Umzinyathi District Municipality
Commemoration Ceremony of the Battle of Isandlwana
(Courtesy, KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier)
uMzinyathi located in the northern central areas of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal. The district lies between the main N3 corridor from Durban to Gauteng and the coastal corridor, running along the east coast.
uMzinyathi includes some of the poorest and most under developed rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, most notable the Msinga and Nquthu Municipalities. In Nquthu and Msinga there is a dominance of the three peri-urban settlements of Tugela Ferry, Pomeroy and Keate's Drift. The population densities of these three areas are higher than those of the rest of the district.
Important towns are Dundee in Endumeni, which is the service centre and the geographical and administrative heart of northern KwaZulu-Natal, and Greytown in Umvoti, a strong regional centre with substantial commercial and agricultural activity. Nquthu is strategically located on the crossroad of provincial roads, placing the node as an economic powerhouse, with the potential to grow as a service support hub. Economic sectors include manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
The temperate climate, which only receives some frost in parts of the region in winter, allows for a range of agricultural activities. The area has extensive grasslands in the north supporting the primary agricultural sector based on cattle ranching for beef, small scale sheep and mixed farming as well as maize cultivation. Orange Grove Dairy has one of South Africa's largest pedigree Jersey herds and manufactures and distributes over 200 dairy products throughout KwaZulu-Natal.
In the southern areas substantial forestry is prevalent. Sugar cane and smaller scale fruit farming such as avocado and kiwi fruit cultivation also occur.
Potential exists in the:
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Growth of maize, soybean and sugar cane production
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Expanding informal agricultural activities to larger operations with more commercial value
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Broadening rural livelihoods through targeted agricultural production
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Product beneficiation
Mineral deposits found in the district include coal and metal ores. There is interest in the small scale regeneration of the coal belt. uMzinyathi, in conjunction with AmajubaMunicipality, are branded as the custodians of the Battlefields region of the Zulu Kingdom, which play a vital role in the economy of KwaZulu-Natal.
Isandlwana where the Zulu army attacked a British regiment is a well known tourist destination worldwide. Rorke's Drift is the site of one of the most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War where 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded, the most ever to be won in a single battle.
Visitors to the area are mainly domestic tourists, although some foreign tourists pass through the region en route to other attractions outside the node such as the Drakensberg, Swaziland or the Kruger National Park. The key challenge is to upgrade the economic node's tourism attractions and improve its accommodation facilities in order to retain a greater share of tourism activity.
The unique destination also offers Zulu cultural experiences, craft and birding routes, 13 private game reserves, fishing in dams and rivers, white-water rafting, horseback safaris and a host of other adventures.
A number of gracious old homes in the towns and on farms have been converted into tourist accommodation. Authentic
battle field hotels, like the Royal Country Inn in Dundee, guest lodges, self-catering cottages and caravan parks offer visitors a wide range of quality accommodation.
