Umgungundlovu: History, Nature and Culture

Umgungundlovu brings together memorial sites, nature experiences, walks and community-based offerings. The following examples vary in subject and format and provide a starting point for tailoring your travel plans to your interests.

History and remembrance

Outside Howick, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site commemorates Nelson Mandela’s arrest on 5 August 1962. The site includes a visitor centre and the sculpture Release, which is made up of 50 steel columns. The Long Walk to Freedom leads through a landscaped garden alongside a timeline of Mandela’s life. The Nelson Mandela Capture Site offers guided and unguided tours, as well as programmes for school groups and conferences.

Howick’s origins are also closely tied to its landscape: the town developed at a dangerous ford across the uMngeni River, above the 95-metre-high Howick Falls. The waterfall is known to the Zulu as kwaNogqaza, “Place of the Tall One”. This local history offers a different perspective from the commemorative work at the Capture Site.

Pietermaritzburg’s iconic City Hall is part of the uMgungundlovu District. The KwaZulu-Natal Museum opened on 30 November 1904 and houses important South African cultural collections. Its historical and educational exhibits include a T-Rex and a replica of a Victorian street scene.

The annual Mandela Day Marathon connects Mandela-related sites in Pietermaritzburg and Howick. It starts at Manaye Hall in Imbali Township and finishes at the Mandela Capture Site. If you plan to combine your trip with the marathon, check the specific event dates in advance.

Nature and active experiences

The WESSA uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve is a 900-hectare protected area, one kilometre from Howick. It offers impressive views of the gorge below Howick Falls. Zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, nyalas and bushbuck live in the reserve. The gorge views and wildlife give the visit a different focus from the historical sites.

For an active nature experience, the Karkloof Canopy Tour offers a zipline adventure through the pristine Karkloof Forest: the tour includes 12 platforms and 10 ziplines. The Falls2Falls hiking trail, by contrast, is a popular three-day slackpacking hike in uMngeni. These offer different ways to explore—a tour with platforms and ziplines, or several days on a hiking trail.

At Midmar Resort in Howick, day visitors can fish for trout, bass and carp. The heart of the Midlands Meander is also in uMngeni. The Albert Falls Amble develops tourist routes and hubs within the uMshwathi municipality.

Culture and regional impressions

The Zulu Mpophomeni Tourism Experience is an award-winning, community-based initiative in Mpophomeni Township. It includes visits to the Nokulunga Gumede Memorial and culinary Shisanyama experiences. The uMshwathi municipality holds the Festival of Beads annually; check the relevant event dates if you plan to visit.

The KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden showcases indigenous plants. Alongside the museum, memorial sites, garden and community-based offerings, the district brings together a variety of cultural and landscape themes. When looking for a hotel, these differences can help you decide on the focus of your trip.

Wider destination: KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal provides the wider context. The Maloti-Drakensberg Park contains an estimated 690 rock art sites. Its rock art forms the largest and most concentrated group of rock paintings in southern Africa south of the Sahara. The park also provides an important refuge for more than 250 endemic plant species.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Wartburg, Nottingham Road, Hilton, Howick, Camperdown, Richmond, Impendle, Umzinyathi.

For the broader travel overview: Kwazulu-Natal.