Mthatha River or Umtata River (Xhosa: 'mtathe Bawo) is a river in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The river flows into the Indian Ocean in an estuary located near Coffee Bay. The Mthatha river flows in a southeastern direction and is approximately 250 km long with a catchment area of 2,600 km². It is named after Mthatha Town (Umtata).Its main tributaries are the Ngqungqu River and the Cicira River.The Mthatha River marks the southern limit of the Pondoland region.