UMLAZI
DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL
According to Zulu tradition, King Shaka, while travelling through the area, refused to drink from a local river, because the water tasted like ‘umlaza’ – the sour acid produced from fermented milk. The region has since been called Umlazi.
Located to the south-west of Durban, Umlazi is the only township with its own registration plate – NUZ. Ever since Umlazi was formally established as a township in 1967 it has grown rapidly to become the vibrant and diverse cultural powerhouse it is today.
Umlazi is the birthplace of many well-known South Africans including journalist and magazine editor, Khanyi Dhlomo, and AIDS activist Promise Mthembu. Although Umlazi has enjoyed an increase in Government and private investments over the years, it still sports an abundance of untapped potential.
Reimagining our places
How do you feel when you walk down the street where you live? Inspired? Welcomed? Safe? Or perhaps you feel gloomy and anxious? Maybe you haven’t even really thought about this. What about your business areas, schools, parks or pieces of open land? It’s simple,...
Growing for green
A wise horticulturalist once said: “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.” The children at Licebo Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre in Umlazi township in...
Resilience amidst the rubble – rebuilding small businesses
The recent looting of malls in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has threatened the survival of hundreds of small businesses. In response to this crisis, Ranyaka in collaboration with the Nedbank Proud of my Town programme has launched a relief and recovery intervention to...
Join online – build on the ground
Introducing the Proud of our Towns Facebook Groups “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”The world of social media did not yet exist when Henry Ford spoke these wise words. But many decades later, they still...
The power that lies beneath my trauma
"For us, this is about letting young girls know the power they possess within themselves to change the narrative, to grow mentally, find balance psychologically and to physically be able to protect themselves against anything that threatens their existence, anything...
Proud of my Town kicks off in Umlazi
During the last week of March 2021, the Nedbank Proud of my Town (PoMT) programme kicked off in Umlazi township in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. This brings the number of communities across the country where the programme is currently being implemented to fifteen. PoMT...