Jozini Local Municipality lies in northern KwaZulu-Natal’s Umkhanyakude District, along the Mozambique
and eSwatini borders. Jozini town is the seat. The 2022 census counted 199,153 people across 3,438.3 km²,
up from 186,502 in 2011.
Away from the three named towns, the bulk of the population lives in traditional wards including
Nyawo, Sqakatha, Mathenjwa and Mngomezulu — each covering tens of thousands of residents spread across
scattered rural homesteads rather than a single settlement.
Towns and Villages in Jozini
Jozini town sits beside the Pongolapoort (Jozini) Dam and serves as the district’s northern gateway;
Mkuze on the N2 and Ingwavuma in the Lebombo hills are the other main centres. GeoNames records 51
named places, listed below.
| Place | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| eMkhuze | Town | 5,288 |
| Ingwavuma | Town | 1,561 |
| Thembalethu | Town | 1,471 |
| Hlalanathi | Town | 1,281 |
- Bhokweni
- Dokolwani
- Elgin
- eMachobeni
- eMangwasha
- eManyuka
- Embadleni
- Emngcelen
- Godlogodlwane
- Inyamane
- Jozini
- Kuludake
- KwaDinabanye
- KwaJobe
- KwaMnyaisa
- KwaNonjinjikazi
- Kwashukela
- Lulwane
- Lundini
- Majozini
- Mamfene
- Manyiseni
- Mbodla
- Mfongosi
- Mjindi
- Mkuze
- Mlambangwenya
- Mtojeni
- Nagana
- Ndabeni
- Ndumo
- Ngazini
- Nkwambane
- Nkwambosi
- Nondabuya
- Ntabayengwe
- Ntabayezulu
- Ohlalwini
- Ophansi
- Ophondweni
- Phapheni
- Sarabub
- Shemula
- Siweni
- Swelela
- Thombothi
- Ubombo
Geography
Jozini spans the Lebombo Mountains and the Pongolapoort (Jozini) Dam, giving it varied terrain from
mountain escarpment down to lowveld bushland bordering the Hluhluwe–iMfolozi region. The dam itself, one
of KwaZulu-Natal’s largest reservoirs, dominates the municipality’s centre. It borders
Big Five Hlabisa, Mtubatuba
and uMhlabuyalingana within
Umkhanyakude District.
Demographics
Population rose from 186,502 in 2011 to 199,153 in 2022, growth of about 7%. Rural wards remain far
less serviced than the Jozini and Mkuze town nodes, and the municipality has one of the district’s lower
formal employment rates.
Traditional leaders (amakhosi) administer customary land across most of Jozini’s wards, working
alongside the elected municipal council based in Jozini town.
Economy and Local Life
Irrigated farming fed by the Pongolapoort Dam, subsistence agriculture and growing tourism around the
dam and nearby game reserves are the main economic activities; formal industry is limited, and government
services and grants support a large share of households.
Jozini town’s periodic markets and the Ndumo Game Reserve, on the municipality’s northern edge, add a
small tourism and trading income to the farming economy along the dam’s irrigated command area, and cotton
and sugar cane are grown under irrigation near the dam wall.
History
Jozini takes its name from the town beside the Pongolapoort (Jozini) Dam, built on the Pongola River to
irrigate the lower Pongola valley. The municipality itself was established in December 2000 as part of
South Africa’s nationwide local government demarcation.
Getting There
The N2 skirts the municipality’s east near Mkuze; the R22 and R69 link Jozini town to Ingwavuma and
Mtubatuba. King Shaka International Airport is the nearest major airport, south of Durban. Mkuze, on the
N2, is the closest rail-linked town for freight moving to Richards Bay.
FAQ
What is the seat of Jozini Municipality?
Jozini town.
What is Jozini’s population?
199,153 people at the 2022 census, on 3,438.3 km².
Which district is Jozini part of?
Umkhanyakude District Municipality.
What are the main towns?
Jozini, Mkuze and Ingwavuma.
What language do most Jozini residents speak?
isiZulu, spoken by nearly all residents.
Is Jozini mostly urban or rural?
Mostly rural, with Jozini town, Mkuze and Ingwavuma its main urban nodes.
What is the Pongolapoort Dam used for?
Irrigation for farming, hydropower and recreation such as boating and angling.
Which game reserve lies in Jozini?
Ndumo Game Reserve, on the municipality’s northern edge near the Mozambique border.
What is the Pongolapoort Dam?
A large irrigation dam on the Pongola River, also known as Jozini Dam, that feeds farming and tourism in the municipality.