The establishment and growth of Empangeni

The name Empangeni is a Zulu word of which there are various interpretations as to its origin. In 1841 Aldin Grout, a missionary of the American Mission Society, was the first White to arrive in the area. He only remained a short time and was followed in 1851 by the Rev. H.P .S. Schreuder of the Norwegian Mission Society. In 1887 Zululand was declared British territory and A.J. Shepstone was appointed the first magistrate of the Lower Umfolozi district. The magisterial seat was moved from Patane to the present day Empangeni in 1894. In 1905-06 the first White settlers arrived in the district, and the so-called Empangeni concession lands were granted between 1909 and 1911. In 1906 Empangeni was officially declared a village and was under the control of the magistrate. From 1917 he was assisted by a village advisory board. In 1931 the village received a town board and borough status was finally granted in October 1960. With the announcement in 1965 of the proposed harbour development at Richards Bay Empangeni entered a dynamic growth phase in its history.