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 · KwaZulu-Natal
Ncandu Falls
Ncandu Falls is a waterfall in the Ncandu River in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa close to the town of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. Its name may mean "small flow" in Zulu or a Khosian language.
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.
Ncandu Falls drops over a series of steps. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Newcastle Local Municipality, South Africa. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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 Ncandu Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Newcastle 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 Newcastle Local Municipality, South Africa
- Country South Africa
- Region KwaZulu-Natal, Southern Africa, Africa
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Ncandu Falls
South Africa
Height—Width—
Most similar
Rusumo Falls
Rwanda · Tanzania
Height15 mWidth40 m
Also a cascade waterfall and in Rwanda
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
15 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Rusumo FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Rusumo Falls
40 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Ncandu 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
-27.849, 29.844
Quick answers
Where is Ncandu Falls?
Ncandu Falls is in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). The nearest base is Newcastle Local Municipality, South Africa. Its coordinates are -27.8490, 29.8440.
When is the best time to visit Ncandu 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 Ncandu 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 Ncandu Falls?
The usual base is Newcastle Local Municipality, South Africa. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Ncandu Falls
Full guide Tugela Falls
South Africa · 948 m · 140 km away
Among the world's tallest waterfalls (disputed second)
Howick Falls
South Africa · 95 m · 190 km away
KwaZulu-Natal's most accessible major waterfall
Maletsunyane Falls
Lesotho · 192 m · 280 km away
Longest single-drop abseil (204m) in the world
Abseiling
Lone Creek Falls
South Africa · 70 m · 320 km away
The Lone Creek Falls is near Sabie in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The waterfall plummets 70 m down into the…