Hlabisa

For the president of the Inkatha Freedom Party, see Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Hlabisa is a settlement in Umkhanyakude District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The village lies between the Hluhluwe and Umfolozi game reserves, some 40 km north-west of Mtubatuba. It is named after the Hlabisa tribe of Zulus,^[2] and also known as kwaHlabisa.^[3]

Hlabisa
Hlabisa Show map of KwaZulu-Natal Hlabisa Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 28°8′S 31°52′E
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	Umkhanyakude
Municipality	Big Five Hlabisa
Area [1]
• Total	1.81 km2 (0.70 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	2,469
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	96.9%
• Coloured	0.6%
• Indian/Asian	0.4%
• White	0.8%
• Other	1.3%
First languages (2011) [1]
• Zulu	90.0%
• Sign language	3.7%
• English	1.9%
• S. Ndebele	1.0%
• Other	3.3%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
PO box	3937
Area code	035

Neighbouring localities include Somkele (37 km); Nongoma (40 km); Kwamsane (43 km); Mtubatuba (47 km); Hluhluwe (48 km); Mahlabatini (50 km).^[4]

In 2007, researchers studied local healthcare habits and how long it took people in Hlabisa sub-district to go to a hospital after they had been bitten by a snake.^[5]

Notable people

• Beauty Ngxongo (born 1953), is a master weaver of Zulu baskets; she lives in Hlabisa.^[6]
• Sim Tshabalala (born 1967), is a lawyer and businessman. He is the group CEO of Standard Bank Group since 2013.
• DJ Tira (born 1976; also known as Mthokozisi Khathi), DJ and producer; his birthplace and early childhood home is Hlabisa.^{[citation needed]}
• Misuzulu Zulu (born 1974), King of the Zulus, and was born in Hlabisa.^[7]
• Zwelikhethabantu Ngema, father of playwright Mbongeni Ngema (1955–2023), was born in Hlabisa, and the children of the family lived there for some time.^[3]