Great Kei
Great Kei is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -32.16°, 27.38°
About Great Kei
The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for 320 km (199 mi) and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean with the small town Kei Mouth on the west bank. Historically the Great Kei River formed the southwestern border of the Transkei region as was formerly known as the Nciba River.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Great Kei River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Great Kei in Depth
Course
The Great Kei River is a meandering river course and is formed by the convergence of the Black Kei River and the White Kei River in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, north-east of Cathcart and southeast of Queenstown. The Great Kei river flows from the junction of the Black and White Kei rivers for approximately 225 kilometers (140 miles) southeastwards along winding courses to the Indian Ocean. It terminates at the Great Kei estuary by Kei Mouth, a coastal resort town. Its longest tributary is the Tsomo in the north. The name has it origins as far back as 1752 and is based on a Khoisan word for the river meaning 'sand'.
Ecology
The inland sections of the Great Kei River flow through Albany thickets and Forest biomes, terminating in Indian coastal thicket at its mouth. The Kei river mouth hosts the southernmost naturally occurring mangrove forests in Southern Africa. Swamp forests occur north of the Mngazana estuary, and salt marshes are found south of the Great Kei estuary. The Great Kei river mouth is popular with anglers due its variety of estuarine fish species. However, some species such as the South African Cob and White steenbras are critically endangered. Many coastal bird species are found in the area such as the near-threatened African oystercatcher, sandpipers, and kingfishers.
Climate
The estuaries from the Great Kei river to southern Mozambique are classified as subtropical. These systems are characterized by warm waters of more than 16 degrees Celsius. The climate is warm and humid almost year-round as a result. Minimum winter temperatures range from 12 – 14 degrees Celsius and the area receives rainfall throughout the year.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Great Kei River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Great Kei: Key Facts
| Length | 520 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 20,566 km² |
| Mouth | Indian Ocean |
| Tributaries | Black Kei River, Wit-Kei River, Thomas River, Kubusi River, Tsomo River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1413605 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Great Kei: Quick Answers
- Where is Great Kei?
- Great Kei is located in South Africa, at 32.1625° S, 27.3840° E.
- Are there dams on the Great Kei?
- No dam on the Great Kei is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.