Distance from Cape Town to Mthatha

N Cape Town → Mthatha

Road distance

1261.5 km

Highway dominant · N2 / R72

Cape Town to Mthatha is a full long-distance road trip, covering about 1,261.5 km in roughly 15 hrs 7 min.

Geodesic Direct point-to-point reference

1,003.5 km

Road multiplier Route-to-direct distance ratio

1.26×

Navigation steps Instruction count in route set

Info Travel board

Travel time

15 hrs 7 min

Start point

Paddock Avenue

Return: 30 hrs 15 min

Rolling runtime Engine-calculated drive duration

907 min

Average velocity Distance over route runtime

83.4 km/h

Stop-adjusted ETA 7 planned rest stops

16 hrs 52 min

Fuel Service sign

Estimated fuel cost - 7.2 L/100km

93 Petrol R27.16 / litre

R2,466.85

95 Petrol R27.19 / litre

R2,469.58

See more fuel details from Cape Town to Mthatha

🧭 Route vector

Compass bearing

78° ENE

Forward azimuth heading

Return heading Reverse azimuth

258° WSW

Coordinate delta Lat / Lon shift

North-East

Start coords Origin point

-33.9288, 18.4172

End coords Destination point

-31.5896, 28.7878

Taxi Transport options

Shared taxi fare

—

Long-distance caution

Route class Operational trip category

Long-distance

Operator type Service format

Minibus taxi

Weather 10 °C Cape Town Clear Sky View Forecast → 8 °C Mthatha Cloudy View Forecast →

Travel modes

Cape Town → Mthatha

🚗

Car

1261.5 km

15 hrs 7 min

Road route

🏍️ Estimate

Two-wheeler

1261.5 km

~19 hrs 24 min

65 km/h avg

Places along your journey

Places from Cape Town to Mthatha

Fuel stops, restaurants, shops and services along or near your route.

48 places Submit a place

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⛽

Convenience store Soon after Cape Town

🔍 Search accommodation along this route Search Booking.com →

Hotel Near Cape Town

Victoria & Alfred Hotel

PierHead, V&A Complex, Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, Western Cape, 8001 0 km from start

"Victoria & Alfred Hotel is one of those Cape Town hotels where the location does…"

B 0 km from start

Hotel

Hotel Near Cape Town

City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront

47 Alfred Street, Cape Town City Centre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, Western Cape, 8000 0 km from start

"City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront is a well-located Cape Town option for traveller…"

B 0 km from start

Hotel

Route

Route overview

Live map, directions, tolls and route services.

Map Directions Tolls Trip planning

Start Cape Town

Finish Mthatha

Map key

Start point

Destination

Driving route

Navigation sign

Turn-by-turn directions

↑

Directions from Cape Town to Mthatha via N2

National highway N2
Directions from Cape Town to Mthatha via R72

Provincial road route R72
Head on Paddock Avenue

0.1 km
Turn left onto Saint Johns Road

0.2 km
Turn right onto Roeland Street

1.0 km
Continue straight onto Philip Kgosana Drive

2.8 km
Keep slight left at the fork towards N2: Cape Town International Airport

0.6 km
Merge slight right onto Hospital Bend

0.5 km
Continue straight onto Settlers Way

376.1 km
Take the exit ramp straight towards N2: George

0.9 km
Continue straight

50.9 km
Keep slight right at the fork towards N2: Knysna

1.2 km
Continue straight

0.6 km
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit

0.0 km
Continue

10.6 km
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit

0.0 km
Continue

5.8 km
Continue straight

0.3 km
Continue straight

1.9 km
Continue straight

62.5 km
Continue straight

3.5 km
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit

0.0 km
Continue

1.5 km
Keep slight right at the fork

0.2 km
At the roundabout, take the 1st exit

0.0 km
Continue

276.1 km
Take the exit ramp slight left towards N2: Grahamstown

0.9 km
Continue straight

0.7 km
Take the exit ramp slight left towards R72: Port Alfred

0.3 km
At the end of the road, turn right

236.1 km
Turn left onto Currie Street

1.1 km
Continue straight onto Fitzpatrick Road

0.3 km
Continue straight onto Valley Road

0.9 km
Continue straight onto North East Expressway

4.0 km
Continue straight

0.3 km
Turn right towards N2

0.5 km
Merge slight right

217.7 km
Turn left onto Madeira Street

0.5 km
Turn left onto Sutherland Drive

0.3 km
Turn left onto Owen Street

0.2 km
Turn left

0.1 km
You have arrived at your destination

0.0 km

Navigation sign

Tolls on this route

Tolls found 3

Known total R219.00

Main toll road N2 - North Coast Toll Road

This route includes 3 toll points from our database. The strongest toll-road match is N2 - North Coast Toll Road.

Tsitsikamma

Road: Road not linked yet

R73.00

Tsitsikamma

Road: Road not linked yet

R73.00

Tsitsikamma

Road: Road not linked yet

R73.00

Routes ↩ Mthatha → Cape Town Cape Town to Johannesburg Cape Town to Pretoria Cape Town to Durban Cape Town to Polokwane Johannesburg to Mthatha Pretoria to Mthatha Cape Town to Mthatha

