Car hire and driving in Mthatha
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In South Africa traffic drives on the left. Picking up at UTT means 12 km (7 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from Mthatha
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mthatha to Mdantsane | South Africa | 177 km (110 mi) | about 2 h 42 min |
| Mthatha to East London | South Africa | 179 km (111 mi) | about 2 h 43 min |
| Mthatha to Queenstown | South Africa | 184 km (114 mi) | about 2 h 48 min |
| Mthatha to Bhisho | South Africa | 188 km (117 mi) | about 2 h 52 min |
| Mthatha to Mpumalanga | South Africa | 265 km (165 mi) | about 4 h 3 min |
| Mthatha to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 268 km (166 mi) | about 4 h 5 min |
| Mthatha to Pinetown | South Africa | 281 km (175 mi) | about 4 h 17 min |
| Mthatha to Durban | South Africa | 288 km (179 mi) | about 4 h 24 min |
| Mthatha to Ntuzuma | South Africa | 292 km (181 mi) | about 4 h 27 min |
| Mthatha to Botshabelo | South Africa | 325 km (202 mi) | about 4 h 57 min |
| Mthatha to KwaDukuza | South Africa | 348 km (216 mi) | about 5 h 18 min |
| Mthatha to Ladysmith | South Africa | 350 km (218 mi) | about 5 h 20 min |
| Mthatha to Johannesburg | South Africa | 603 km (375 mi) | about 9 h 12 min |
| Mthatha to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,003 km (623 mi) | about 15 h 17 min |
| Mthatha to Pretoria | South Africa | 652 km (405 mi) | about 9 h 57 min |
| Mthatha to Soweto | South Africa | 598 km (372 mi) | about 9 h 8 min |
| Mthatha to Gqeberha | South Africa | 397 km (246 mi) | about 6 h 3 min |
| Mthatha to Soshanguve | South Africa | 683 km (425 mi) | about 10 h 25 min |
| Mthatha to Evaton | South Africa | 569 km (354 mi) | about 8 h 41 min |
| Mthatha to Benoni | South Africa | 602 km (374 mi) | about 9 h 11 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Mthatha?
The left, as everywhere in South Africa.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.