www.newcastle.co.za

Newcastle in South Africa was founded in 1864 at the ford of Ncandu River. It owes its name to the Duke of Newcastle, the Secretary of State of the colonies at that time. On the foothills of the Drakensberg Plain, Newcastle is the largest industrial town in the northwest of KwaZulu-Natal Province. Many tourists come to the region to explore the lush mountains, the wild fauna and flora, the extensive hiking trails and bridle paths. The region enjoys a mild climate. Summers are hot and sunny and winters are dry and seldom harsh.

South Africa has more than 43 million inhabitants spread over 9 provinces. Newcastle is a city inhabited by 125,000 people! It is the third largest city in Kwazulu-Natal Province, which has close to 10 million people… i.e. 3 million more than the whole of Switzerland. Newcastle is sustained by secondary sector activities. Industrial development has led to several cities of Kwazulu consolidating. Ideally located on the route linking Johannesburg and Durban, Newcastle has secured a safe industrial future for itself. Since 1983, at the cost of many challenges and intensive advertising campaigns, it has strengthened the implementation of metallurgic and chemical industries (components for paint and pneumatics) but also clothing factories, which employ a large part of the population.