The Umvoti Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated in the southern region of the uMzinyathi District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District: | uMzinyathi |
| Municipal code: | KZN245 |
| Seat: | Greytown |
| Number of wards: | 14 |
| Total area: | 2,705 km² (1,044 square miles) |
| Population: | 142,042 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Philani Mavundla |
About
The Umvoti Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the uMzinyathi District Municipality.
The municipality is named after the uMvoti River, which runs from the west to the east towards the Indian Ocean. Umvoti Local Municipality is situated nearer the mouth of the river.
The word Umvoti means “The one who flows quietly”.
The Umvoti Local Municipality comprises 14 electoral wards and covers an area of 2,705 km² (1,044 square miles), making it the largest local municipality in the uMzinyathi District, as it accounts for a third of its geographical area..
The Umvoti Local Municipality is bordered by:
- uMsinga Local Municipality to the north
- Nkandla Local Municipality in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality to the north and northeast
- Maphumulo Local Municipality in the iLembe District Municipality to the east
- Ndwedwe Local Municipality in the iLembe District Municipality to the south
- uMshwathi Local Municipality in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality to the south and southwest
- Mpofana Local Municipality in the uMgungundlovu District Municipality to the west
The administrative headquarters/municipal offices of the Umvoti Local Municipality are in the town of Greytown, which is situated approximately 73 kilometres northeast of Pietermaritzburg (the provincial capital) and 148 kilometres northwest of Durban (the provincial economic powerhouse).
Umvoti Local Municipality is well-served by Provincial and Regional roads given its location at the intersection of the roads to Pietermaritzburg, the coast, the Drakensberg and the Battlefields Route.
The Umvoti Municipality comprises five traditional authority areas, all of which are located beyond a 40 kilometres radius from Greytown (the main centre within the municipalilty).
The central region of Umvoti Local Municipality is generally covered with high potential commercial farmland and is characterized by low population density.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Umvoti Local Municipality has a population of 142,042 people, compared to 122,423 in 2016, and 114,715 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.07%.
According to the 2022 Census, 32.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 61.3% is between 15 and 64, and 6.3% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 94.6% of the population in the Umvoti Local Municipality describe themselves as Black African, 2.2% as Indian/Asian, 2.2% as White, and 0.8% as Coloured.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 90.9% of the population speaks isiZulu as their first language, 5% speak English, and 4.1% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of the Umvoti Local Municipality are community services, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Greytown is the main provider of higher income jobs in senior management, technical, professional, clerks, service related and skilled, providing almost 27% of all jobs in the Umvoti Municipality.
The manufacturing sector makes the second largest contribution to the local economy of Umvoti.
There is limited economic activity taking place within the traditional authority areas.
Agriculture
Agriculture, particularly, forestry is the dominant economic activity in Umvoti Local Municipality. Commercial farms provide for approximately 86% of the skilled jobs and these are primarily provided in the processing plants.
The agricultural potential within the Umvoti Municipality can be summarised as follows:
- Good agricultural potential is found in the Greytown area and along Umvoti River arising from a combination of good soils, moderate temperatures, high rainfalls, and moderate slopes.
- Moderate agricultural potential is concentrated in the area between Greytown and Kranskop, but large patches are scattered throughout the municipal area, where productivity is adversely affected by acidic soils, difficult topography, population pressure, and high hail tendencies. The carrying capacity of the veld is high in summer, but poor during the winter months. Soil erosion is a recurring problem where there are steep slopes and poor land use practices.
- Restricted agricultural potential exists along the Mooi River and north of Kranskop Town.
Municipal council and management
The Umvoti municipal council is comprised of 27 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 14 wards, while the remaining 13 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the election of 1 November 2021, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of 10 seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 10 – IFP: 9 – ABC: 7 – DA: 1 |
| Controlling party | Hung Council |
| Executive Mayor | Philani Mavundla |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Mbongiseni Dlamini |
| Speaker | M.M Masondo |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – Lucia T Gwalla – Rajendraparsad Maharaj – Thamsanqa Clive Ngubane (Exco Member) – Rosebud Ntombiyenkosi Ngubane (Exco Member) – Silam V Zondi |
| Municipal Manager | N.P Ndaba |
| Chief Financial Officer | Bonga Mkhize |
| Senior Management | – Nozipho V Khumalo (Director: Planning and Economic Services) – Msawenkosi Malinga (Manager: LED) – M.F Maphanga (Acting Director: Corporate Services) – N Qwabe (Acting Director: Technical Services) |
| Communications Officers | K Maharaj |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Umvoti Local Municipality.
- Greytown
- Hermannsburg
- Kranskop
- Muden
Contact details
The contact details of the Umvoti Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 71, Greytown, 3250 |
| Physical Address: | 41 King Dinuzulu/Bell Street, Greytown, 3250 |
| Telephone: | 033 413 9100 |
| Fax: | 033 417 1393 |
| Email: | info@umvoti.gov.za |
| Website: | www.umvoti.gov.za |
| Police: | 10111 |
| EMRS: | 10177 |
| Fire Brigade: | 033 417 2911 |
| Greytown Hospital: | 033 413 9400 |
| Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI): | 033 413 1641 |
| Waste Management: | 033 413 9148 |
| Cemeteries and Burial Grounds: | 033 413 9148 |
| Museum: | 033 413 9124 |
Tourism
There is good potential for the development of the tourism sector of the economy.
Umvoti Local Municipality has a distinctive and exceptional opportunity to develop as a tourist area due to the easy access to the Battlefields, Zulu Heritage and culture, and eco-tourism zones from the region.
The following can serve as the basis for the realization of this potential:
- Itshe lika Ntunjambili in Kranskop
- Kwashushu Hot Springs
- Lilani Hot Springs
- Itshe lika Bhambatha
- Indigenous Arts and Craft
- Ngome Game Reserve
- Montello Game reserve
- Louis Botha’s birthplace on the farm Honeyfontein
- The 120 year old giant fig tree in Greytown Museum grounds
- Bhambatha’s Rock
- Remnants of Forts Cherry, Buckingham, Ahrens, Bengough, Mispah, and Wolftrap, of which most were erected during the Zulu War of 1879 and reused during the Bambatha Rebellion
- Greytown Town Hall –it was opened in 1904
- The Methodist Church – it was built in 1877 and is the oldest church in Greytown
- The Dutch Reformed Church Bell from 1861
- Lake Merthly – a popular attraction for visitors and tourists
- Greytown Museum and Community Tourism Information Centre is situated in a historical monument (old magistrates residency and former home of General Louis Botha’s sister). It is crammed with memorabilia from Anglo-Zulu and South African Wars, Bambatha Rebellion, World War I, World War II and the Liberation struggle
- Hermannsburg Museum – an old mission house that reflects early missionary life and Zulu culture, as well as a blacksmith’s forge.
