OR Tambo
Mthatha
The commercial heart of the former Transkei and the main gateway inland to the Wild Coast, with Nelson Mandela's home village of Qunu on its doorstep.
Mthatha sits on the N2 in the middle of the OR Tambo district, surrounded by the rolling grass hills and scattered homesteads that define this part of the Eastern Cape.
The town is the practical base for the Nelson Mandela Museum, for Qunu, and for the turnoffs that lead down to Coffee Bay, Hole in the Wall and Port St Johns on the coast.
Why people come to Mthatha
- Nelson Mandela Museum in the Bhunga Building
- The Qunu heritage landscape along the N2
- Turnoff point for Coffee Bay and Port St Johns
- Everyday services, fuel and shopping before heading to the coast
Things to do in Mthatha
Where to stay in Mthatha
Hotel
Mayfair Hotel
Mthatha
A Mthatha hotel with rooms, on-site dining and conference space, used by business travellers and by visitors breaking the drive to the Wild Coast.
View detailsHotel
Garden Court Mthatha
Mthatha
A branded hotel on the N2 side of Mthatha, the most predictable overnight option in town for travellers who want a known standard.
View detailsCulture & heritage in Mthatha
Museum & heritage
Nelson Mandela Museum
Mthatha
The national museum of Mandela's life, split between the Bhunga Building in central Mthatha and the heritage site at Qunu about 30km along the N2.
View detailsHeritage village
Qunu
Mthatha
The village where Nelson Mandela spent his childhood and where he is buried, set in the open grass hills south-west of Mthatha along the N2.
View detailsHeritage village
Mqhekezweni
Mthatha
The Thembu Great Place where Mandela was raised after his father's death, north of Mthatha, still a working rural community rather than a built-up tourist site.
View detailsShopping in Mthatha
Shopping centre
BT Ngebs City
Mthatha
The largest shopping mall in Mthatha, on the edge of town, with national supermarkets, clothing chains, banks and fast food.
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Circus Triangle Mall
Mthatha
A busy centre closer to the middle of Mthatha, handy for everyday shopping without heading out to the larger malls.
View detailsNightlife & entertainment in Mthatha
Useful local services in Mthatha
University
Walter Sisulu University
Mthatha
The university's largest campus sits in Mthatha, and its medical school is a major training centre for the region's health system.
View detailsHospital
Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital
Mthatha
The main referral hospital for the OR Tambo district, attached to Walter Sisulu University's medical training programme.
View detailsAirport
Mthatha Airport
Mthatha
The regional airport just outside town, the quickest way into the Wild Coast interior without driving the N2 from East London or Durban.
View detailsFeatured guides near Mthatha
Museum & heritage
Nelson Mandela Museum
Mthatha & Qunu
The national museum dedicated to Nelson Mandela, split between the Bhunga Building in central Mthatha and the heritage site at Qunu, the village where he grew up.
View detailsHotel & conferencing
Mayfair Hotel
Mthatha
A modern hotel in Mthatha offering accommodation, dining and conference facilities, useful as a base for the Nelson Mandela Museum and the Wild Coast routes.
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