Mthatha

Mthatha (formerly called Umtata) was once the capital of the former Transkei homeland of South Africa, but is now one of the larger towns in the Eastern Cape. If you're heading to the Wild Coast it's the last place to get decent provisions.

By car
The N2 highway runs directly through Mthatha and allows easy connections to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London to the south, and Durban to the north.

The R61 regional road goes east to Port St Johns on the coast, and west to Queenstown and to the mountainous and relatively remote interior.

By train
As of 2023, there are no passenger services to Mthatha. The daily service from East London was cancelled in 2017.

See
A must-see is the Nelson Mandela Museum (open weekdays and on Saturday till noon) and its beautiful craft shop of the Ithemba project.



Hospitals
Life St Mary's Private Hospital
 * St Mary's is a 140-bedded private hospital. It is the only private healthcare facility serving the former Transkei region. All the major specialities are represented and a 24-hour GP run casualty unit caters to most types of medical emergencies. The hospital accepts all medical aids, and self-funding patients are also welcome. Rates are the same as those of other Life Healthcare Hospitals elsewhere in the country. The hospital is centrally located at 30 Durham street and is easily accessible off Nelson Mandela drive, close to the Nelson Mandela Museum. When you enter Mthatha from the airport you will be able to see the bright red hospital tower above the surrounding rooftops. Tel: +27 47 505 5600.

Sleep
There are numerous places to stay in the town, and finding accommodation is usually not difficult.



Go next

 * East to the Wild Coast and Durban.
 * Southwest to East London and Port Elizabeth
 * West to Queenstown