Ladysmith-uThukela District Municipality

THE SOUL OF THE ZULU KINGDOM uThukela District Municipality, the soul of the Zulu kingdom, is a region that has an abundance of natural resources and opportunities. uThukela is highly accessible and linked to both the provincial and national economic centres by well-established provincial and national road networks. The N3 and N11 make uThukela an important entry point toKwaZulu-Natal. The R74 is an alternative route from the Free State, and is an important tourist route linking the Drakensberg with the north coast of the province. uThukela has a strong district council that has performed an important developmental and administrative role in the region. Investment into infrastructure and services such as water, sports fields, community halls, roads and crèches has benefited many rural communities. The key economic sectors within uThukela include agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, while freight and logistics are a growing sector. The municipal area is generally characterized by good potential agricultural land. The commercial farming sector is dominated by forestry plantations, and field crops including maize, dry beans and potatoes. The extensive livestock production focuses primarily on beef, dairy and sheep. Prospective agricultural projects include: deciduous, berry and citrus fruit plantations, large-scale production of vegetables, sunflowers and peanuts, aloe and Berg tea project, poultry farming, goat farming, bee keeping and game farms. Ladysmith, a thriving, friendly town on the banks of the Klip River, is the major service and retail centre for the region. Ladysmith is centrally located with respect to important corridor development and transport routes in the region, which increases the economic opportunities in and around the town. Due to this location the establishment of an inland cargo terminal container handling facility, intermodal exchange point, refuelling depot, warehousing, storage, clearing and forwarding facilities have been proposed. The textile, clothing, footwear and leather industries have historically been themainstay of the regional economy, with food, beverages and tobacco being other significant manufacturing sub-sectors. Ladysmith offers several industrial areas, the largest being the Ithala Industrial Estate located a short distance from the central business district. uMtshezi, adjacent to the N3 national highway, and on the Johannesburg-Durban electrified main railway line, occupies the ideal spot for any manufacturing industry. uMtshezi has a highly efficient, reliable and cost effective electrical infrastructure, which supplies its large industries with all the power they need to run their plants. An abundance of water, from the nearby Wagendrift Dam, ensures that the industrialists are suitably served at reasonable costs. Estcourt serves as a regional shopping and service centre. The town is well known for some of its industries such as: The Eskort Bacon Factory. which produces sausages and other meat products known throughout many parts of the world; Nestle, the largest factory of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere; and Masonite producing hardboard, softboard and related timber products. Other industries include glassware, nylon goods, maize products, and textiles. uThukela with its scenic Ukhahlamba Drakensberg mountains and historic battlefields is one of South Africa's prime tourist destinations. Annually, approximately half a million tourists are attracted to the Drakensberg ParkWorld Heritage Site from as far afield as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland and North America, as well as domestic tourists primarily from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.