Stop Stopover sign

Halfway point

630.3 km

Mid-route position Road corridor partition

50 / 50

Time partition Start / finish split

7 hrs 33 min • 7 hrs 33 min

Waypoint reference Nearest route marker

Mid-route reference

Vec Consumption & emissions

Consumption & emissions profile

90.8 L needed

Moderate efficiency • 7.2 L/100km baseline

CO2 emitted Estimated tailpipe output

209.8 kg

Fuel mass Approximate tank weight

68.1 kg

Cost per km Based on 95 Petrol

R1.96

Directness index As-the-crow-flies ratio

79.5%

☀ Solar data

Daylight window at Mthatha

06:57 – 17:08

Outside daylight hours

Solar noonHighest sun position

12:02

Total daylightUsable driving light

10 hrs 10 min

Light remainingUntil sunset

11 hrs 37 min

SunriseDawn break

06:57

Fin Tax & wear

Wear & SARS deduction

R5,273.00

Single trip SARS allowance

SARS rate R4.18/km fixed rate

R4.18/km

Tyre wear Estimated tread cost

R25.23

Service wear Oil & filter allocation

R252.30

Total trip wear Excludes fuel & tolls

R5,550.52

Nav Maneuver index

Navigation complexity

Very High (33)

Turn difficulty rating

Roundabouts Multi-path navigation

Lane merges Yield required

Complex forks Path selection

Highway exits Deceleration zones

Route atlas

Atlas Route Specification

Route sheet

ZA-ATLAS

Origin Cape Town Start: Paddock Avenue -33.92883, 18.41722

Midpoint

630.3 km

Total: 1261.5 km

Midpoint 630.3 km

1261.5 km 908 min

Destination Mthatha -31.58959, 28.78777

Route sheet

Route class Resolved South Africa route

Province span South Africa

One-way road span 1261.5 km

Return-cycle span 2523 km

Traversal time 908 min

Maneuver count 40

Maneuver density 3.2 /100 km

Midpoint chainage 630.3 km

Coordinate frame

Start -33.92883, 18.41722

Midpoint -34.04805, 24.42831

End -31.58959, 28.78777

Destination brief

Travelling to Mthatha

A polished arrival snapshot covering what stands out, who the place suits best and what to keep in mind before you get there.

Signature Eastern Cape inland hub

Standout Regional city with Wild Coast links

Mthatha matters as a service and access city for the eastern side of the province, with nearby nature reserves, airport links and Wild Coast direction giving it more than a simple inland-city role.

Best for Who this destination suits

Regional hub stay Wild Coast access Business trip Eastern Cape inland stop

Arrival What to expect on arrival

Airport-side, town-centre and dam-side movements can feel quite different, so the exact address matters before departure.

Regional base Good base for nearby trips

Use Mthatha as a practical Eastern Cape inland base for city services, regional travel and routes toward Coffee Bay and the wider Wild Coast.

Destination facts Quick reference details

King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality tourism highlights Luchaba Nature Reserve, Mthatha Dam and wider attractions

The area is linked to Coffee Bay and Wild Coast travel

The city has a stronger regional-hub role than a pure holiday-town role

Route support

Route FAQ

Tap a question to expand the answer and keep the section compact while browsing the route page.

Questions 9

How far is Cape Town from Mthatha? +

Cape Town is about 1261.5 km from Mthatha by road.

How long does it take from Cape Town to Mthatha? +

The drive usually takes about 908 min depending on traffic, stops, and road conditions.

Is it possible to drive from Cape Town to Mthatha in one day? +

It is possible, but for many travellers this is better treated as a very long same-day trip or an overnight trip.

Is taxi available from Cape Town to Mthatha? +

Taxi may be available, but for this route it is better to confirm the latest fare at the local taxi rank.

What's the estimated fuel amount from Cape Town to Mthatha? +

Using an estimated consumption of 7.2 L/100km for this route, 93 Petrol is about R2,466.85 (R27.16 / litre), 95 Petrol is about R2,469.58 (R27.19 / litre), Diesel 500ppm is about R2,456.86 (R27.05 / litre), Diesel 50ppm is about R2,543.15 (R28.00 / litre). Actual fuel spend can vary by vehicle, traffic and driving style.

Are there any tollgates from Cape Town to Mthatha? +

Yes. There are 3 tollgates currently matched for this route.

What is the route verdict for this trip? +

Very long trip: This is a demanding long-distance route. Treat it as a serious travel day and consider an overnight stop.

Is there a long-trip warning on this route? +

This is a long trip. Plan rest stops, avoid driving tired, and be careful with late-night travel.

Is there a road note for this route? +

This is a longer road trip, so a fuel or rest stop is recommended. Take a short break about every 2 hours if possible. National roads appear in this route, so watch for toll signs and busier sections.

Editorial

From the editorial desk

Fresh route reads, destination ideas and planning guides from the Distance24 editorial blog.

Open blog

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Route support

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Distance from Cape Town to Mthatha

Places from Cape Town to Mthatha

Shell Select

Familie Geheimpies

Fresh Bean Coffee Roastary

Prince of Tarts

Shell Select

Shell Select

Quickshop

Boxes & Bites

Checkers

Shoprite

Shoprite

Shell

Superspar

Shell

Shell

Shell Select

ABSA

FNB

Shell

Bonjour

Umtata High School

Superspar

Mthatha Plaza

Shoprite

Transkei Primary School

Mag-Rite

Quickshop

St Joseph's Junior Secondary School

Quickshop

St John's College

Mennonite Bible School

Mbuqe Junior Secondary School

Bonjour

Umtata Christian School

Southernwood Junior Secondary School

Quickshop

Shell Select

Shell

Spar

Harrington Halaal

Shell Select

Bread Milk & Honey

Pick n Pay

Shell

Shell Select

Victoria & Alfred Hotel

City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront

Route overview

Live map

Turn-by-turn directions

Tolls on this route

Atlas Route Specification

Route sheet

Coordinate frame

Travelling to Mthatha

Route FAQ

From the editorial desk

Something wrong?

Legal and trust information