| Nata River | |
| Name Other: | Manzamnyama River |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Botswana and Zimbabwe |
| Length: | 330km (210miles) |
| Source1: | Sandown |
| Source1 Location: | Zimbabwe |
| Source1 Coordinates: | -20.425°N 28.1807°W |
| Mouth: | Makgadikgadi Pans (Sua Pan) |
| Mouth Location: | Botswana |
The Nata River or Manzamnyama River is a natural watercourse in Southern Africa. It is an ephemeral river flowing in Zimbabwe and Botswana. It has a length of from its source to mouth, in Zimbabwe and in Botswana. Its total catchment area is . The river originates in Sandown (S20.425036˚, E28.180660˚), a small farming town located on the Zimbabwean central watershed south west of Bulawayo and ends in the Makgadikgadi Pans (S20.348816˚, E26.240166˚) in Botswana. There is no outlet from the salt pans which can be considered as the “dead sea” of the south. The upper reaches of the river are located in a commercial farming area where good environmental and farming practices have resulted in the river experiencing very little siltation/sedimentation. Impressive sedimentation starts occurring about along the river course marking the beginning of a 90km (60miles) stretch in Zimbabwe where the river passes through communal farming areas. It is on this stretch where the sand-abstraction potential of the river is realised and communities rely on the sand river water for domestic, farming and livestock purposes. Within the country of Botswana the Nata River is a source of water to the ephemeral wetlands of the Makgadikgadi Pans, where a number of species of limited distribution thrive.[1] Specifically the Nata River discharges to Sua Pan, draining parts of eastern Botswana and southwestern Zimbabwe.