The Mfolozi River (also written uMfolozi, Imfolozi, or Umfolozi) is a significant river system in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, formed by the confluence of two major tributaries — the Black Mfolozi (Imfolozi emnyama), which rises in the north at approximately 1,500 meters above sea level, and the White Mfolozi (Imfolozi emhlope), which originates at an elevation of around 1,620 meters. These two rivers converge roughly 50 kilometers west of the river's mouth to the sea. The isiZulu name imFolozi is widely understood to describe the characteristically zigzag course followed by both tributaries through the landscape. The river drains an 11,068 km² catchment in northern KwaZulu-Natal and ultimately empties into the Indian Ocean near Maphelana, where it has been canalized directly to sea. The catchment is predominantly under natural vegetation — approximately 60% grassland, with areas of thicket, bush, natural forest, and woodland — largely because a significant portion falls within the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. The river system spans a wide range of habitats, from highland headwaters in the Drakensberg foothills down through coastal lowlands, offering diverse angling environments along its course.