Umlazi was officially established as a township for Black residents in 1967, on land that had been the Umlazi mission reserve. Many of its first residents were people forcibly removed from Cato Manor in Durban.
Umlazi History and Background
Long before the township, the Umlazi area was home to Zulu-speaking communities. In the colonial period the Natal authorities set aside “native locations” for African people, and after 1856 part of the Umlazi location became a mission reserve granted to the Anglican Church.
From the 1940s the government planned to turn the mission reserve into a township. After the Group Areas Act of 1950, apartheid planners used Umlazi, like KwaMashu, to house Black workers outside the city but close enough to commute to Durban’s harbour and southern industrial areas. Residents of Cato Manor, one of South Africa’s largest forced removals, were among those resettled here. Umlazi was formally established as a Black township in 1967.
During the homeland era Umlazi fell under KwaZulu, the self-governing territory created for Zulu people in 1970. In 1994 KwaZulu and Natal were merged into KwaZulu-Natal, and since 2000 Umlazi has been part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Where the name comes from: the township takes its name from the uMlazi River. A popular legend says King Shaka refused to drink the river’s water because it tasted like umlaza, the sour whey from fermented milk, and the name stuck.
Key Dates and Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| After 1856 | Part of the Umlazi location becomes a mission reserve granted to the Anglican Church |
| 1940s | Government plans to convert the mission reserve into a township for people to be moved from Cato Manor |
| 1950 | Group Areas Act enforces residential segregation |
| 1967 | Umlazi established as a Black township |
| 1970 | Zulu Territorial Authority created, later the KwaZulu homeland, which included Umlazi |
| 1979 | Mangosuthu Technikon is established in Umlazi (renamed Mangosuthu University of Technology in 2007) |
| 1981 | Anti-apartheid lawyer Griffiths Mxenge is murdered; the M30 through Umlazi now carries his name |
| 1985 | Victoria Mxenge, a lawyer and former community nurse in Umlazi, is killed at her Umlazi home on 1 August |
| 1994 | KwaZulu merges with Natal to form KwaZulu-Natal |
| 2000 | eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is created, including Umlazi |
| 2010 | King Zwelithini Stadium is upgraded around the FIFA World Cup, with capacity raised to 10,000 |
| 2014 | KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre opens on 5 June |
| 2023 | The Umlazi-only NUZ vehicle registration code is phased out from 1 December |
Dates checked 13 September 2026 against South African History Online and Wikipedia. Where sources give only a decade, we do not add a specific year.
Culture, People and Local Identity
Umlazi is overwhelmingly isiZulu-speaking: in Census 2011, 91% of residents gave isiZulu as their first language. People associated with Umlazi include DJ Black Coffee, the group Big Nuz, footballer Senzo Meyiwa, author Sifiso Mzobe and artist Zanele Muholi.
Like many townships, Umlazi grew quickly and unevenly. Formal houses sit alongside subsidised housing projects and informal settlements. For current figures, see Umlazi population.
Important Places and Landmarks
- uMlazi River, which gave the township its name: see Umlazi River
- Mangosuthu University of Technology in S Section
- King Zwelithini Stadium on Griffiths Mxenge Highway in D Section
- Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital near V Section
- Umlazi Mega City shopping centre: see Umlazi Mega City
- The township’s 26 lettered sections: see the Umlazi Sections Map
Sources and Further Reading
- South African History Online: Umlazi
- South African History Online: Victoria Mxenge
- Wikipedia: Umlazi
- Wikipedia: KwaZulu
- Wikipedia: Mangosuthu University of Technology
For school projects on land use or informal settlements, the eThekwini Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan and Human Settlements pages are the best official starting points. Return to the Umlazi local guide for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Umlazi founded?
Umlazi was officially established as a Black township in 1967, on the former Umlazi mission reserve. People lived in the area long before that.
Why was Umlazi built where it is?
Apartheid planners wanted Black workers housed outside Durban but close enough to commute to the harbour and southern industrial areas. The existing mission reserve land south-west of the city was used for this.
Where did Umlazi’s first residents come from?
Many were moved from Cato Manor in Durban during the forced removals of the late 1950s and 1960s, along with people from other parts of the city.
What does the name Umlazi mean?
It comes from the uMlazi River. Legend links it to umlaza, the isiZulu word for sour whey, after King Shaka is said to have compared the river water to it.