The tallest waterfall in Africa is Tugela Falls in South Africa, which drops 948 metres (3,110 feet) in five distinct tiers down the Drakensberg escarpment, making it the second-tallest waterfall on Earth after Venezuela's Angel Falls. It is followed by Mutarazi Falls in Zimbabwe (762 m) and Jinbar Falls in Ethiopia (around 500 m). Africa's great cascades range from these near-vertical mountain plunges to Victoria Falls, which is far shorter but forms the largest single sheet of falling water in the world.
Introduction
Africa's waterfalls are as diverse as the continent itself. From the mist-shrouded Drakensberg escarpment in the south to the thundering Zambezi on the Zambia–Zimbabwe border, the continent is home to world-class cascades shaped by very different forces: ancient highland uplift, deep river-carved gorges, and the broad basalt plateaus of the Rift and Congo basin.
Several African waterfalls rank among the tallest and most powerful on Earth, yet many remain little known outside geographic circles. This guide profiles the highest and most remarkable falls across the continent, explains how they formed, and answers the questions students and travellers ask most often.
Africa's Tallest Waterfalls Ranked by Height
The following falls are ordered by total vertical drop, the most common measure used to compare waterfall height. Note that "tallest" and "largest" are different things: a waterfall can be very tall yet carry little water, or relatively short yet move an enormous volume.
- Tugela Falls, South Africa — 948 m
- Mutarazi Falls, Zimbabwe — 762 m
- Jinbar Falls, Ethiopia — 500 m
- Kalambo Falls, Zambia/Tanzania — 235 m
- Ouzoud Falls, Morocco — 110 m
- Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe — 108 m
- Kongou Falls, Gabon — 56 m
- Augrabies Falls, South Africa — 56 m
1. Tugela Falls, South Africa
- Total Height: 948 m (3,110 ft)
- Tiers: 5
- Location: Drakensberg Mountains, KwaZulu-Natal
Tugela Falls is the tallest waterfall in Africa and the second tallest in the world. It cascades in five tiers down the face of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre, a vast curved cliff of basalt and sandstone that rises sharply above the surrounding grasslands. The Tugela River begins just a few hundred metres above the lip of the falls, near the top of Mont-aux-Sources.
The falls are most impressive after heavy summer rains between November and March, when the river is in full flood. In the dry winter months the flow can shrink dramatically, and parts of the upper tiers may freeze into spectacular ice columns. Two hiking routes lead to the falls: a steep chain-ladder ascent from the top of the Amphitheatre and a longer gorge walk from below.
2. Mutarazi Falls, Zimbabwe
- Total Height: 762 m (2,499 ft)
- Tiers: 2
- Location: Eastern Highlands
Mutarazi is Zimbabwe's tallest waterfall and the second tallest in Africa. It plunges off the Honde Valley escarpment in Nyanga National Park in two dramatic tiers, surrounded by montane forest. The falls are fed by the Mutarazi River near the edge of one of the highest plateaus in the country. A skywalk and one of the longest zip-lines in Africa now let visitors view the drop from above.
3. Jinbar Falls, Ethiopia
- Total Height: 500 m (1,640 ft)
- Location: Simien Mountains
- River: Jinbar River
Jinbar Falls cascades off a sheer cliff in Ethiopia's Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its jagged peaks and deep gorges. The surrounding landscape is home to endemic species such as the gelada baboon, the Walia ibex, and the rare Ethiopian wolf. During the dry season the river slows to a thin ribbon, but in the rainy months it free-falls hundreds of metres into the gorge below.
4. Kalambo Falls, Zambia/Tanzania
- Total Height: 235 m (772 ft)
- Type: Single plunge
- River: Kalambo River
Kalambo Falls is one of the highest uninterrupted (single-drop) waterfalls in Africa. The Kalambo River tumbles off a cliff near the southeastern end of Lake Tanganyika on the border between Zambia and Tanzania. The site is internationally significant to archaeologists: stone tools and other finds near the falls indicate human activity dating back hundreds of thousands of years, making it one of the longest continuously occupied sites in the world.
5. Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe
- Height: 108 m (354 ft)
- Width: 1,708 m
- Flow Rate: 1,088 m³/s avg
Victoria Falls may not be the tallest, but it creates the largest sheet of falling water on Earth, measured by the combination of its width and height. The Zambezi River pours over a basalt lip into a narrow chasm, sending up a column of spray known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders." Scottish explorer David Livingstone was the first European to document it, in 1855, naming it after Queen Victoria.
