Pongola River

Pongola River uPhongolo
Pongola river, immediately below Pongolapoort Dam
Location of the Pongola River mouth
Etymology	From the Zulu for 'trough-like', 'river of troughs', referring to long pools. [1]
Location
Country	South Africa, Mozambique
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Near Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Mouth	Maputo River
• location	Maputo Province, Mozambique
• coordinates	26°51′21″S32°20′47″E / 26.85583°S 32.34639°E / -26.85583; 32.34639
• elevation	29 m (95 ft)

The Phongolo River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Maputo River. It rises near Utrecht in northern KwaZulu-Natal, flows east through oPhongolo, is dammed at Pongolapoort, and crosses the Ubombo Mountains; then it flows north towards Mozambique, joining the Maputo River. ^[2]

Its main tributaries are the Bivane River and the Mozana River in South Africa, as well as the Ngwavuma in Eswatini. ^[3]

The name of the uPhongolo River is derived from the isiZulu word for a barrel, vat, trough, or cask, referring to the deep and sometimes long pools that are found in this river. ^{[4] [5]}

The Pongolo River winding through hills in and beyond the Ithala Game Reserve

See also

• 1305 Pongola
• Pongolapoort Dam
• List of rivers of South Africa

References

1. Raper, P. E. (1989). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 363. ISBN   978-0-947464-04-2 – via Internet Archive.
2. van Vuuren, Lani (May 2009), "Darlington Dam: Development Steeped in Controversy" (PDF), The Water Wheel, vol. 8, no. 3, Gezina: South African Water Research Commission, pp. 23–27, ISSN   0258-2244, archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011, retrieved 10 April 2010
3. "Usuthu/Mhlatuze WMA 6". Department of Water Affairs and Fisheries.
4. P E Raper - HSRC. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names.
5. "Umphongolo/Imiphongolo". isiZulu.net Zulu-English Dictionary. Retrieved 22 February 2025.