Nzhelele River
The Nzhelele River is a major river in Limpopo province, South Africa. It drains about 3,436 square kilometers and collects water from the northern slopes of the Soutpansberg mountains. The river begins at Thathe Vondo in the Soutpansberg, at about 1,673 meters above sea level. It flows northeast across the Lowveld, a wide plain with rich biodiversity, including giraffes, white rhinos, and blue wildebeest. It joins the Limpopo River on the right bank, about 33 kilometers east of Musina, near the Zimbabwe border; the mouth is at roughly 404 meters above sea level.
Nzhelele means a falcon or an eagle that historically followed elephant hunters and fed on meat hanging in trees to dry.
Main tributaries are Mutamba (left) and Mufungudi and Tshishiru (right). Other tributaries include Tshiruru, Mugungudi, Mutshedzi, and Wyllie rivers.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:00 (CET).