The constant spray waters a unique strip of "rainforest" on the opposite cliff that stays green year-round, even in the surrounding semi-arid landscape. Today Victoria Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of southern Africa's most visited natural attractions.
6. Kongou Falls, Gabon
- Height: 56 m (184 ft)
- Width: 3,200 m
- Location: Ivindo National Park
Kongou is the largest waterfall in Central Africa by volume. The Ivindo River spreads across a wide rocky shelf before dropping in a chaos of channels and rapids. It sits deep within pristine equatorial rainforest in Ivindo National Park, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021. The remote location, reachable mainly by boat and forest track, has helped protect the falls and the forest elephants, gorillas, and mandrills that live nearby.
7. Augrabies Falls, South Africa
- Height: 56 m (184 ft)
- River: Orange River
- Gorge Depth: 240 m
Augrabies Falls thunders into a deep granite gorge carved over millions of years by the Orange River, South Africa's longest river. The Khoi people called it Aukoerebis, meaning "Place of Great Noise." During flood season the main fall is joined by dozens of secondary channels, turning the rocky plateau into a spectacular series of cataracts. The surrounding Augrabies Falls National Park protects a stark desert landscape dotted with quiver trees.
8. Ouzoud Falls, Morocco
- Height: 110 m (360 ft)
- Tiers: 3
- Location: Atlas Mountains
Ouzoud is the tallest waterfall in North Africa, dropping in three stages into a green river gorge in the Middle Atlas Mountains, northeast of Marrakesh. The falls are surrounded by olive groves — "Ouzoud" means olives in the local Berber language — and are home to troops of wild Barbary macaques. The lush, terraced setting makes Ouzoud one of Morocco's most popular natural day-trip destinations.
How African Waterfalls Form
Most of Africa's tallest waterfalls owe their existence to dramatic changes in elevation along escarpments — long, steep cliffs that mark the edge of a high plateau. Tugela, Mutarazi, and Jinbar all spill off such escarpments, where rivers reach a sudden drop of hundreds of metres. Others, like Augrabies and Victoria, formed where rivers crossed bands of hard volcanic basalt or granite; the water gradually cut narrow gorges into the rock, leaving a sheer lip over which the river plunges.
Because so many of these falls depend on seasonal rivers, their appearance changes dramatically through the year. The wet season transforms thin trickles into roaring torrents, while the dry season can reduce even famous cascades to a fraction of their flow.
Key Facts
- Tallest in Africa: Tugela Falls, South Africa — 948 m, second tallest in the world.
- Largest by volume / water sheet: Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi River.
- Tallest in North Africa: Ouzoud Falls, Morocco — 110 m.
- Oldest human site: Kalambo Falls, with evidence of habitation stretching back hundreds of thousands of years.
- UNESCO-listed surroundings: Kongou (Ivindo, 2021), Victoria Falls, and Simien Mountains (Jinbar).
- Most countries shared: Victoria and Kalambo Falls both straddle international borders.
Fun Facts
- Some experts argue Tugela Falls is actually taller than Angel Falls, but the two are measured using different methods, so the ranking remains debated.
- Victoria Falls' spray can be seen from up to 50 km away and keeps a cliff-side forest permanently wet.
- Augrabies Falls' gorge is so deep and narrow that the bottom is rarely visible from the viewpoints.
- Ouzoud Falls takes its name from the Berber word for olives, which grow all around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tallest waterfall in Africa?
Tugela Falls in South Africa is the tallest waterfall in Africa, with a total drop of 948 metres (3,110 feet) over five tiers in the Drakensberg Mountains. It is also the second-tallest waterfall in the world.
Is Victoria Falls the tallest waterfall in Africa?
No. At about 108 metres, Victoria Falls is far shorter than Tugela, Mutarazi, and several others. However, its combination of width (over 1,700 metres) and height makes it the largest single sheet of falling water on Earth, which is why it is often called the largest waterfall.
What is the tallest waterfall in North Africa?
Ouzoud Falls in Morocco is the tallest waterfall in North Africa, dropping about 110 metres in three tiers in the Atlas Mountains. It is surrounded by olive groves and is famous for its resident Barbary macaques.
When is the best time to see African waterfalls?
Most African waterfalls are at their fullest during or just after the local rainy season. For southern Africa (Tugela, Victoria, Augrabies), that means roughly November to April; for the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, the heaviest rains fall between June and September. In the dry season many falls shrink considerably or, in a few cases, slow to a trickle.