The Ecca Group is the name given to the sedimentary geological formations found in Karoo Basin region of Southern Africa, immediately beneath the Beaufort Group. It consists mainly of shales and sandstones, laid down in the sandy shorelines of swamplands, during the Permian Period. The Pietermaritzburg Formation and the younger Vryheid Formation are named deposits within the group. It is a carbon-rich sedimentary deposit, owing to the high vegetation content of the original sediment. Coal is mined in the Vryheid area.