Hlola Umlazi

Background

The name Umlazi is attributed to the legendary Zulu warrior-king, Shaka. The story goes that when Shaka and his army passed through the area after a long journey, he thirsted and then drank from a river in the area.

Shaka didn't really like the taste. He said: "This is not real water but its bad milk," hence Umlaza (a Zulu word for the fatty layer that rises to the top of unhomogenised milk).

The area then became known as Umlaza, which was later to evolve to Umlazi. Umlazi covers some 4 481.7 hectares, lies17 kilometers south of Durban's C.B.D. and forms part of eThekwini Municipality.

It is the largest township in South Africa; while Soweto is bigger, it is however made up of numerous townships.

It is estimated that Umlazi has a youth population of above 50%, with the average age of the population is mid-twenties.

The Hlola [explore] Umlazi tour provides an insight into the contemporary lifestyle of a black, urban community.