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The sediments of Holocene floodplain banks in several river catchments in the southern Cape region, South Africa, were sedimentologically investigated and radiometrically dated. The study resulted in a differentiation into two sedimentation phases. The sedimentation of the older phase starts directly above the bedrock or above coarse gravels. These sediments are composed of 2.5-3 160 m of interbedded sand, silt, and clay. In part, they are stratified by organic horizons and inclusions. The radiocarbon dating of numerous organic horizons as well as fossil wood shows that the sedimentation during the older phase occurred between 1215 and 875 160 years BP at the base, and 670 and 15 160 years BP at the top of this sequence. The sediments of the younger phase mainly consist of homogeneous fine sand and are at least 3 160 m thick, stratigraphically above the sediments of the older deposition phase. However, the sediments of the younger layer can also comprise the entire Holocene deposits situated above the current riverbed. These sediments are mainly of modern age and are partly deposits of centennial flood events. The context between the onset of sedimentation and the start of pastoral farming by settlers after AD 400, which has been archaeologically verified, supports the hypothesis that the first sedimentation phase was set off or favoured by the degradation of the natural vegetation cover as a result of livestock farming. Later, increased sedimentation as well as an increase in peak flows resulting from increased landscape degradation due to intensified pasture farming by the European settlers has to be assumed.