Guidebook
Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Eswatini
James Bainbridge et al. · 2022
Covers the Drakensberg, Augrabies, KZN Midlands, Panorama Route falls and Lesotho's Semonkong for Maletsunyane in one book.
South Africa · Eastern Cape
Magwa Falls
Magwa Falls is a waterfall in Eastern Cape province in South Africa. The main water drop is 142 metres .
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Magwa Falls drops 142 metres (466 ft). It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, South Africa. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Magwa Falls is the second-tallest of the 10 we cover in South Africa. As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Magwa Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Ingquza Hill Local Municipality are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Summer rainfall in the east makes January to April the big-water months; the winter-rain Cape runs the other way.
Getting there
- Base town Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, South Africa
- Country South Africa
- Region Eastern Cape, Southern Africa, Africa
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Magwa Falls
South Africa
Height142 mWidth—
Most similar
Fuller Waterfalls
Ghana
Height173 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Ghana
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
142 m
173 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsMagwa FallsFuller WaterfallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 6.9× taller than Magwa Falls. It drops 1.3× further than Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Magwa Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Walking guide
Walking in the Drakensberg: 75 Walks
Jeff Williams · 2017
Route descriptions for the Amphitheatre, including the Sentinel chain-ladder route to the top of Tugela Falls and the gorge walk below.
On the map
-31.44596, 29.63877
Quick answers
Where is Magwa Falls?
Magwa Falls is in South Africa (Eastern Cape). The nearest base is Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, South Africa. Its coordinates are -31.4460, 29.6388.
How tall is Magwa Falls?
Magwa Falls drops 142 metres (466 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Magwa Falls?
Peak flow is January to April. Summer rainfall in the east makes January to April the big-water months; the winter-rain Cape runs the other way.
What can you do at Magwa Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Magwa Falls?
The usual base is Ingquza Hill Local Municipality, South Africa. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Magwa Falls
Howick Falls
South Africa · 95 m · 230 km away
KwaZulu-Natal's most accessible major waterfall
Maletsunyane Falls
Lesotho · 192 m · 230 km away
Longest single-drop abseil (204m) in the world
Abseiling
Full guide Tugela Falls
South Africa · 948 m · 310 km away
Among the world's tallest waterfalls (disputed second)
Ncandu Falls
South Africa · 400 km away
Ncandu Falls is a waterfall in the Ncandu River in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa close to the town…