List of Towns, Villages and Cities in Ndwedwe Local Municipality

Ndwedwe Local Municipality lies in iLembe District, KwaZulu-Natal, with 165,826 people at the 2022 census (140,820 in 2011) across 1,079 km². The seat is Ndwedwe town.

Quick Facts

Towns and Villages in Ndwedwe

Other settlements and localities in the municipality:

• KwaMapeyana
• KwaMaqokomela
• KwaMwema
• KwaNgongoma
• KwaNyuswa
• Magidini
• Makhuluseni
• Mary Gray
• Montebello
• Ndwedwe
• Newspaper
• Nkivane
• Nsuze
• Ntapuka
• Sanikidge
• Sigedleni
• Soberton
• Ston
• Tafamasi
• Thrings Post
• Umkhomazi
• Upper Tongaat
• Waterfall
• eMbuyeni
• eNgedleni
• oGonothini

Geography

Ndwedwe sits inland between KwaDukuza to the north and eThekwini (Durban) to the south, bordering Mandeni within iLembe District. Its position between Durban’s northern edge and the KwaDukuza coast makes it a commuter and small-farming area rather than an industrial one.

Demographics

Population rose from 140,820 at the 2011 census to 165,826 in 2022, a gain of about 18%. Black African residents make up 98.4% of the population, and Zulu is the first language of 92%.

Economy and Local Life

Kaolin mining is a notable local industry, with good-quality deposits worked near Coqweni, Nozandla and Appelsbosch. Agriculture and informal trade support most other households, alongside commuting to jobs in Durban and KwaDukuza.

History

Ndwedwe has been under Zulu traditional authority for generations and remained largely rural through the colonial and apartheid periods, with little formal urban development beyond the seat town. It was constituted as a stand-alone local municipality after 1994, within what is now iLembe District, and its boundaries have stayed unchanged since. Its position between Durban and the KwaDukuza coast has made it increasingly a commuter area for workers employed further afield. Traditional authorities continue to administer most land allocation in the municipality, working alongside the elected council on service delivery and development planning. Kaolin extraction has continued at a modest scale for decades, supplying ceramics and paper industries elsewhere in the province, without significantly changing the municipality’s otherwise rural profile. Ndwedwe’s proximity to Durban has also brought informal settlement growth along its southern boundary, as residents seek affordable land within commuting distance of the city. Most of the municipality otherwise remains scattered rural homesteads rather than nucleated villages, a settlement pattern typical of Zulu tribal land across the province, with homesteads dispersed across the hills rather than clustered into villages. Ndwedwe town itself remains the only place in the municipality with a formal shopping centre and permanent municipal offices, and most other named places on the settlement list are wards or small trading points rather than towns in their own right, each typically anchored by a school, clinic or church rather than a commercial centre.

Getting There

Ndwedwe is reached via the R614 from KwaDukuza and district roads from Durban. The nearest airport is King Shaka International, roughly forty minutes’ drive south-east. Minibus taxis are the main form of transport, running between Ndwedwe town and both Durban and KwaDukuza throughout the day.

FAQ

What is the seat of Ndwedwe Local Municipality?
Ndwedwe town.

What is the population of Ndwedwe?
165,826 at the 2022 census, up from 140,820 in 2011.

Which district does Ndwedwe belong to?
iLembe District Municipality.

What is mined in Ndwedwe?
Kaolin, notably near Coqweni, Nozandla and Appelsbosch.

How big is Ndwedwe Local Municipality?
1,079 km².

What language do most residents speak?
Zulu, the first language of about 92% of residents.

Which municipalities border Ndwedwe?
KwaDukuza and Mandeni, both in iLembe District, and eThekwini (Durban) to the south.