The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fletcher near the Lesotho border.

[3] Although it is one of South Africa's major rivers, the Mzimvubu and its basin are largely undeveloped.

[4] In 1635 Portuguese ship 'Nossa Senhora de Belem' ran aground at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River.

[6] Formerly the river mouth was used as a harbor, but this activity was abandoned in the 1940s when the estuary became too shallow for large vessels owing to siltation and the fact that the entrance is sometimes obstructed by sand.

[9] Bull sharks frequent the waters and are known to breed in the river and are linked to a spate of attacks on nearby beaches.