Geography, History & Economy
Dannhauser Local Municipality is part of Amajuba District Municipality.
MDB code: KZN254
Description: The Dannhauser Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated within the Amajuba District in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. It is the smallest of the three municipalities in the district, making up a quarter of its geographical area. The municipality is named after an old farming family that lived in the area.
The town of Dannhauser is located midway between Durban and Johannesburg on the main railway line, about 8km off the national road between the two cities. It is surrounded by some of the largest coal-producing mines in KwaZulu-Natal. Numerous rivers flow through the municipal area, the most important being the Ngagane and uMzinyathi Rivers, and there are scenic landscapes in the western portion of the municipality.
Dannhauser functions as a small rural service centre (providing commercial and service facilities, and agricultural industries and services). It is therefore not a large employment generator. Residents of the municipal area rely on the larger urban centres of Dundee and Newcastle for employment opportunities and higher order goods and services. Investment in commerce has growth prospects.
Area: 1 707km²
Cities/Towns: Dannhauser, Hattingspruit
Main Economic Sectors: Agriculture, mining (30%), manufacturing (13.8%), services