Umzimkhulu

30°15′47″S 29°56′24″E / 30.263°S 29.940°E / -30.263; 29.940CountrySouth AfricaProvinceKwaZulu-NatalDistrictHarry GwalaMunicipalityUmzimkhulu • Councillor(ANC)Area • Total4.55 km² (1.76 sq mi)Population • Total8,399 • Density1,800/km² (4,800/sq mi)Racial makeup (2011) • Black African95.1% • Coloured3.5% • Indian/Asian0.5% • Other0.9%First languages (2011) • Zulu47.2% • Xhosa41.5% • English5.5% • Afrikaans1.3% • Other4.5%Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Postal code (street)PO boxArea code039

Umzimkhulu is a town in Harry Gwala District Municipality in the Eastern Capeprovince of South Africa.

The town lies 243 km north-east of Mthatha, 18 km south-west of Ixopo, and 108 km south south-west of Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital. It developed from a trading-post and was laid out in 1884. Takes its name from the Mzimkulu River on which it is situated; Zulu and Xhosa for 'big place', 'large home' of the waters.^[2]

Until 1 March 2006, the town was part of an exclave of the Eastern Cape, before being transferred to KwaZulu-Natal as part of the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa.

During the KwaZulu-Natal riots of July, 2021, more than 50 people died in a furniture store in the town that was set alight while looters were robbing it.^[3]

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