Fetcani Pass, Eastern Cape

There are many Mountain Passes in the Highlands of the Eastern Cape and Fetcani Pass is no exception, functioning as a passage between other Mountain Passes. When you're on your way to Rhodes University and heading for the major gravel Passes in this mountainous part, of the Eastern Cape.

This is the first little Pass that gets you off the R 58 Main Route and into the remoter part of the Southern Drakensberg. (From here you won't see tar again for a long time!) The 5,7 km Long Pass, which is of moderate Length, has an equally moderate altitude variance, of 156 m. The steepest parts are at a 1:9 ratio and should present no problems for any type of Vehicle in fair Weather. However, with a Summit Altitude of 2088 m, this Pass is regularly smothered under a thick blanket of snow, and it's best avoided under those circumstances, (After heavy Rain, the Road is slippery, requiring 4 Wheel Drive)!

Fetcani Pass, begins a little after the Summit of the remarkable Barkley Pass, on the tarred R 58 Route out of Elliot. You will need to turn Right onto the gravel R 393 just after the Road passes, the Mountain Shadows Hotel, to find the start of the Pass, (roughly only about 1 km later.) Also known as the "Mfecane Pass", Fetcani Pass, doesn’t even measure on the Richter scale of Mountain Passes when compared to other Passes in the Vicinity, (the eight Passes of the Cape Highlands). Thereafter the Road, immediately descends steeply into the next Valley, continuing on its Westerly course. Before you know it, the Pass is over and the road turning to Bastervoetslaan Pass is just North of it. ( just a reminder that the area is 4X4 Country!) Bastervoetslaan is one of the most notorious Passes around Rhodes, and without exception this is a high clearance Pass, that needs expert navigation to complete. If you continue on the R393 you come too, Lundin’s Nek Pass! Which is on the Right-hand Fork to Rhodes University. Lundin’s Nek lies only 70 km after the Fetcani Pass.

The renewables energy programme, which is seen as an example for other African Countries, has resulted in over 6 000 MW of generation capacity being allocated to bidders across a variety of technologies, principally in wind and solar. Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme  (REIPPP) is aimed at bringing additional megawatts onto the country’s electricity system through private sector investment in wind, biomass and small hydro, among others. The Eastern Cape’s renewable energy projects has created 18 132 jobs since its inception. The Eastern Cape Province, was awarded 16 wind Farms and 1 solar energy Farm, with a total investment value of R33.7 Billion Rand.