South Africa: KwaZulu Natal

Capital: Pietermaritzburg
Principal Languages: isiZulu (80.9%) English (13.6%) Afrikaans (1.5%)
Population: 9,924,000 (Mid-year Populations Estimates, 2006)
Area (km²): 92,100

Aptly called South Africa’s garden province, KwaZulu-Natal is one of the country’s most popular holiday destinations. This verdant region includes South Africa’s lush subtropical east coast. Washed by the warm Indian Ocean, it stretches from Port Edward in the south, and northwards to the Mozambique boundary. In addition to the magnificent coastline, the province also boasts sweeping savanna in the east, and the majestic Drakensberg mountain range in the west.

Visitors to KwaZulu-Natal can either disembark at Durban International Airport, which handles more than 2.5 million passengers a year, or at Durban harbor. Alternatively, they can make use of the extensive national road network.

According to statistics provided by the Tourism Authority of KwaZulu-Natal, the province received 13.9 million domestic visitors and 1.3 million international visitors in 2004. At a conservative increase of 2% projected for 2006, tourism was expected to inject R33 billion into the provincial economy.

Durban is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the world. Its port is the busiest in South Africa and is one of the 10-largest in the world.

The Port of Richards Bay handles some 1,000 containers per month. Combined, these two ports handle about 78% of South Africa’s cargo tonnage.

Since one of the 2010 Soccer World Cup semifinals will be contested in Durban, provincial government, in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality, national government and the South African Football Association, plans to spend R1.6 billion on building an iconic stadium.

The 70,000-seater King Senzangakhona Stadium is expected to be completed by December 2008.

KwaZulu-Natal is the only province with a monarchy specifically provided for in the Constitution.

Pietermaritzburg is KwaZulu-Natal’s capital and Richards Bay is an important coal-export harbor. The province has several popular coastal holiday resorts, such as Port Shepstone, Umhlanga Rocks and Margate. In the interior, Newcastle is well known for steel production and coal-mining, Estcourt for meat processing, and Ladysmith and Richmond for mixed agriculture. The KwaZulu-Natal coastal belt yields sugar cane, wood, oranges, bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit.

The province is also well-known for its active conservation activities. The Royal Natal National Park has more than 1,000 plant species, 12 species of antelope and three of the world’s seven species of crane. There are several other reserves such as Giant’s Castle and the Kamberg Nature Reserve. Some of South Africa’s best-protected indigenous coastal forests are found along the subtropical coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, for example, at Dukuduku and Kosi Bay. It is also along this coast that the magnificent St Lucia Estuary and Kosi Bay lakes are located. In 1999, the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park was declared a world heritage site.

Separating KwaZulu-Natal from Lesotho, the Drakensberg runs 200 km. along the western boundary of the province.

The northern part of the province, south of the Swaziland border, is typical African savanna, providing a natural backdrop for its rich wildlife, which is protected in several game parks.

The People
Agriculture and Industry

The People

KwaZulu-Natal has more than 9,9 million people living on 92 100 km2 of land (Mid-Year Population Estimates, 2006). The principal language spoken is isiZulu, followed by English and Afrikaans. Remnants of British colonialism, together with Zulu, Indian and Afrikaans traditions make for an interesting cultural mix in the province. The province boasts several universities, universities of technology and other educational institutions, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Durban Institute of Technology. A total of 21,9% of the province’s population aged 20 and above has received no form of education (Census 2001). KwaZulu-Natal was the second-highest contributor to the South African economy during 2004, at 16,7% (at current prices) of GDP. The key strength of this province’s economy is its trade and transport infrastructure. The province’s unemployment rate of 29,9% is the second-highest in the country (Labour Force Survey, March 2006).

Agriculture and Industry

Richards Bay is the centre of operations for South Africa’s aluminium industry. The Richards Bay Coal Terminal is instrumental in securing the country’s position as the second-largest exporter of steam coal in the world. Richards Bay Minerals is the largest sand-mining and mineral-processing operation in the world.

The motor vehicle-manufacturing industry has created a considerable multiplier effect in component- and service-providers. The automotive leather industry has grown rapidly, with exports significantly increasing foreign-exchange earnings. In recent times, the province has undergone rapid industrialisation owing to its abundant water supply and labour resources. Industries are found at Newcastle, Ladysmith, Dundee, Richards Bay, Durban, Hammarsdale, Richmond, Pietermaritzburg and Mandeni.

Construction of Durban’s new international airport, King Shaka International, is expected to start in 2007. It will form part of an IDZ at La Mercy, north of the city. The sugar-cane plantations along the Indian Ocean coastal belt form the mainstay of the economy and agriculture of the region. The coastal belt is also a large producer of subtropical fruit, while the farmers in the hinterland concentrate on vegetable-, dairy- and stock-farming. Another major source of income is forestry in the areas around Vryheid, Eshowe, Richmond, Harding and Ngome, which is also known for its tea plantations.

The summer-rainfall coastal regions of this province are hot and humid with a subtropical climate. The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands between the coastal strip and the southern Drakensberg Escarpment are drier, with extremely cold conditions in winter and snow on the high-lying ground. In the north, the subtropical strip extends around Swaziland to the edge of the escarpment.

Last Revised: Tuesday, October 09, 2007