Diepgezet Pass is located in eastern Mpumalanga, about 40 km south of Barberton and very close to the northern border of Swaziland (which was renamed to Eswatini in 2018). The entire pass falls within the boundaries of the Songimvelo Nature Reserve, but there are no restrictions or gate fees applicable. It connects the tarred R40 route from near the Josefsdal (Bulembu) border post with the mostly-abandoned mining town of Diepgezet.
The gravel road is in a reasonable condition and can be driven in a normal vehicle, but a high-clearance vehicle is recommended and a 4x4 would probably be required in wet weather. The pass offers spectacular mountain scenery and has an altitude variance of 738 metres, putting it in the top 3% of the highest altitude-gaining passes in South Africa. The name is derived from Dutch and means “located deep” (within a valley).
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