Mtubatuba

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Mtubatuba is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It lies north of Richards Bay, near the entrance to Ncivi and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park). The park is closely associated with the Mtubatuba area.

The town covers about 76 square kilometers and had a population of 27,237 in 2011. The population is mostly Black African (about 94%), with small numbers of Coloured, Indian/Asian, White and other groups. The most spoken language is Zulu (about 88%), followed by English (6%).

Mtubatuba is roughly 55 kilometers south-west of Hluhluwe and 28 kilometers west of St Lucia. The name, meaning “creator of opportunities” in Zulu, comes from a local Mkwanazi chief who died in 1955.

Historically, the area faced flooding in its early years. During World War I, a ship torpedoed while carrying parts for the town’s first sugar mill; the mill was later built in 1916 at nearby Riverview. The township of the area is KwaMsane. Since 1950, the town has been administered by a health committee.