Ixopo, also known as Stuartstown, is a town in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, situated along the R56 Provincial Route and on a tributary of the uMkhomazi River in the Natal Midlands.
Ixopo is the main town and administrative centre/seat of both the Johannes Phumani Phungula Local Municipality (formerly Ubuhlebezwe) and the Amajuba District Municipality.
Ixopo is the main centre of the Southern Midlands and forms part of an important sugar farming and forestry area. Although originally called ‘Stuartstown’, the original Zulu name ‘Ixopo’ has prevailed.
This charming town is not a major tourism ‘hub’, which makes Ixopo particularly attractive to those seeking to get away from it all. The surrounding countryside is breath-taking and there are many hiking trails and a few beautiful waterfalls along the Mzimkulu and Mkhomazi rivers. In the village, you can browse craft outlets and visit the welcoming restaurants and pubs. There are two 19th-century churches and a seminary, all of which are still operational.
For the artist, visit the King’s Grant Country Retreat – owing to the historic red brick buildings and the unique character and atmosphere, Kings Grant offers a truly visual experience that will undoubtedly excite and inspire every artist. Kings Grant houses a well-lit art studio and encourages guests to bring their own equipment and materials for an enchanting art retreat.
Two other landmarks in Ixopo are worth visiting. A floodlit cross bestowing peace and goodwill on the town and the nearby Buddhist Retreat Centre. For over 20 years, people of all religions and none have been visiting the Buddhist Retreat to experience total peace and tranquillity. Different paths meandering through the 300-acre property each bring their own revelation: follow the pine-scented path to the dam; walk past ancient cycads to the tracks of early Voortrekker wagons; or make your way to the rocky outcrop that provides a perfect seat for contemplating the valley below.
Nearby are the breeding sites of the rare Blue Swallow – the Endangered Wildlife Trust has appointed the Buddhist Retreat Centre a custodian of these rare swallows. Their presence, together with the Buddhist Retreat Centre’s commitment to encouraging the indigenous biodiversity of the area, has led to the Centre being declared a Natural Heritage Site by former President Nelson Mandela.
History
The town was laid out in 1878 and named after M Stuart, Resident Magistrate of the surrounding district, who was killed at the Battle of Ingogo in 1881. Its name is derived from the Zulu onomatopoeic word, eXobo, describing the sound made as cattle squelch through mud. The ‘x’, in Zulu, is pronounced as a lateral click.
The town is most famously described by Alan Paton in the opening lines of Cry, the Beloved Country: “There is a lovely road which runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it.”
Until the mid-1980s, Ixopo was served by a railway station on the 610 mm (2 ft 0 in) narrow gauge Umzinto – Donnybrook narrow gauge railway.
