It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on theIndian Ocean. It shares borders with three other provinces and the countries ofMozambique,Eswatini andLesotho. Its capital isPietermaritzburg, and its largest city isDurban, which is also thecity with the largest port in sub-saharan Africa. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, afterGauteng.
During the 1830s and early 1840s, the northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as theZulu Kingdom. The southern part was, briefly, theBoerNatalia Republic before the British took over control in 1843, renaming it as theColony of Natal in 1843. The Zulu Kingdom remained independent until 1879.
At around 92,100 km2 (35,600 sq mi) in area, KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the size of Portugal. It has three different geographic areas and is the eastern most province in the country. Thelowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in the south, widening in the northern part of the province, while the centralNatal Midlands consists of an undulating hillyplateau rising toward the west. Two mountainous areas, the westernDrakensberg Mountains and northernLebombo Mountains form, respectively, a solidbasalt wall rising over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) beside Lesotho border and low parallel ranges of ancientgranite running southward from Eswatini. The area's largest river, theTugela, flows west to east across the center of the province.
The coastal regions typically havesubtropical thickets and deeper ravines; steep slopes host someAfromontane Forest. The midlands have moist grasslands and isolated pockets of Afromontane Forest. The north has a primarily moistsavanna habitat, whilst the Drakensberg region hosts mostlyalpinegrassland.
The province contains rich areas of biodiversity of a range of flora and fauna. TheiSimangaliso Wetland Park and theuKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park have been declaredUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, arewetlands of international importance formigratory species and are designated asRamsar sites. South Africa signed the 1971Ramsar Convention to try to conserve and protect important wetlands because of their importance to habitats and numerous species.
The formerEastern Capeenclave of the town ofUmzimkulu and its hinterland have been incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal following the 12th amendment of theConstitution of South Africa. The amendment also made other changes to the southern border of the province.
The province became the first to include a portion of road that is made of partial plastic, the equivalent of nearly 40,000 recycled milk cartons.[7][8]
Upland savannah near PietermaritzburgMangrove forest at the Umgeni River estuary in Durban
KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast issubtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder.Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a minimum of 21 °C (70 °F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C (73 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F).
The temperature drops towards the hinterland, withPietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter.Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on the highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity, supporting manysugar cane farms around Pongola.
In 2012, theIngonyama Trust owns 32% of the land in KwaZulu-Natal, in many municipalities. This amounts to about three million hectares, occupied by over 4 million people. The Zulu king is the chairman of the Trust.
The coastline is dotted with small towns, many of which serve as seasonal recreational hubs. The climate of the coastal areas is humid and subtropical, comparable to southern Florida in the United States, but not quite as hot and rainy in the summer. As one moves further north up the coast towards the border of Mozambique, the climate becomes almost purely tropical. North of Durban is locally referred to as "The North Coast", while south is "The South Coast". The Kwazulu-Natal Tourist board includes towns such asMargate,Port Shepstone,Scottburgh andPort Edward in its definition of the South Coast, whileBallito,uMhlanga, Zimbali andSalt Rock are North Coast resort towns.
San Lameer Resort
Beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of South Africa's eastern seaboard, with some of the least-developed gems found in the far southern and far northern ends of the province.Marina Beach (and its adjoining resort San Lameer) was recognised in 2002 as aBlue Flag beach.
Some visitors come for the annual late autumn or early winter phenomenon on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of the "sardine run". Referred to as "the greatest shoal on earth", the sardine run occurs when millions ofsardines migrate from theirspawning grounds south of the southern tip of Africa northward along theEastern Cape coastline toward KwaZulu-Natal. They follow a route close inshore, often resulting in many fish washing up on beaches. The huge shoal of tiny fish can stretch for many kilometres; it is preyed upon by thousands of predators, includinggame fish,sharks, dolphins andseabirds. Usually, the shoals break up and the fish disappear into deeper water around Durban. Scientists have been unable to answer many questions surrounding this exceptional seasonal event.
There is a lovely road that runs fromIxopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles (11 km) into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of thetitihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of theUmzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli andGriqualand East.
The area where theZulu language is dominant (in 2011).
The area where theZulu language is significant (in 2011).
