Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter is an archaeological site located in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, near the suburb of Hillcrest.

[2] The site is located approximately 60 m above the Umhlatuzana River and is well-protected from direct precipitation and weather by surrounding vegetation.

[1] The site was discovered in 1982 by Dr. Rodney Maud during the construction of the Mariannhill Toll Road on N3 Johannesburg-Durban highway.

Initial excavations were conducted by Jonathan Kaplan in 1985, who opened a 6 m² trench reaching bedrock at around 2.5 m depth.

[1] The site has yielded a rich collection of artifacts representing multiple cultural phases: Recent geoarchaeological studies have revealed several key aspects of the site's formation: Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter is particularly important for understanding the Middle to Later Stone Age transition in southern Africa.