Mooi River | |
---|---|
Mooirivier railway station | |
Coordinates: 29°12′S29°59′E / 29.200°S 29.983°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
District | Umgungundlovu |
Municipality | Mpofana |
Area | |
• Total | 13.76 km2 (5.31 sq mi) |
Elevation | 1,393 m (4,570 ft) |
Population (2011) [1] | |
• Total | 17,779 |
• Density | 1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 91.6% |
• Coloured | 1.0% |
• Indian/Asian | 3.5% |
• White | 3.6% |
• Other | 0.2% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Zulu | 82.75% |
• English | 7.8% |
• Afrikaans | 0.8% |
• Sotho | 0.8% |
• Other | 7.85% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
PO box | 3300 |
Area code | 033 |
Mooi River (Zulu : eMpafana, Afrikaans : Mooirivier) is a small town situated at 1,389m above sea level and 160km from the coast in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The first European settlement in the area was at Mooi River Drift in 1852. This was formally named Weston in 1866 after the first Governor of Natal, Martin West.
In 1879, an Irishman named Alexander Lawrence purchased the Grantleigh farm upstream from Weston, on the banks of the Mooi River. Mooirivier is Afrikaans for "pretty river".
In 1884, the railway line from Durban on the coast, to Johannesburg in the interior, reached the area and was built across Alexander Lawrence's land. He subsequently laid out and established the village of Lawrenceville on his farm, Grantleigh, and so is known as "The Father of Mooi River". In 1921, the village was renamed Mooi River when it was declared a town.
It lies on the N3 national road and rail routes between Johannesburg and Durban. [2] Although the railway station is no longer used for passengers, goods are still being handled there. There is a toll plaza located on the N3 at Mooi River.
Six schools are serving the Mooi River municipal area with numerous others further from town that serve the traditional farm labourer communities. The six main schools are:
The urban economy of the area is currently based primarily on retail entrepreneurship, tourism and supporting the local agricultural community. Previously, the backbone of the urban economy had been Mooi River Textiles which finally closed in 2002 after years of downsizing. The decline of the textile industry is being reversed however with large foreign investment from the Far East.[ citation needed ]
The rural economy is based on agriculture and tourism. The main farming categories are dairy and equine. Local farmers are supported by the Mooi River Farmers' Association. [3]
Mooi River forms an important part of the Midlands Meander tourism route. [4]
The Province of Natal, commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into the bantustan of KwaZulu, which was progressively separated from the province, becoming partially autonomous in 1981. Of the white population, the majority were English-speaking people of British descent, causing Natal to become the only province to vote "No" to the creation of a republic in the referendum of 1960, due to very strong monarchist, pro-British Commonwealth, and anti-secessionist sentiment. In the latter part of the 1980s, Natal was in a state of violence between the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African National Congress, with violence subsiding soon after the first non-racial election in 1994.
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng.
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu is the name used for the Umgungundlovu District Municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans, English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of Umgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial government offices located here.
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The N3 is a national route in South Africa that connects Johannesburg and Durban, respectively South Africa's largest and third-largest cities. Johannesburg is the financial and commercial heartland of South Africa, while Durban is South Africa's key port and one of the busiest ports in the Southern Hemisphere and is also a holiday destination. Durban is the port through which Johannesburg imports and exports most of its goods. As a result, the N3 is a very busy highway and has a high volume of traffic.
Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is positioned 120 km south of Durban. It serves as the administrative, educational, industrial and commercial centre for southern Natal.
Colenso is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located on the southern bank of the Tugela River on the R103 road. The original settlement was contained within a loop on the river, but it subsequently expanded southwards and eastwards. It lies on the main Durban - Johannesburg railway line some 190 km (118 mi) north-west of Durban.
Newcastle is the third-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is the province's industrial centre. The city has four industrial areas. Newcastle is known as the "New City" The majority of its citizens reside in Newcastle East in the main townships of Madadeni and Osizweni, with the balance residing in Newcastle West. Set at the foothills of the northern KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg Mountains, Newcastle is located in the northwest corner of the province along the Ncandu River.
Bergville is a small town situated in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was established as Bergville Mountain Village in 1897 and is now the commercial centre for a 2,500 km2 dairy and cattle ranching area. A blockhouse was built by the British soldiers in the town during the Second Boer War
Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, about midway between Johannesburg, about 275 km to the north-west, and Durban to the southeast. The town is located at the junction of the N5 highway, which continues westward towards the provincial capital Bloemfontein, some 340 km to the south-west. This important crossroads in South Africa's land trade routes is surrounded by mesas and buttes. It is located at the base of one of these called Platberg.
Pinetown is a city that forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, based just inland from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is situated 16 km north-west of Durban and 64 km south-east of Pietermaritzburg.
Westville is an area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and is just west and 10 km inland from the Durban CBD. It was a formerly independent municipality however it became part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in 2002.
The KwaZulu-Natal midlands is an inland area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa that starts from Pietermaritzburg and ends before the Drakensberg mountain range.
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Treverton Preparatory School and College, situated in Mooi River, South Africa, cater to boys and girls of all faiths from Grades 0 to 12 and Post-Matric. As a member of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA), Treverton is an inter-denominational Christian school founded on a Baptist heritage.Treverton Preparatory School and college is a public school and college
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The KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, better known as the North Coast is a coastal region north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It stretches from Zinkwazi Beach in the north to Zimbali near Ballito in the south. The coastal region is governed by the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, forming part of the iLembe District Municipality.
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