The Amajuba District Municipality (ADM) is a Category C municipality situated in the northwestern region of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Amajuba District Municipality
Type of municipality: | District (Category C) |
Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
Municipal code: | DC25 |
Seat: | Newcastle |
Local municipalities: | 3 |
Total area: | 7,102 km² (2,742 square miles) |
Population: | 687,408 (in 2022) |
Executive mayor: | Misizwe Ndabuko Zulu |
About
The Amajuba District Municipality is geographically located in the northwestern region of KwaZulu-Natal and is divided into three local municipalities namely;
- Dannhauser Local Municipality
- eMadlangeni Local Municipality
- Newcastle Local Municipality
The Amajubi District covers an area of 7,102 km² (2,742 square miles) and it is one of the smallest districts in KwaZulu-Natal, making up only 8% of the province’s geographical area.
The district has an estimated population of 687,408 people. The district headquarters/seat is Newcastle.
The Amajuba District is strategically located along the border of KwaZulu-Natal and serves as a gateway into the Mpumalanga and Free State provinces.
The district is bordered by Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality in the Free State to the west, Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga to the north, Zululand District Municipality to the east, uMzinyathi District Municipality to the south, and uThukela District Municipality to the southwest.
Amajuba means “a place of doves”. The impis of King Shaka named the area Amajuba in 1825. It is associated with peace and it is a world-renowned name. The area is also the site of a battle in which the Boers defeated the British in 1881.
The main transportation routes linking the district to its surrounds are the N11, which is the alternative route to Johannesburg from Durban, and the railway line, which is the main line from the Durban harbour to Gauteng. The R34 also bisects the district in an east-west direction and provides a linkage from the port city of Richards Bay to the interior.
Map

Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Amajuba District Municipality has a population of 687,408 residents, compared to 531,327 in 2016, and 500,615 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 3.08%.
According to the 2022 Census, 28.9% of the population is under the age of 15, 65.3% is between 15 and 64, and 5.9% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 93.1% of the population in the Amajuba District Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 3.4% as White, 2.6% as Indian/Asian, and 0.7% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, the first language of 87.5% of the population is isiZulu, while 5.2% speak English, 3.1% speak Afrikaans, and 4.2% speak other languages.
Economy
The district is viewed as a major industrial centre with several key industries anchoring development in the region, notably: steelworks, textiles, chemicals, and petroleum products.
Agricultural activities (dairy and crop farming) are well organised within the district and there is considerable scope for expansion into agri-beneficiation activities.
A well-developed tourism sector with numerous natural beauty attractions and an emphasis on the battlefields, adventure tourism, and the accommodation requirements of business visitors is also evident in Amajuba.
In summary, the main economic sectors of the district are; manufacturing (35%), community services (22.2%), financial and business services (15.2%), and trade (8.6%).
District council and management
Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 4 – IFP: 4 – EFF: 2 – DA: 1 – TSSA: 1 |
Executive Mayor | Misizwe Ndabuko Zulu |
Deputy Executive Mayor | Thembelihle Mthembu |
Speaker | Siphamandla Zulu |
Chief Whip | Andile Nkosi |
Other Council Members | – Phumzile Mgcina (Exco) – Jabu Phakathi (Exco) – S Sizani (Exco) |
Municipal Manager | Mpumelelo Manqele |
Chief Financial Officer | Mduduzi Mngomezulu |
Senior Management | – SC Mdakane (Director: Community Services) – C Myeza (Director: Planning and Development Services) – Sihlangu Ngobese (Manager: LED) – Joseph Thusi (NAMPAC) – TW Zulu (Director: Engineering Services) |
Communications Officers | Sbonelo Cebekhulu |
Main towns
The Amajuba District is made up of eight major towns, namely;
- Charlestown
- Dannhauser
- Hattingspruit
- Kingsley
- Madadeni
- Newcastle
- Osizweni
- Utrecht
Contact details
Contact details of the Amajuba District Municipality are listed in the table below.
Postal address: | Private Bag X6615, Newcastle, 2940 |
Physical address: | Unit B9356, Amajuba Building, Main Street, Section 1, Madadeni, Newcastle |
Telephone: | 034 329 7200 |
Fax: | 034 314 3785 |
Email: | info@amajuba.gov.za |
Website: | www.amajuba.gov.za |