Katete is one of the 14 districts in Eastern Province of the Republic of Zambia. The town is at the foot of the rocky hills which lies to its east including Mphangwe hill and kanagrema hill. It is situated between longitudes 31.450 and 32.300 East and latitudes 13.800 and 14.450 South.

Katete district shares boundary with Chadiza district in the southeast, Chipata city and
Kasenengwa district in the northeast, Mambwe in the north, and Sinda district in southwest. The Administrative Centre is approximately 500 km away from Lusaka the capital city of Zambia and 86 km away from Chipata the Provincial headquarters of the Eastern Province.

The Great East road connects Katete district to the rest of the country. The district covers a land area of about 2,433 square kilometers. Katete district lies on a plateau with an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters above sea level. There are isolated hills in the central and Eastern parts of the district. The most outstanding feature in the district is the Mphangwe hill, which is about 660m high and close to the district centre. Other hills include Mwandafisi, Chiulukile, Chilongamawe, Milanzi, Nchingilizya and MwanaMphangwe. In the north, the topography is generally uneven but without outstanding hills.