Bergville is a small town situated in the foothills of the

Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within t ...

mountains,

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

. It was established as Bergville Mountain Village in 1897 and is now the commercial centre for a 2,500 km²

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

ranching area. A

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

was built by the British soldiers in the town during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the So ...

Bergville is equidistant from

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

and

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

and is also known as the gateway to the Northern

holiday resorts. It lies on Route R74, which is a more scenic alternative to the N3 Toll Road. This route takes one via the Oliviershoek Pass, traditionally used to access the Drakensberg, from Johannesburg. Bergville is most easily reached from Durban by turning off the N3 after

Estcourt Estcourt () is a town in the uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The main economic activity is farming with large bacon and processed food factories situated around the town. The N3 freeway passes close to the town, link ...

, joining the R74 through Winterton towards the mountain. Bergville is composed mostly of three land areas: the town markert and it's near villages, Amangwane and Amazizi. The town markert includes, Acton Homes, Rookdale, Bethany, Woodford and the CBD. Amazizi includes Emazizini and Obonjaneni. Whiles Amangwane are the biggest areas with names such as Emaswazini, Ngoba, Dukuza, Zwelisha, Emoyeni, Emakhosaneni, Ndunwane, Stulwane, Khokhwane, and Magagangangozi. Sanele Mthembu, a well known Programmer also comes from there. Other towns in the immediate region include *

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

on the R616 * Acton Homes on the R616 towards Ladysmith * Geluksburg * Thintwa Village * Jagersrust on the R74 towards

Harrismith Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, a ...

- living quarters for workers of the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme

Services

*Emmaus Hospital

Projects in the Bergville Area

*World Vision *Disability Information Project *Bergville Community Builders

Photo gallery

File:BCB Career Day.JPG, Bergville Community Builders Career Day at Ukhahlamba 2008 File:SAIEE training science teachers in Bergville at the Ukhahlamba Education Centre.JPG, SAIEE and Wits students ran workshops for Bergville science teachers 2008

Notable people

Sjava Jabulani Hadebe (born 2 December 1983), known professionally as Sjava, is a South African singer, rapper, and actor. He began his acting career in 2005, starring in several drama series and films including '' uGugu no Andile'' (2009). He then ro ...

(Jabulani Hadebe), singer, born 1983 *

Big Zulu Siyabonga Nene (born 7 April 1986), known professionally as Big Zulu, is a South African rapper, songwriter and actor. He rose to spotlight after releasing the single "Donsa Nkabi" in 2016. He signed a record deal with Universal Music in 2015 ...

(Siyabonga Nene), rapper, born 1987

References

External links

Bergville on Central Drakensberg Information Centre site
Populated places in the Okhahlamba Local Municipality Tugela River {{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub