Page 70 - KZN Top Business Portfolio 2018

UMZINYATHI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Mayor: Cllr PMS Nguba
www.umzinyathi.gov.za

PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT There is very little product beneficiation with most
products being exported to major markets for further
The uMzinyathi District Municipality is in the northern processing and / or export.
central area of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal. The
district lies between the main N3 corridor from Durban Key Economic Centre
to Gauteng and the coastal corridor, running along the
east coast. uMzinyathi consists of the local municipalities Endumeni Municipality is a key administrative,
of Endumeni, Msinga, Nquthu and Umvoti. educational and economic centre for northern
KwaZulu-Natal. Endumeni, with the smallest
In conjunction with its north western neighbour, population, but the largest economy of the district,
Amajuba District Municipality, uMzinyathi is branded comprises the towns of Dundee, Glencoe and
as the ‘Custodian of the Battlefields’ region of the Zulu Wasbank, together with several farms. Dundee is
Kingdom. The battlefields form a vital role in the spatial
economy of the province from a tourism perspective. the administrative seat of Umzinyathi and can be
The strong traditional culture present is an asset that viewed as a strong regional centre with substantial
provides support mechanisms for the local communities commercial and agricultural activity.
and is a living guardian of the Zulu culture. This municipality is unique; its population is
Other tourist sites include 13 private game reserves predominantly urbanised or based on commercial
and one 18 000 ha proclaimed conservation area. farms and unlike the other local municipalities there
There are two natural heritage sites: Fugitives Drift and is no tribal authority land. Endumeni’s diversified
Hlathikulu at Wasbank. Two wild cycad areas will be economy includes commercial cattle farming and
added to this list soon. Other significant sites include dairy production and tourism.
waterfalls, raptor breeding sites, a yellow wood forest
and wetlands, including Paddavlei and Gladstone Vlei. Dundee and Glencoe form part of the Coal Rim of
KwaZulu-Natal, that have over the past decade been
Most industry in the area is associated with agriculture negatively affected by a substantial decline in the coal
or hand work (carpets, beadwork) by trained artisans.
The bottling of water has resulted in aQuellé becoming mining sector which previously formed the economic
a national brand. The municipal area has extensive base of the areas. However, the coal mining industry
grasslands in the north, supporting the primary is undergoing a restructuring process and there is
agricultural sector based on cattle ranching for beef, interest in the small-scale regeneration of the coal
small scale sheep and mixed farming and maize belt for SMME development. A small amount of stone
cultivation. In the southern areas substantial forestry quarrying occurs in the district.
is prevalent. Sugar cane and smaller scale fruit farming
such as avocado and kiwi fruit cultivation also occur. Agricultural Centre
The area has high potential for growth in agricultural The Umvoti Municipality comprises urban areas,
crop production (maize, soybean and sugar cane). commercial agricultural areas and tribal authority
In rural areas, particularly at Umsinga and Nquthu,
animals are not kept as farming commodities and are areas all of which exhibit typical characteristics
seldom slaughtered or sold. There is a need for farmer associated with these settlement types. The main
support programmes to improve stock management. town in the Umvoti Municipality is Greytown. It is
It is important to broaden rural livelihoods through the agricultural centre of the district and contributes
targeted agricultural production. substantially to the economic viability of the region.

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