Msunduzi | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 29°37′S 30°23′E / 29.617°S 30.383°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
District | uMgungundlovu |
Seat | Pietermaritzburg |
Wards | 37 |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal council |
• Mayor | (ANC) |
Area | |
• Total | 634 km2 (245 sq mi) |
Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 618,536 |
• Density | 980/km2 (2,500/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 81.1% |
• Coloured | 2.9% |
• Indian/Asian | 9.8% |
• White | 6.0% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Zulu | 72.4% |
• English | 19.0% |
• Afrikaans | 1.9% |
• Xhosa | 1.9% |
• Other | 4.8% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Municipal code | KZN225 |
Msunduzi Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Msunduzi) is a local municipality within the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It encompasses the city of Pietermaritzburg, which is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal and the main economic hub of the Umgungundlovu District Municipality.
Msunduzi Municipality is situated on the N3 highway at a junction of an industrial corridor (from Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and an agro-industrial corridor (stretching from Pietermaritzburg to Estcourt). On the regional scale, it is located at the cross section of the N3 corridor and the Greytown Road corridor to the north, a tourist route to the Drakensberg, and Kokstad Road to the south.[3]
The city of Pietermaritzburg is a provincial and national centre of education. Pietermaritzburg is a seat of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is home to several other institutions of higher learning. In addition, Pietermaritzburg is home to a host of private and government-owned institutions of primary and secondary education.[3]