▁ultimately , ▁via ▁the ▁Orange ▁River , ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁North ▁of ▁the ▁Wit w aters rand , ▁where ▁the ▁land ▁starts ▁to ▁slope ▁down ▁towards ▁the ▁north , ▁the ▁d rain age ▁is ▁into ▁the ▁L imp opo ▁River ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁into ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁Coast al ▁plain ▁The ▁coast al ▁plain , ▁which ▁var ies ▁in ▁width ▁from ▁about ▁ 6 0   km ▁in ▁the ▁north - west ▁to ▁over ▁ 2 5 0   km ▁in ▁the ▁north - east , ▁generally ▁s lop es ▁g ently ▁down wards ▁from ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁esc arp ment ▁to ▁the ▁coast . ▁N umer ous ▁relatively ▁small ▁rivers ▁d rain ▁the ▁area , ▁being ▁more ▁numerous ▁in ▁the ▁K wa Z ulu - N atal ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Mid lands ▁regions , ▁where ▁they ▁arise ▁on ▁the ▁well ▁water ed ▁s lop es ▁of ▁the ▁high ▁esc arp ment , ▁than ▁elsewhere . ▁In ▁the ▁west ▁there ▁are ▁very ▁few ▁such ▁rivers ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁ar id ity ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Cape ▁F old ▁Mountains ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁south - west ▁the ▁coast al ▁plain ▁contains ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mountain ▁ranges ▁that ▁run ▁parallel ▁to ▁the ▁coast line . ▁These ▁are ▁the ▁Cape ▁F old ▁Mountains , ▁whose ▁rocks ▁were ▁laid ▁down ▁ 5 1 0 ▁– ▁ 3 5 0   mill ion ▁years ▁ago , ▁and ▁were ▁then ▁cr um ple d ▁into ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁parallel ▁fol ds ▁by