Directions to Zithulele
From Durban or Mthatha:
Drive south on the N2 through Mthatha and continue onwards towards Dutywa/ Butterworth and East London. Check your odometer as you pass the Shell Ultra City on the way out of Mthatha on the N2 to East London. 13km from the Shell is a turnoff to your Left, well marked to Mqanduli and Coffee Bay. If you reach Qunu (Mandela’s home town) you have gone about 10km too far!
From East London:
Drive north on the N2 towards Mthatha, through the towns of Butterworth and Dutywa. About 200km from East London (and about 63km from Dutywa) London just after you pass a local shop painted bright blue you will see the clearly signposted Coffee Bay / Mqanduli turn-off on the right. If you see the sign that says “Mthatha 20km” you have gone too far and have just missed the turn-off.
From the N2 turn-off:
Set your odometer to zero. Stay on the tar road and drive through the small town of Mqanduli, which you should pass through after 14km. Continue on the tar road (which is quite bad in patches with many potholes) for pretty much exactly 50km – from the N2, that is. The countryside is very hilly by this stage and you will be coming up a steep hill. The road curves to the left and starts to flatten out and you should see a ramshackle caravan on the right and a sign saying “Zithulele Mission Hospital / Hole in the Wall” on the left – turn right at the sign! If you pass the Kwaaiman Police station on the right, you have gone a few hundred meters too far.
You will now be on a beautiful new tar road which will bring you to Zithulele Hospital after about 21km. The hospital itself is hard to miss; it is on the right, with a security gate and large fence around it. The staff and student accommodation is a little bit further on, on the left.
For those lucky enough to have GPS, the coordinates are:
Mthatha Shell Ultra City 31°36’50.1” S 28°44’04.7” E
N2 turnoff to Mqanduli / Coffee Bay 31°43’16.9” S 28°41’24.1” E
Zithulele road turnoff 31°55’16.3” S 28°58’27.1” E
Zithulele 32°02’56.5” S 29°03’32.6” E
From Coffee Bay / Hole in the Wall:
From Coffee Bay there are two options – the longer option is where you drive inland towards the N2 on the tar road for about 28km, and turn left towards Zithulele Hospital just after the Kwaaiman Police station (and follow the directions above). This route is recommended if there is or has been heavy rain in the past 12 hours.
Alternatively, drive on the scenic coastal route towards Hole in the Wall, which is about 8km away. As you get into Hole in the Wall you will hit a T-junction, with Gigi’s Pub and Accommodation on your right. Turn right here and continue out of Hole in the Wall. After about 7km, you will pass a school on your right and shortly afterwards, a road will join your road from behind on the left. Do a sharp U-turn here and join this road. You will know that you are on the correct road if very soon after the U-turn the road goes steeply down toward the right. This section can be very slippery in the wet, so please go slowly and take care. You will know you have gone about 200m too far if you see a turn-off to the right.
Continue for another 5km, when you will hit another T-junction. Turn left here onto the tar road and continue on this road for about 5km which will bring you to the hospital.
If you are unsure at any time, stop and ask “Uphi (pronounced ‘oo-pee’) Zithulele Hospital” – most people will be able to point you in the right direction, especially once you are close to the hospital. If you think you are completely lost, or struggling to understand these directions, call Karl on +27 (0) 72 858 9751.
Drive south on the N2 through Mthatha and continue onwards towards Dutywa/ Butterworth and East London. Check your odometer as you pass the Shell Ultra City on the way out of Mthatha on the N2 to East London. 13km from the Shell is a turnoff to your Left, well marked to Mqanduli and Coffee Bay. If you reach Qunu (Mandela’s home town) you have gone about 10km too far!
From East London:
Drive north on the N2 towards Mthatha, through the towns of Butterworth and Dutywa. About 200km from East London (and about 63km from Dutywa) London just after you pass a local shop painted bright blue you will see the clearly signposted Coffee Bay / Mqanduli turn-off on the right. If you see the sign that says “Mthatha 20km” you have gone too far and have just missed the turn-off.
From the N2 turn-off:
Set your odometer to zero. Stay on the tar road and drive through the small town of Mqanduli, which you should pass through after 14km. Continue on the tar road (which is quite bad in patches with many potholes) for pretty much exactly 50km – from the N2, that is. The countryside is very hilly by this stage and you will be coming up a steep hill. The road curves to the left and starts to flatten out and you should see a ramshackle caravan on the right and a sign saying “Zithulele Mission Hospital / Hole in the Wall” on the left – turn right at the sign! If you pass the Kwaaiman Police station on the right, you have gone a few hundred meters too far.
You will now be on a beautiful new tar road which will bring you to Zithulele Hospital after about 21km. The hospital itself is hard to miss; it is on the right, with a security gate and large fence around it. The staff and student accommodation is a little bit further on, on the left.
For those lucky enough to have GPS, the coordinates are:
Mthatha Shell Ultra City 31°36’50.1” S 28°44’04.7” E
N2 turnoff to Mqanduli / Coffee Bay 31°43’16.9” S 28°41’24.1” E
Zithulele road turnoff 31°55’16.3” S 28°58’27.1” E
Zithulele 32°02’56.5” S 29°03’32.6” E
From Coffee Bay / Hole in the Wall:
From Coffee Bay there are two options – the longer option is where you drive inland towards the N2 on the tar road for about 28km, and turn left towards Zithulele Hospital just after the Kwaaiman Police station (and follow the directions above). This route is recommended if there is or has been heavy rain in the past 12 hours.
Alternatively, drive on the scenic coastal route towards Hole in the Wall, which is about 8km away. As you get into Hole in the Wall you will hit a T-junction, with Gigi’s Pub and Accommodation on your right. Turn right here and continue out of Hole in the Wall. After about 7km, you will pass a school on your right and shortly afterwards, a road will join your road from behind on the left. Do a sharp U-turn here and join this road. You will know that you are on the correct road if very soon after the U-turn the road goes steeply down toward the right. This section can be very slippery in the wet, so please go slowly and take care. You will know you have gone about 200m too far if you see a turn-off to the right.
Continue for another 5km, when you will hit another T-junction. Turn left here onto the tar road and continue on this road for about 5km which will bring you to the hospital.
If you are unsure at any time, stop and ask “Uphi (pronounced ‘oo-pee’) Zithulele Hospital” – most people will be able to point you in the right direction, especially once you are close to the hospital. If you think you are completely lost, or struggling to understand these directions, call Karl on +27 (0) 72 858 9751.