Mthatha, town, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. It was the capital of Transkei, a nominally independent but not internationally recognized southern African republic that was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994. Located on the Mthatha (“The Taker”) River (so named because of its destructive flooding), the town lies at an elevation of 2,290 feet (698 metres) in the Kaffraria region near the southeast coast of South Africa.
The town began as a European settlement in 1869 and functioned as a buffer zone between the warring Pondo and Tembu peoples. A military post was later established there, and it was officially proclaimed a town in 1882. It became the headquarters of the Transkeian Territories General Council (known as the Bunga) in 1903. A summit meeting of the black homeland leaders was held in the town in 1973, when they decided to federate their own states after independence. When Transkei was declared independent in 1976, Mthatha (as Umtata) became its capital.
Subsistence agriculture and livestock raising are the primary economic activities in the area; Mthatha has some secondary industries that produce textiles, wood products, foodstuffs, and processed tobacco. The town has buildings dating back to colonial times, including the Town Hall and a hospital. Mthatha is home to the Nelson Mandela Museum as well as Walter Sisulu University (2005), which was formed through the merger of the University of Transkei with Border Technikon and Eastern Cape Technikon. The town has road and rail connections with East London to the south and an airport. Pop. (2011) 137,589.