Magwa Waterfall

• Mbotyi

THE MAGWA WATERFALL

The Magwa Waterfall lies in the middle of the 1 800 hectare Magwa tea plantation, South Africa's last remaining tea estate just outside Lusikisiki.

The Magwa waterfall is pretty impressive. It is one of few waterfalls on the rugged Wild Coast that is accessible – others entail such effort to reach that they're seldom seen by any but the most intrepid travellers.

The curtain of water falls 144 metres and drops into a narrow canyon formed by seismic movement - a past sudden movement of the earth's crust along geologic faults, or volcanic activity.

Although on a much smaller scale, obviously, the Magwa falls have been said to resemble the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

The drive to the falls is a mere 8 kilometres and worth it just to see the river lurch off the precipice and down to the river bed in the gorge below. In parts you cannot see the bottom.

Close to the falls is Magwa Volunteers, a small permaculture project – perfect for those after a gap year as a volunteer to learn about sustainable living. What began as a tour company has grown into a permaculture and community-projects centre. Its goal is sustainability through tourism.

The trading town of Lusikisiki is just north of Port St Johns. Its name sounds like the wind rustling through reeds, heard along many of the rivers in the area. For miles along this coastline, between Lusikisiki and Msikaba and Mbotyi, is a feast of natural wonders and waterfalls.