The Kariega River (Afrikaans: Kariegarivier) is located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

The river begins 24 kilometers west of Grahamstown and is characterized by its intermittent flow.

Although their descendants still live in the area, their language is only spoken in some parts of the Northern Cape.

Cave paintings found near the river depict local wildlife, including the Steenbok.

Based on linguistic evidence and the abundance of steenbok in this area, experts feel that this instance of Kariega refers to 'steenbok'.