The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of 531 km, it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Drakensberg Mountains at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls. The Mont-aux-Sources is also th…The Tugela River is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of 531 km, it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the Drakensberg Mountains at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet and plunges 947 metres down the Tugela Falls. The Mont-aux-Sources is also the origin of tributaries of two other major South African rivers, the Orange and the Caledon River. From the Drakensberg range, the Tugela follows a 531 km route through the KwaZulu-Natal midlands before flowing into the Indian Ocean. The total catchment area is approximately 29,100 km². Land uses in the catchment are mainly rural subsistence farming and commercial forestry.