uMhlali means “Monkey Orange Tree”, named after a tree that used to grow close to the riverbanks of the uMhlali River. The monkeys would feast off of the fruit on these trees and due to this it got its name. Another meaning of the name is “place of waiting” as the settlers and locals had to wait along the banks when they wanted to travel north. 

In 1846, Mr. Edmond Morewood was granted a large farm near uMhlali, which he called “Compensation”, and where he practiced the first commercial sugar cane growing. With his sugar venture under way, and cane growing better than expected, other European immigrants from England and Scotland began to arrive and obtain land between Durban and the uMhlali River.

For 150 years the true potential of the natural resource on the farm has not been noticed. Torrential rain fall onto ploughed farm lands has continuously washed down this resource from the surrounding hills, filling the river beds each time. With the proper extraction of the silica deposits the river and embankments could be restored to their original state.