The R72 is a provincial route in Eastern Cape, South Africa that connects the N2 north-east of Gqeberha with East London via Port Alfred.

[1] The R72 begins by going southwards for 6 kilometres from the N2 interchange as the North East Expressway, immediately crossing the Nahoon River and becoming a partial highway with off-ramp junctions, up to the Fleet Street junction in the suburb of Quigney, where it becomes Fleet Street westwards.

[1] From the East London Airport, the R72 follows the Eastern Cape Coast westwards for 127 km, meeting the southern terminus of the R346 road and bypassing the East London Coast Nature Reserve, bypassing Kidd's Beach, bypassing the Great Fish River's mouth, to the town of Port Alfred, where it meets the southern terminus of the R67 road before passing through the town centre.

[1] It crosses the Kowie River in the town centre before leaving Port Alfred westwards and continuing for 22 kilometres to the town of Kenton-on-Sea, where it crosses the Kariega River near its mouth and meets the southern terminus of the R343 road.

It then crosses the Boesmans River near its mouth and passes through Boesmansriviermond before turning away from the coast and continuing westwards for 23 kilometres to the town of Alexandria.