Information on Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Conference Venues South Africa brings you information on Drakensberg situated in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa including information on Facilities and Recreation, Climate, Founding, History Suburbs, Town Planning and Geography.

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Drakensberg Conservation

The steep slopes are hard to reach so the environment is relatively undamaged. However, tourism in the Drakensberg is developing, with a variety of hiking trails, hotels and resorts appearing on the slopes. Most of the higher South African parts of the range have been designated as game reserves or wilderness areas. Of these, the UKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park was listed by UNESCO in 2000 as a World Heritage site. The park is also in the List of Wetlands of International Importance. The Royal Natal National Park, which contains some of the higher peaks, is part of this large park complex.

Adjacent to the Drakensberg National Park is Cathkin Estates Conservation and Wildlife Sanctuary which spans 1044HA of virgin grassland and represents the largest privately owned game park in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg region. Across the border in Lesotho an area is protected as the Sehlabathebe National Park.

The grassland of the lower slopes meanwhile has been greatly affected by agriculture, especially overgrazing. There are two large protected areas in this area: the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve has the Big Five game (elephant, black and white rhino, African Buffalo, lion and leopard) as well as cheetah and wild dogs, and the Giant's Castle reserve is a haven for the Eland and also is a breeding ground for the Bearded Vulture. However, original grassland and forest has nearly all disappeared, and more protection is needed.

Drakensberg Ecology

The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion. These steep slopes are the most southerly high mountains in Africa, and being further from the equator provide cooler habitats at lower elevations than most mountain ranges on the continent. The high rainfall generates many mountain streams and rivers, including the sources of the Orange River, southern Africa's longest, and the Tugela River. These mountains also have the world's second-highest waterfall, the Tugela Falls, which has a total drop of 947 metres. The rivers that run from the Drakensberg are an essential resource for South Africa's economy, providing water for the industrial provinces of Mpumalanga and Gauteng, which contains the city of Johannesburg. The climate is wet and cool at the high altitudes, which experience snowfall in winter. Meanwhile the grassy lower slopes of the Drakensberg in Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho constitute the Drakensberg Montane Grassland, Woodland, and Forest.

Towns and Suburbs of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa

Amanzimtoti , Assagay, Ballito , Bayala, Beachfront, Bergville , Berea , Bishopstowe , Blythedale , Botha's Hill , Cowies Hill , Curry's Post , Dargle , Drakensberg, Dundee, Durban City , Durban North , Empangeni , Estcourt , Eston , Geluksburg , Gillits , Glenwood , Greyville, Hillcrest , Hilton , Hluhluwe , Howick , Illovo , Inchanga , iSamangaliso Wetlands ,Isandlwana , Ixopo , Kloof , Kokstad , La Lucia , Lake Jozini , Lidgetton , Margate , Marina Beach , Melmoth , Mkuze , Mooi River , Morningside , Mount Edgecombe , Mtunzini , Musgrave , Newcastle , Nottingham Road , Oribi Gorge , Oslo Beach , Paulpietersburg , Pennington , Pietermaritzburg , Pinetown , Pongola , Pongolapoort , Port Edward , Port Shepstone , Richards Bay , Rosetta , Salt Rock , Scottburgh , Southbroom , Spioenkop . St Lucia , St Lucia Wetlands , Sydenham, Ulundi , Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park , Ulundi , Umhlanga Rocks , Umtentweni , Umzumbe, Underberg , Vryheid , Wartburg , Westville , Winkelspruit, Winterton , Zimbali , Zinkwazi Beach