KwaZulu-Natal, also known as KZN, nicknamed the ‘Garden Province’, is a South African province that was created in 1994 after the government merged the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province.
It lies in the southeastern part of South Africa with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean.
KwaZulu-Natal is bordered by countries Eswatini and Mozambique in the north, and Lesotho in the west. It is also bordered by provinces Mpumalanga on the north, Free State on the west, and Eastern Cape on the south.
The province is widely hilly or mountainous, especially along its western border.
KwaZulu-Natal is the second-most populous province in South Africa with 12,312,712 inhabitants (19.5% of the national population) according to the 2024 Mid-Year estimates by Statistics South Africa.
The province covers an area of 94,361 square kilometres (36,433 square miles) making it the third-smallest province in South Africa.
The capital of KwaZulu-Natal is Pietermaritzburg and the largest city in the province is Durban.
Other major cities and towns in KwaZulu-Natal include; Richards Bay, Ladysmith, Newcastle, Port Shepstone, Estcourt, Richmond, uMhlanga, KwaDukuza, Ulundi, Kokstad, Vryheid, and Eshowe.
KwaZulu-Natal has undergone rapid industrialisation due to its huge water supply and labour resources, and as a result, its manufacturing sector is the largest in terms of contribution to GDP.
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.
Agriculture is also key to KwaZulu-Natal’s economy with sugar cane plantations along the coastal belt being the mainstay of the province’s agriculture.
KwaZulu-Natal’s coastal belt is also a big producer of subtropical fruit, while the farmers inland concentrate on vegetable, dairy, and stock farming.
Forestry is also another huge income source, especially in the areas around Eshowe, Vryheid, Harding, Richmond, and Ngome.
KwaZulu-Natal has a total of 54 municipalities, it is divided into one metropolitan municipality and ten district municipalities. The district municipalities are further subdivided into 43 local municipalities.
Metropolitan municipalities
| Name | Code | Seat | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality | ETH | Durban | 2,556 |
District municipalities
| Name | Code | Seat | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amajuba District Municipality | DC25 | Newcastle | 7,102 |
| Harry Gwala District Municipality | DC43 | Ixopo | 10,386 |
| iLembe District Municipality | DC29 | KwaDukuza | 3,269 |
| King Cetshwayo District Municipality | DC28 | Richards Bay | 8,213 |
| Ugu District Municipality | DC21 | Port Shepstone | 4,791 |
| uMgungundlovu District Municipality | DC22 | Pietermaritzburg | 9,602 |
| uMkhanyakude District Municipality | DC27 | Mkuze | 13,855 |
| uMzinyathi District Municipality | DC24 | Dundee | 8,652 |
| uThukela District Municipality | DC23 | Ladysmith | 11,134 |
| Zululand District Municipality | DC26 | Ulundi | 14,799 |
Local municipalities
| Name | Code | District | Seat | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dannhauser Local Municipality | KZN254 | Amajuba | Dannhauser | 1,707 |
| eMadlangeni Local Municipality | KZN253 | Amajuba | Utrecht | 3,539 |
| Newcastle Local Municipality | KZN252 | Amajuba | Newcastle | 1,856 |
| Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Local Municipality | KZN436 | Harry Gwala | Creighton | 3,602 |
| Greater Kokstad Local Municipality | KZN433 | Harry Gwala | Kokstad | 2,680 |
| Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality | KZN434 | Harry Gwala | Ixopo | 1,669 |
| uMzimkhulu Local Municipality | KZN435 | Harry Gwala | uMzimkhulu | 2,436 |
| KwaDukuza Local Municipality | KZN292 | iLembe | KwaDukuza | 735 |
| Mandeni Local Municipality | KZN291 | iLembe | Mandeni | 545 |
| Maphumulo Local Municipality | KZN294 | iLembe | Maphumulo | 896 |
| Ndwedwe Local Municipality | KZN293 | iLembe | Ndwedwe | 1,093 |
| City of uMhlathuze Local Municipality | KZN282 | King Cetshwayo | Richards Bay | 1,233 |
| Mthonjaneni Local Municipality | KZN285 | King Cetshwayo | Melmoth | 1,639 |
| Nkandla Local Municipality | KZN286 | King Cetshwayo | Nkandla | 1,828 |
| uMfolozi Local Municipality | KZN281 | King Cetshwayo | Kwambonambi | 1,300 |
| uMlalazi Local Municipality | KZN284 | King Cetshwayo | Eshowe | 2,214 |
| Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality | KZN216 | Ugu | Port Shepstone | 1,487 |
| Umdoni Local Municipality | KZN212 | Ugu | Scottburgh | 994 |
| uMuziwabantu Local Municipality | KZN214 | Ugu | Harding | 1,089 |
| Umzumbe Local Municipality | KZN213 | Ugu | Mthwalume | 1,221 |
| Impendle Local Municipality | KZN224 | uMgungundlovu | Impendle | 1,610 |
| Mkhambathini Local Municipality | KZN226 | uMgungundlovu | Camperdown | 868 |
| Mpofana Local Municipality | KZN223 | uMgungundlovu | Mooi River | 1,757 |
| Msunduzi Local Municipality | KZN225 | uMgungundlovu | Pietermaritzburg | 751 |
| Richmond Local Municipality | KZN227 | uMgungundlovu | Richmond | 1,231 |
| uMngeni Local Municipality | KZN222 | uMgungundlovu | Howick | 1,520 |
| uMshwathi Local Municipality | KZN221 | uMgungundlovu | Wartburg | 1,866 |
| Big 5 Hlabisa Local Municipality | KZN276 | uMkhanyakude | Hlabisa | 3,466 |
| Jozini Local Municipality | KZN272 | uMkhanyakude | Jozini | 3,442 |
| Mtubatuba Local Municipality | KZN275 | uMkhanyakude | Mtubatuba | 1,970 |
| uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality | KZN271 | uMkhanyakude | kwaNgwanase | 4,977 |
| Endumeni Local Municipality | KZN241 | uMzinyathi | Dundee | 1,610 |
| Nquthu Local Municipality | KZN242 | uMzinyathi | Nquthu | 1,962 |
| uMsinga Local Municipality | KZN244 | uMzinyathi | Tugela Ferry | 2,375 |
| Umvoti Local Municipality | KZN245 | uMzinyathi | Greytown | 2,705 |
| Alfred Duma Local Municipality | KZN238 | uThukela | Ladysmith | 3,764 |
| Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality | KZN237 | uThukela | Estcourt | 3,399 |
| Okhahlamba Local Municipality | KZN235 | uThukela | Bergville | 3,971 |
| AbaQulusi Local Municipality | KZN263 | Zululand | Vryheid | 4,314 |
| eDumbe Local Municipality | KZN261 | Zululand | Paulpietersburg | 1,943 |
| Nongoma Local Municipality | KZN265 | Zululand | Nongoma | 2,182 |
| Ulundi Local Municipality | KZN266 | Zululand | Ulundi | 3,250 |
| uPhongolo Local Municipality | KZN262 | Zululand | Pongola | 3,110 |
