Durban
Durban’s success as a Soccer World Cup city in 2010, has helped raise the image of this dynamic and growing city. It is an industrial hub with the busiest port in Africa. It is home to more than three million people of many different linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. Durban is KwaZulu-Natal’s largest urban settlement where retail, commerce and industry are well developed.

In 2009 the city announced a growth rate of 7.8%. Durban is administered by the eThekwini Municipality, the only metropolitan authority in the province.

The Port of Durban handles more than a million containers every year. The multi-billion-rand King Shaka International Airport is expected to boost tourist numbers and import and export volumes. The associated Dube TradePort will strengthen the city’s already good position in the logistics and transport sector.

The Moses Mabhida Stadium will form part of any future bid made by the city for multi-sports events such as the Commonwealth Games. Durban is famous for its ability to host big sporting events such as the Durban July horse race and the Comrades Marathon.

Major manufacturing concerns in the city are mostly located in the south: two oil refineries, the manufacturing plant of Toyota motor vehicles, downstream processing facilities for the sugar and timber industries, a brewery and food and beverages production plants. Packaging, footwear, carpets, plastics, chemicals and paper are among the industries represented in greater Durban.

The conference and events sector has become a major contributor to the local economy, particularly through major conferences being held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. This includes the country’s most important tourism industry exhibition, Indaba.

Pietermaritzburg
The historic city of Pietermaritzburg is the seat of the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal. It is known for its charming Victorian architecture and attractive gardens. It has a moderate climate, with the rolling hills of the Midlands moderating the humidity found closer to the coast. The city is an educational centre, with a major campus of the University of KwaZulu- Natal and several well-known colleges and schools located in the town.

The city is situated in the Midlands on the N3, the major route between Durban and Gauteng. The N3 Corridor is one of the economic spines of the province. The Oribi Airport hosts several direct daily flights to Johannesburg.

Airstrips at Howick, Cato Ridge and Camperdown (which has an aviation park) offer gliding, parachuting and microlighting. Pietermaritzburg is located close to some of the raw materials that drive its manufacturing industries: timber (poles and furniture) and cattle (dairy and leather). The city also has some heavy industry in aluminium producer Hulamin and industrial cable manufacturer Abedare Cables. The city has a large-scale carpet producer (Belgotex), a publishing company (Shuter & Shooter) and several automotive parts manufacturers.

One of the country’s largest shows of any kind, The Royal Show, and several popular annual sporting events take place in or near the city. The Midlands Meander begins just north of Pietermaritzburg at Hilton, which also hosts the province’s biggest arts festival. The city has several highly regarded art galleries and museums and the Golden Horse Casino caters to gamblers.

Richards Bay
Richards Bay plays an important role in getting South Africa’s raw materials to the world. The Richards Bay Coal Terminal is the principal site for the export of South Africa’s coal and it also handles other types of bulk cargo. The Port of Richards Bay is the largest deepwater port in Africa. Richards Bay lies within the Uthungulu District Municipality.

Richards Bay Minerals and Exxaro KZN Sands are major players in the mining industry while BHP Billiton’s two aluminium smelters are the biggest industrial entities in the area. Tata Steel’s ferrochrome smelter was the first investor in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ) where much more investment is expected now that a licence has been granted for the zone by national government.

The hinterland has plentiful supplies of timber and sugar cane where companies such as Sappi, Mondi and Tongaat Hulett are active.

Newcastle
Newcastle is in the north-west of the province and is home to several large industrial plants. The town falls within the Amajuba District Municipality and is part of the Battlefields tourism sector.

Where coal mining used to be the principal activity in the area, ArcelorMittal’s large steel plant now dominates the town’s economy. About 1 850 people are employed at the plant. Karbochem, an AECI company that manufactures synthetic rubber, has combined with Bayer to create a chrome chemicals plant. Kelgran and Newcastle Granite Works are two large companies in the building materials sector while the other big sector is textiles and clothing. The town has several golf courses and plays host to events such as the Grey Goose Eventing Classic (dressage and showjumping) and the Vodacom Winter Festival. The Majuba FET College is located in Newcastle.

The Chelmsford Nature Reserve has good stocks of wild game and its dam is an excellent place for carp and bass fishing. The site of the victory of Boer soldiers at Majuba is nearby.