OnChristmas Day 1497, Portuguese explorerVasco da Gama saw the coast of Natal and named the site after the Portuguese word for Christmas,Natal. TheNguni branch of theBantu occupied this area from the early 1300s.[9]
The first European settlers, mostly British, establishedPort Natal, a trading post. They made almost no attempt to develop the interior, whose inhabitants had beendecimated by theZulu king,Shaka. TheAfrikanerVoortrekkers entered the area via theDrakensberg passes in 1837. These Afrikaners defeated the Zulus at theBattle of Blood River in 1838 and thereafter established the Republic of Natal. Thus, the territory was once part of ashort-lived Boer republic between 1839 and 1843 until its annexation by Britain. Many Afrikaner inhabitants left for the interior after the annexation and were replaced by immigrants, mainly from Britain.
From 1860 onwards, increasing numbers of Indians, mainlyTamils,[10] were brought in by the British mainly to work in the sugar plantations on the coast. The colony acquired Zululand (the area north of the Tugela River) after the Zulu War of 1879. The lands north of the Buffalo River were added in 1902.Boer forces entered the area during the South African War (1899 to 1902) – also known as the secondBoer War – and laid siege toLadysmith. They failed to build on their initial advantage and for three months the line between the opposing forces followed the course of theTugela River. In 1910, the colony became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa.
When thehomeland of KwaZulu, which means "Place of the Zulu" was re-incorporated into the Natal province after the end ofapartheid in 1994, the province of Natal, which had existed between 1910 and 1994, was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. The province is home to the Zulu monarchy; the majority population speakZulu. It is the only province in South Africa that has the name of its dominant ethnic group as part of its name. As withEastern Cape, mostWhite South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal are ofBritish descent and less than a quarter of whites in the province are of Boer/Afrikaner descent.[11][12][13]
The lion andwildebeestsupporters are symbols of, respectively, KwaZulu and Natal, the regions joined to create KwaZulu-Natal. Besides its importance as a symbol of the Zulu monarchy, the lion is also featured in the state emblems of the India and the United Kingdom which together represent the three largest people groups in KwaZulu-Natal and also represents the unity between them. The zig-zag stripe represents theDrakensberg, which is green in summer, but snowcapped in winter.[14]
The star represents theStar of Bethlehem, due toVasco da Gama naming the region "Natalia", a reference to the birth of Christ, on Christmas Day in 1497. Thestrelitzia flower on the shield symbolizes the province's beauty. Theassegai andknobkierrie behind the shield represent protection and peace. The base of thecrown element is a type of headdress traditionally worn by Zulu elders, that represents wisdom and maturity. The element itself is a Zulu-style grass hut. The motto isMasisukume Sakhe, Zulu for "Let us stand up and build".[14]
KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government sits inPietermaritzburg. The foundation stone of the new legislative building was laid on 21 June 1887, to commemorateQueen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The building was completed two years later. On 25 April 1889, the Governor of Natal, SirArthur Havelock, opened the first Legislative Council session in the new building.
This was the former site of St Mary's Church, built in the 1860s. The congregation built a new church in 1884 at the corner of Burger Street and Commercial Road. The old building was demolished in 1887 to provide space for the legislative complex.
When governance was granted to Natal in 1893, the new Legislative Assembly took over the chamber used by the Legislative Council since 1889. Further extensions to the parliamentary building were made. The building was unoccupied until 1902, when it was used without being officially opened, due to the country's being engulfed in theAnglo-Boer war. The war forced the Legislative Assembly to move the venue of its sittings, as its chamber was used as a military hospital.
The Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council buildings have both been protected asprovincial landmarks. They formed a colonial Parliament of two houses: a Council of 11 nominated members and an Assembly of 37 elected members. The Natal Parliament was disbanded in 1910 when the Union of South Africa was formed, and the Assembly became the meeting place of the Natal Provincial Council. The council was disbanded in 1986.
