Page 60 - KZN Top Business Portfolio 2018

CITY OF UMHLATHUZE

Mayor: Municipal Manager:
Cllr MG Mhlongo Dr NJ Sibeko
www.umhlathuze.gov.za

A PROVINCIAL PRIORITY is the growth engine for one of the primary provincial
growth nodes.
The City of uMhlathuze is situated on the north-east
coast of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, about 180 Empangeni’s role as an industrial, commercial and
kilometres north-east of Durban. The N2 highway service centre to the settlements of Esikhaleni, Eshowe,
traverses the municipality in a northeast direction Nkandla, Ntambanana and other rural settlements
towards the Swaziland border and south-west towards attracts many people to the range of higher order
Durban. uMhlathuze contributes 48% towards the GDP services available in the town.
within the King Cetshwayo District. Apart from the daunting task of changing the economic
The municipality has the benefit of about 45km of face of the City of uMhlathuze, it is imperative to ensure
coastline of which about 80% is in its natural state. that all citizens continue to receive the best services
Linked to its coastal locality is the Richards Bay that the municipality has to offer.
deep-water port (the country’s largest) that has Economic Development
been instrumental in the spatial development of the
area in the past and will impact on the area’s future The City of uMhlathuze promotes “competitiveness
development. in the manufacturing sector whilst advancing
downstream value-adding opportunities that are
Richards Bay, as a harbour and industrial town, is labour intensive”.
considered as the fastest growing secondary city
in South Africa. The town attracts people from The Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ)
surrounding towns, rural settlements and from beyond has been designated as special economic zone and
the district. As the main economic attraction of the is a national priority for stimulating growth in the
area, the port is the priority for stimulating the local manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector is
economy. The port is also a provincial priority in that it important in the province (largest contributor to PGDP).

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