Champions Of Development
Zululand District Municipality borders on the Kingdom of Swaziland, a trading partner of South Africa. The district’s local municipalities comprise èDumbe, uPhongolo, AbaQulusi, Nongoma and Ulundi.
The major towns of Vryheid and Ulundi are both well located in relation to the national road and rail networks. Approximately half of the area is under the jurisdiction of traditional authorities, while the remainder is divided between commercially owned farms and conservation areas.
Zululand’s rich wildlife attracts many tourists, both international and local. The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the largest reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, is a popular destination for big five sightings, and its rhino conservation programme is well known. The Ithala Game Reserve offers an extraordinary experience of geological diversity as the rock formations found here date back 3 000 million years. Zululand is also home to the second oldest reserve in the world, the Pongola Game Reserve.
Approximately half the Ulundi Municipal area consists of commercial farms and the area supports a substantial agricultural community. Ulundi town represents the only urban area in the municipal area and therefore plays an important role in the provision of social and economic facilities to the total population of Ulundi.
Ulundi lies at the hub of the old Zulu Kingdom and has many cultural resources which are not being capitalised on. The tourism attractions include game reserves, historical and cultural sites, cultural events and guest lodges. The KwaZulu Cultural Museum houses interesting displays relating to Zulu history and archaeology. The beehive huts and the layout of the original Zulu village have been reproduced. The eMakhosini Conservancy (Valley of the Zulu Kings), birthplace of King Shaka, is a public private sector project that aims to preserve the culture and history of the Zulu people.
Nongoma Municipality shares its name with the town of Nongoma, the seat of the municipality. The municipality is the home of King Goodwill Zwelithini, the leader of the Zulu nation, and his royal palaces are among the tourist attractions in the region.
èDumbe Municipality is situated in the north western part of KwaZulu-Natal. Most of population live in the rural hinterland of the municipality and lack basic services and facilities.
Forestry and agriculture are the two key economic activities. There is a small manufacturing sector in Paulpietersburg / Dumbe and an informal sector providing a convenience service to the public.
Agriculture and tourism form the basis for the uPhongolo Municipality’s economy. Located around Pongola and the Pongola River, the municipality contains areas of commercial agriculture. While much of the agricultural activities consist of sugar cane farming, smaller areas are under citrus and crop planting.
The uPhongolo Municipality has within its area of jurisdiction two key tourism attractions; the Ithala Game Reserve and the Pongolapoort Dam. These attractions are complemented by many private game farms and game reserves on which several lodges and other tourism related facilities are located.
AbaQulusi is a largely rural community with low income levels endowed with various resources, which have not yet been fully developed. AbaQulusi’s tourism potential lies in its well-developed infrastructure, links with the Battlefields Route, its conference potential, ecotourism and outdoor adventure events.