Sugar Industry – As early as 1672 efforts were made to grow sugarcane at the Cape of Good Hope which ended in failure and it was only at the start of colonization in Natal that the sugar industry and the growing of sugar cane proved to be successful.
Before the first settlers arrived in Natal, sugar cane (called Umoba) had been grown in the area by the Zulus, however the development of the sugar industry really began when in 1852 George Morewood opened a mill at Compensation in what is now Kwazulu-Natal and became the first successful white producer of sugar. Morewood is regarded as the Natal sugar Industries founding father.
Morewood was followed by a number of others, perhaps the best known being Sir James Liege Hulett who emigrated to Natal from England in 1957 and became an industrialist, Pioneer and Statesman and opened new sugar growing areas in Zululand
The crushing of Sugar Cane by steam power was introduced in 1855 but unfortunately the shortage of labor hampered the growth of the industry until the first Indian immigrants reached the colony in 1860
Gradually the production of sugar grew but was negligible for many years and it was really only in the 20th century that the output began to grow faster and by 1914 the 1 million ton mark was reached and passed.
Today South Africa produces high quality sugar in large quantities of about 2 -3 million tons per year. 40% of the sugar production is exported. It is estimated that approximately 350,000 people both directly and indirectly are employed in the industry.