The Elsieskraal River is a small river that flows through the Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

 metropolitan area, in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. It rises in the Tygerberg Hills and flows in a generally south westerly direction to its confluence with the Black River just south of Pinelands

Pinelands, Cape Town

The "garden city" suburb of Pinelands is located on the edge of the southern suburbs of Cape Town in South Africa and is known for its large thatched houses. The suburb is primarily residential and is often praised for its peacefulness and abundance of trees...

. Much of the course of the Elsieskraal River has been canalised to prevent flooding. As most of the catchment area is urbanised and the river receives rapid runoff from roads, roofs and other impermeable surfaces it is prone to rapid increases in discharge after rain.