Tugela River | V | KwaZulu-Natal | |||||
| Tyhume River | Eastern Cape | Keiskamma River | Binfield Park Dam | South-east of Alice | |||
| Uilkraal River | Western Cape | Gans Bay, Atlantic Ocean | |||||
| Umbilo River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Umfolozi River | W | KwaZulu-Natal | Maphelana, Indian Ocean | ||||
| Black Umfolozi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| White Umfolozi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Wilge River | B2 | Mpumalanga | Olifants River | ||||
| Wilge River | C8 | Free State | Vaal Dam | ||||
| Umgeni River | U2 | KwaZulu-Natal | East of Howick | Midmar Dam, Albert Falls Dam, Inanda Dam, Nagle Dam | near Durban, Indian Ocean | ||
| Umvoti River | U | KwaZulu-Natal | |||||
| Umzimkulu River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Usutu River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Uvuzana River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Vaal River | C | Free State and other | North of Ermelo, Mpumalanga | Orange River | Bloemhof Dam, Vaal Dam, Douglas Weir | ||
| Vals River | Free State | Vaal River | |||||
| Van Stadens River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Verlorevlei River | Western Cape | Elands Bay Atlantic Ocean | |||||
| Vet River | Free State | Vaal River | |||||
| Vier-en-twintig-riviere | Western Cape | ||||||
| Waterval River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| White Kei River | Eastern Cape | North of Queenstown | Great Kei River | ||||
| Wilge River | C8 | Free State | |||||
| Wilge River | Mpumalanga | ||||||
| Wit River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Wit River | Limpopo | ||||||
| Woes-Alleen River | Mpumalanga | Boschmanskop No 1 Dam | |||||
| Xilinxa River | Eastern Cape | Xilinxa Dam | |||||
| Xora River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Xuka River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Zandvlei | Western Cape | ||||||
| Zimbani River | Eastern Cape | ||||||
| Zinkwasi River | KwaZulu-Natal | ||||||
| Zotsha River | KwaZulu-Natal |
- A Drainage basin code assigned by the Department of Water Affairs, a complete list is available at Drainage basins of South Africa
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