The2024 election saw a major upheaval in KwaZulu-Natal's political landscape. TheAfrican National Congress (ANC), which had won a majority in the province in every election since2004, saw its vote collapse by nearly two-thirds, down to 17% and in third place. In contrast,uMkhonto we Sizwe, a new party led by former PresidentJacob Zuma, became the province's largest party, winning 45% of the vote, primarily among the province's ethnicZulu majority. After the election, theInkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which previously had been the province's official opposition party, formed a coalition government with the ANC, theDemocratic Alliance (DA), and theNational Freedom Party. As part of the coalition agreement, the IFP'sThami Ntuli becamepremier, making him the first IFP member to hold the position in twenty years.[15]
KwaZulu-Natal is the home to theZulu monarch, currently KingMisuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini. As of 2015[update], theKing of the Zulu Nation is provided a stipend of 54 millionSouth African rands by the provincial government.[17] He is also the chairman of theIngonyama Trust, which controls 32% of the area of the province. Under provincial legislation the Zulu monarch is considered the monarch of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.[18] The King's constitutional powers are limited. This makes KwaZulu-Natal, uniquely among South African provinces, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
As of the2022 census, KwaZulu-Natal had a population of 12,423,907, an increase of 21.0% from the prior census in2011. It is the second-most populous of South Africa's nine provinces. The median age is 28, an increase of 6 years from 2011.[19]
In the 2022 census, 84.8% of the population described themselves asBlack African, 9.3% asIndian/Asian, 4.1% asWhite, and 1.5% asColoured.[19] A large majority of Black African people in the province areZulu. KwaZulu-Natal has the largest Indian population in South Africa, with a majority of all Indian South Africans living in the province. A majority of the White population is ofBritish descent, making it one of only two provinces (along with theEastern Cape) where Whites of British descent outnumberAfrikaners.
In the 2022 census, 81.8% of the population reported theirfirst language asZulu, 14.4% asEnglish, 3.1% asXhosa, and 1.0% asAfrikaans. KwaZulu-Natal is the only province in which native Zulu-speakers form a majority of the population. The province also has the second-highest proportion of English speakers of South Africa's nine provinces (after theWestern Cape).[19]
KwaZulu-Natal has the second largest regional economy in the country afterGauteng.Durban is a rapidly growing urban area and is by most measures the busiest port in Africa.[20] A good railway network links the city to other areas of Southern Africa.
Sugar refining is Durban's main industry. Sheep, cattle, dairy,citrus fruits,corn,sorghum, cotton, bananas, andpineapples are also raised. There is an embryonic KwaZulu-Natal wine industry. Other industries, located mainly in and around Durban, include textile, clothing,chemicals, rubber,fertiliser, paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing plants, tanneries, andoil refineries.
To the north,Newcastle is the province's industrial powerhouse, withMittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR) and the Karbochemsynthetic rubber plant dominating the economy. In 2002, Newcastle became the largest producer of chrome chemicals in Africa with the completion of a chrome-chemical plant, a joint-venture project between Karbochem and German manufacturing giant Bayer.
Other large operations include a diamond-cutting works, various heavy engineering concerns, the Natal Portland Cement (NPC) slagment cement factory, and the Newcastle Cogeneration Plant (old Ingagane Power Station). This was recommissioned as Africa's first gas-fired power station by Independent Power Southern Africa (IPSA), and it supplies the Karbochem Plant with electricity. The textile industry is a major employer in the Newcastle area, with over 100 factories belonging to ethnic Taiwanese and Chinese industrialists. Maize, livestock and dairy farmers operate on the outskirts of the city. Coal is mined in the Newcastle area.
Offshore mining ofheavy mineral sands including minerals with a concentration of significant economic importance at several locations, such asrutile,ilmenite andzircon are threatening the marine ecology of KwaZulu-Natal's coast, including the Tugela Banks. The fishing economy of the prawn and nurse fisheries are also threatened.[21][22]
Ecology tourism is increasingly important to the economy of KwaZulu-Natal. The area's rich biodiversity and efforts at conservation have been recognised. Tourists have come to see theiSimangaliso Wetland Park and theuKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, declaredUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites. These two major parks and that of Ndumo havewetlands of international importance listed asRamsar sites for conservation.
Prominent civil society organisations based in the province of KwaZulu-Natal include:Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers') movement,[23] the Diakonia Council of Churches,[24] theRight2Know campaign,[25] and the Unemployed People's Movement.[26]
Thescaly yellowfish (Labeobarbus natalensis) is a fish found in theTugela River system as well as in theUmzimkulu,Umfolozi and theMgeni. It is a commonendemic species in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between theDrakensberg foothills and the coastal lowlands.[27]
Carissa macrocarpa (Natal plum) is a shrub native to South Africa, where it is commonly called the "large num-num". In the Zulu language or isiZulu, as well as in the Bantu tribes of Uganda, it is known as theAmathungulu or umThungulu oBomvu. In Afrikaans, the fruit is callednoem-noem.
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