The uMgungundlovu District Municipality is the second largest municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, and includes the capital city of the province, Pietermaritzburg.

The district has a rich and complex natural environment with numerous resources, including traditional farmland communities, informal rural settlements and upmarket urban areas. An efficient network of roads and railways links the rural areas with urban centres with the N3 national road offering substantial opportunity for development.

Seat of the District
The Msunduzi Municipality is centred on the city of Pietermaritzburg, which is the seat of both the district and local municipality. Pietermaritzburg, the second largest city within KwaZulu-Natal and the eighth largest city in South Africa, has much potential for growth in the coming years.

Tourism and Agriculture Opportunities
Based in Wartburg/New Hanover, the uMshwathi Local Municipality is the largest of the seven local municipalities, comprising almost 2 000 km². The area has good rainfall, fertile soils and a temperate climate which results in significant sugar cane and maize production.

The Albert Falls and Nagle Dams offer tourism and agriculture opportunities, with leisure activities including bass fishing, canoeing, kayaking and rowing.

Successful Initiative
With its municipal seat at Howick, uMngeni Municipality presents a mix of manufacturing enterprises, leisure and sporting facilities, as well as a burgeoning agricultural sector. Howick Falls, Karkloof Falls and Midmar Dam are tourism attractions, and the Midlands Meander is one of the most successful tourism initiatives in South Africa. The area lends itself to beef and dairy farming, timber production and the cultivation of vegetables.

Bustling Town
The administrative centre of Mpofana Local Municipality is the bustling town of Mooi River, which takes its name from the Mooirivier (pretty river) and Little Mooi tributary. The population/area ratio is the lowest in the district, emphasizing the viability of agricultural crops such as maize, wheat, beans, peas and potatoes. Cattle and sheep are farmed extensively, and the area boasts some of South Africa’s best racehorse stud farms.

Ecologically Sustainable
The Impendle Local Municipality borders on the Drakensberg mountain range. There is potential for ecologically sustainable tourism enterprises, particularly those focused on indigenous rock art, prolific bird life and fly-fishing. Community based craft endeavours and emerging micro enterprises point to the future.

Predominantly Rural
Named after the largest town in the area, Richmond Local Municipality is synonymous with timber, fruit and vegetable production, and wood products. The municipality is a place of great beauty with significant tourist attractions. Most of the population resides in areas which are rural and characterised by low levels of basic services and unemployment.

Comparative Advantages
Based in Camperdown, the Mkhambathini Local Municipality has several advantages. It is well located in relation to Durban and Pietermaritzburg and adjoins Cato Ridge, a potential industrial node. The N3 highway, which is identified in the KZN Spatial Growth and Development Strategy as a provincial development corridor, runs east west through the central part of the municipality.

Development Agency
The uMgungundlovu Economic Development Agency (uMEDA) facilitates strategic catalytic projects and champions the radical agrarian socio-economic transformation agenda of the district.
(www.exploremidlands.co.za)