Promoting Economic Opportunity

Amajuba District Municipality is situated in the north western corner of KwaZulu-Natal. The districts local municipalities consist of Dannhauser, Newcastle, and eMadlangeni.

The N11 which runs in a north-south direction, linking the KwaZulu-Natal with Mpumalanga Province, serves as the primary corridor and main access route to the district. The R34 also bisects the district in an east-west direction and provides a linkage from the port city of Richards Bay to the interior.

Newcastle town is the main urban centre and economic hub; towns such as Dannhauser and Utrecht serve as secondary service centres with limited thresholds. Amajuba is positioned within a region that is rich in terms of natural resources which includes Ncandu and Chelmsford Reserves at the foothills of the Drakensberg. The district is predominantly rural and dominated by extensive commercial farmlands mainly in the form of livestock (cattle) farming.

Secondary Node
Newcastle Local Municipality is an urban centre with good existing economic development and growth potential, and which services the regional economy.

The economy of the area is heavily reliant upon the manufacturing sector. Newcastle’s industrial portfolio is dominated by Karbochem, a synthetic rubber plant, and Arcelor-Mittal Steelworks. Other large operations include heavy engineering, a granite tile factory, steel reinforcement, and a slagment cement plant. Newcastle shows a competitive edge for the manufacturing of aluminium-based products; leather goods; textiles and textile products; clothing; automotive components; pharmaceuticals; and metal products and machinery.

Small Rural Service Centre
Dannhauser Local Municipality is the smallest municipality within the district. Dannhauser functions as a small rural service centre (providing commercial service facilities and agricultural industries and services) and is not a large employment generator. Residents of the municipal area rely on the larger urban centres of Dundee and Newcastle for employment opportunities and higher order goods and services.

A Vast Rural Area
eMadlangeni Local Municipality consists of a vast rural area when compared to other municipalities in the district. The municipality has a low percentage of economic activity.

The town of Utrecht, nestling in the foothills of Balele Mountain is unique in that it lies within the confines of the Balele Community Game Park and the Utrecht Community Game Farm. Therefore, it is not unusual to find animals frequenting the outskirts of the town, parks and garden. This initiative by the local town council in conjunction with Balele Conservancy and motivated by individual residents in the district, has brought about a shift in the town’s focus from industry to tourism. eMadlangeni is the most important wool-producing area in KwaZulu-Natal.

Tourism
The Amajuba District Municipality has identified the tourism resources as one of the key potentials for economic development in the district, including:

• Cultural and Historical, including the Mangosuthu Arts and Craft centre and the battlefields where the Boer, British and Zulu battles took place
• The three urban centres which have a good mix of Voortrekker, colonial and eastern structures
• Eco-tourism: birding and hiking
• Outdoor adventures: 4x4 trails, white water rafting and kayaking, abseiling, gliding and micro-lighting, quad, bikes, horse riding, hunting and fishing
• Festivals and sporting competitions