| Umvoti | |
| Settlement Type: | Local municipality |
| Seal Size: | 150x100px |
| Map Alt: | Location in KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | uMzinyathi |
| Seat: | Greytown |
| Parts Type: | Wards |
| Parts: | 14 |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Government Type: | Municipal council |
| Leader Party: | ABC |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Philani Mavundla |
| Area Total Km2: | 2516 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 103093 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 94.6% |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 0.8% |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 2.2% |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 2.2% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [3] |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 90.9% |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 5.0% |
| Demographics2 Info3: | % |
| Demographics2 Info4: | % |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 4.1% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Municipal code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | KZN245 |
Umvoti Municipality (Zulu: UMasipala wase Umvoti) is a local municipality within the Umzinyathi District Municipality, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
The municipality is named after the Umvoti River, which runs from the west to the east towards the Indian Ocean. The municipality is situated nearer the mouth of the river.[4]
Greytown, a small but vibrant town, is the main provider of higher income jobs in senior management, and professional and technical services, providing 26.8% of all jobs in the Umvoti area. The manufacturing sector makes the second largest contribution to the local economy. There is limited economic activity taking place within the traditional authority areas.[5]
The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:[6]
| Place | Code | Area (km2) | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52301 | 352.14 | 13,734 | ||
| 52302 | 120.15 | 18,054 | ||
| 52303 | 26.60 | 6,447 | ||
| 52304 | 1.45 | 8,530 | ||
| 52305 | 6.83 | 7,290 | ||
| 52306 | 12.24 | 21 | ||
| 52307 | 1.47 | 834 | ||
| 52308 | 28.54 | 2,195 | ||
| 52309 | 54.98 | 9,031 | ||
| 52310 | 75.63 | 5,006 | ||
| 52311 | 6.91 | 214 | ||
| Remainder of the municipality | 52312 | 1,824.16 | 20,935 |
See main article: Umvoti Local Municipality elections. The municipal council consists of twenty-seven members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, obtaining a plurality of ten seats on the council.The following table shows the results of the election.[7]
The following by-elections were held to fill vacant ward seats in the period from the election in November 2021.
| Date | Ward | Party of the previous councillor | Party of the newly elected councillor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2022[8] | 13 | ||||
| 3 August 2022[9] | 52405005 | ||||