| Levubu River | |
|---|---|
 The Levubu River in Lanner Gorge, Pafuri | |
  Location of the Levubu River's mouth | |
| Etymology | Either from the Venda Muvuvhu (hippopotamus),[1] or Mvuvhu (Combretum kraussii), a species of tree growing on its banks[2] |
| Native name | Luvuvhu (Venda) |
| Location | |
| Country | South Africa |
| State | Limpopo |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Soutpansberg |
| Mouth | Near Pafuri |
• location | Limpopo River, South Africa-Mozambique border |
• coordinates | 22°25′32″S 31°18′25″E / 22.42556°S 31.30694°E |
• elevation | 203 m (666 ft) |
| Length | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Basin size | 4,826 km2 (1,863 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Limpopo River basin |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Dzindi River Mutshindudi River Mutale River |
The Levubu River or Levuvhu[3] (Tsonga: Rivubye; Venda: Luvuvhu)[1] is located in the northern Limpopo province of South Africa. Some of its tributaries, such as the Mutshindudi River and Mutale River rise in the Soutpansberg Mountains.
The Levubu flows for about 200 km through a diverse range of landscapes before it joins the Limpopo River in the Fever Tree Forest area, near Pafuri in the Kruger National Park.[4]
A Zambezi shark (Carcharhinus leucas) was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like the Limpopo.[5] The river's crocodile population extends to its upper reaches at Thohoyandou.[6]
- ^ a b Jenkins, Elwyn (2007), Falling into place: the story of modern South African place names, David Philip Publishers, p. 75
- ^ du Plessis, E.J. (1973). Suid-Afrikaanse berg- en riviername. Tafelberg-uitgewers, Cape Town. p. 265. ISBN 0-624-00273-X.
- ^ Olifants River now called Lepelle
- ^ Latava and Luvuvhu River River Systems 2001 Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, State of Rivers Report, WRC report no: TT 165/01, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, ISBN No: 1 86845 825 3
- ^ Pienaar, U. de V., The Freshwater Fishes of the Kruger National Park, Koedoe Vol 11, No 1 (1968)
- ^ Pijoos, Iavan (2 April 2020). "Limpopo fisherman 'eaten by crocodile'". South Africa. timeslive.co.za. TimesLive. Retrieved 17 March 2022.