The Wildebeest's guide to South Africa
Grobler's Bridge over Komati River
Afrikaans name:
Photo © Steven Herbert
Mpumalanga
Grobler's Bridge was finished in 1897 and was the main bridge across the Komati River, on the R36 between Carolina and Machadodorp, until it was replaced by the Stoltz Bridge nearby. Grobler's Bridge has a length of 41 metres and was made from locally sourced materials.
The Komati River is a perennial river that flows from between Hendrina and Carolina and flows east till it eventually reaches the Indian Ocean at Maputo Bay. This gives it a length of around 480 km.
This river merges with the Crocodile River near Komatipoort. Soon afterwards it plummets through a gorge down to the coastal lowlands of Mozambique.
The Komati River is also known as the Incomati River which is derived from the siSwati word for cow. Cows give milk all year round and this river flows all year which gives the link between the cow and the river.