Experience the Southern Midlands and Berg of KwaZulu-Natal

Sisonke meaning “we are all together” one of the 11 districts municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, is an inland municipality situated in the south of the province. It includes the southern most part of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg National Park adjacent to Lesotho and borders Eastern Cape Province in the west.

Ixopo one of the secondary nodes, as indicated in the District Spatial Development Framework, is accessible from the R56 and R612 linking Pietermaritzburg and Eastern Cape and the coastal towns including Durban and the Drakensberg.

Sisonke District Municipality has five local municipalities namely:

• Umzimkhulu Municipality: in the southern part of the district.
• Ingwe Municipality: in the northeast part of the district.
• KwaSani Municipality: in the northern part of the district.
• Ubuhlebezwe Municipality: in the eastern part of the district.
• Greater Kokstad Municipality is the largest municipality within the district and is located in the western part of the district.

Kokstad Central Business District (CBD) serves as the service centre and commercial hub for most of the East Griqualand and most of the Eastern Cape and has tremendous potential to fortify its commercial sector.

Sisonke is well endowed with natural resources and has vast potential for the development of its foremost economic sectors that of agriculture and tourism.

Agriculture
Sisonke is well known for high agro-ecological potential due to an abundance of high quality soils, high altitude, and abundant water. Commercial farms and to large extent commercial plantations form the bedrock of the economy of the region. Climatic extremes make the area suitable for a variety of products including crops and vegetables, livestock and sugar cane around Ixopo/ Highflats area. The district produces 10% of the milk consumed in South Africa and 35% of Clover Milk is from this area.

As part of ensuring that dairy remains a vibrant economic sector, a business plan that will focus on turning Dawn Valley Farm within the jurisdiction of Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality into a milk producing and processing farm has been formulated.

Massive expanse of commercial plantations and the wood harvested provide raw materials for paper. Sappi; Mondi; Mondi-Shanduka and Hans Merensky are the dominant figures in the forestry sector.

Amongst other agricultural opportunities are value adding and agri-processing. Sisonke District has set aside a budget to support Umfulamhle Citrus Production Enterprise.

A detailed feasibility study and business plan on bio-fuel derived from waste material from sawmills has been developed by Ingwe Local Municipality but funding has not yet been secured to kick-start the project.

Tourism
The relatively unspoilt natural environment has high eco-tourism and adventure tourism potential. Activities such horse riding, mountain biking, river rafting, abseiling and canoeing are available. Hikers have a choice of gentle strolls to all morning hikes that will bring one to features such as San rock art sites, pristine berg pools and streams, caves and hilltops with splendid views. Overnight trips take the ardent hiker deep into the mountains and even up the great escarpment onto the South Africa – Lesotho border. The Sani2C, one of the South Africa’s top multi stage mountain bike rides, starts from Underberg and goes through Sisonke District ending in Scottsburg.

Sisonke and the Paton Country Narrow Gauge Railway have developed a fledgling steam rail tourism sector based on the existence of the underutilized Cape Natal Railway line and the remnants of the narrow gauge line from Ixopo to Carisbrooke with a proposed extension to Umzimkhulu. This magnificently restored luxury steam train will offer a chance to experience the beauty of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and Southern Drakensberg, while the off train experiences will touch the hearts of all people fortunate enough to enjoy this journey.

An art gallery featuring the work of Gerald Bhengu will be one of the off train experiences. Bhengu is an internationally recognised artist and his artwork is represented in numerous public and private collections both locally and abroad. The proposed art gallery will not only celebrate the art of Bhengu but will also provide a historical record of African life prior to large scale transformation to modern times.

The Sisonke Stimela was launched by the MEC for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism Mr Michael Mabuyakhulu in April 2010.

Avi Tourism forms the single largest group of eco-tourists globally, and 25% of domestic tourists are interested in birding. Sisonke has two top national birding spots and seven important birding areas. The Marutswa Forest Board Walk in Bulwer has been completed by Sappi and is fully operational. The Ntsikeni Mobile Vulture Hide at Ntsikeni Nature Reserve is home to some rare bird species and has a Ramsar Convention status.

Ntsikeni Nature reserve including its 12000 ha wetland epitomises a raw, untamed, quite and natural beauty. Within the Nature Reserve the Ntsikeni Eco-Tourism Development Enterprise operates two lodges, May and Ntsikeni. The lodges each offer comfortable chalets, a large equipped conference facility and a dining area.

Mission Tourism
The beautiful Centecow Mission in Creighton is one of the largest mission centres established by the Trappist brothers in KwaZulu-Natal. Other Trappist stations are Reichenau, Emmaus, and Kavelear.

Built in 1894 Emmaus Mission was the very last major achievement of Abbot Francis Pfanner. Abbot Francis passed away in 1909. The abbot’s wish was that a piece of his heart be buried at Emmaus Mission. His body was then embalmed and taken to Marianhill Monastry for burial.

The municipality’s comprehensive District Tourism Development Strategy and Implementation aims to address the issues of: tourism marketing, tourism development and tourism management and institutional co-ordination at a district level.