uMhlathuze Local Municipality is the industrial and port hub of KwaZulu-Natal’s King Cetshwayo
District. Richards Bay is the seat. The 2022 census counted 412,075 people across 1,232.9 km², up from
370,256 in 2011, making it the district’s largest municipality by population.
The 2024 municipal count recognised 14 main places within uMhlathuze, including Empangeni, eSikhawini,
Khoza, Mkhwanazi, Nkwanazi and Nseleni, alongside three separately-counted Richards Bay zones. The Dube and
Zungu/Madlebe traditional areas are also significant population centres away from the coast.
Towns and Suburbs in uMhlathuze
Richards Bay is southern Africa’s largest bulk cargo port and the municipality’s economic centre, built
around a natural harbour developed from the 1970s onward for coal and aluminium exports. Empangeni and
eSikhawini are its other major towns, with Empangeni serving as the older commercial centre for the
district before Richards Bay’s growth. GeoNames records 38 named places, listed below.
| Place | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Richards Bay | Seat | 252,968 |
| eSikhaleni | Town | 49,265 |
| Empangeni | Town | 33,075 |
| Felixton | Town | 1,225 |
- Alton
- Arboretum
- Brackenham
- Cyrildene
- eMatshana
- eMevamhlophe
- Empembeni
- eNseleni
- Esikhawini H
- Fairview
- Grantham Park
- Hulett’s
- Ichubo
- Khandisa
- Korhaan Hill
- Kuleka
- Kwashodlisa
- Mandlazini
- Meer en See
- New Rail
- Ngwelezana
- Ngwelezane
- Nontshingo
- Ntiwa
- Ongoye
- Panorama
- Pension Farm
- Port Durnford
- Schoongezicht
- Sobamdlovu
- The Village
- Umhlatuzi Valley
- Umzimbete
- Veldenvlei
Geography
uMhlathuze sits on the KwaZulu-Natal coast around the Richards Bay and Mhlathuze estuary system, with
extensive lagoons, dune forest and industrial land reclaimed for the harbour. It borders
uMfolozi, Mthonjaneni,
Nkandla and uMlalazi
within King Cetshwayo District. In the 2016 municipal
boundary changes, part of the disestablished Ntambanana Local Municipality was added to uMhlathuze.
Demographics
Population rose from 370,256 in 2011 to 412,075 in 2022, an increase of about 11%, driven mainly by
growth around Richards Bay and eSikhawini as workers moved in for port and industrial jobs. The
municipality is the most urbanised in King Cetshwayo District.
uMhlathuze’s elected council runs the port town’s municipal services directly, while traditional
leaders (amakhosi) continue to administer customary land in the rural wards bordering Mthonjaneni and
Nkandla.
Economy and Local Life
Richards Bay harbour and its aluminium smelters, coal export terminal and heavy industry anchor the
municipal economy, making it one of KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest industrial nodes outside Durban. Manufacturing,
port logistics and public-sector jobs are the main employers in the urban core; farming continues in the
rural wards around Mthonjaneni and Nkandla borders.
Richards Bay’s harbour handles bulk coal, aluminium and other minerals for export, supported by rail
links running inland to the Mpumalanga coalfields; the port and its industries are among the largest
formal employers on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
History
Richards Bay harbour was developed from the 1970s onward around a natural lagoon, transforming a small
fishing settlement into one of the busiest bulk-cargo ports in the southern hemisphere. uMhlathuze itself
was established in December 2000 as part of South Africa’s nationwide local government demarcation, later
absorbing part of the disestablished Ntambanana Local Municipality in 2016.
Getting There
The N2 national road runs through uMhlathuze, connecting Richards Bay and Empangeni to Durban to the
south and Mtubatuba to the north. King Shaka International Airport lies to the south; Richards Bay also
has a smaller regional airport handling domestic flights.
FAQ
What is the seat of uMhlathuze Municipality?
Richards Bay.
What is uMhlathuze’s population?
412,075 people at the 2022 census, on 1,232.9 km².
Which district is uMhlathuze part of?
King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
What are the main towns?
Richards Bay, Empangeni and eSikhawini.
Is Richards Bay a port town?
Yes, it is southern Africa’s largest bulk cargo harbour.
Did uMhlathuze’s boundaries change?
Yes, in 2016 it absorbed part of the disbanded Ntambanana Local Municipality.