Mthatha: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Mthatha is a city of 164,848 people in South Africa (Eastern Cape), 694 m (2,277 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is K. D. Matanzima Airport (UTT), 12 km (7 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Mthatha runs from about 10 h 8 min a day in late June to 14 h 15 min in late December (computed for -31.59° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Mthatha is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is K. D. Matanzima Airport (UTT), 12 km (7 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,530 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Mthatha: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Mthatha · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Durban, 288 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Gqeberha, 397 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Pietermaritzburg, 268 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Bloemfontein, 369 km — flights
- East London, 179 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Maseru, 282 km (Lesotho)
- Botshabelo, 325 km — buses · car rental
- Kariega, 398 km — buses · car rental
- Mdantsane, 177 km — buses · car rental · tours
- KwaDukuza, 348 km — buses · car rental
Common questions
Which airport serves Mthatha?
K. D. Matanzima Airport (UTT), 12 km (7 mi) from the centre.
How big is Mthatha?
About 164,848 people live in Mthatha, across 55 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Mthatha in?
Africa/Johannesburg, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Mthatha?
The Rand (ZAR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Mthatha?
Durban (288 km), Gqeberha (397 km), Pietermaritzburg (268 km), Bloemfontein (369 km), East London (179 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.