It is named after the abaQulusi, a Zulu clan whose descendants live in the vicinities of Vryheid, Utrecht, Paulpietersburg and Louwsburg.

Vryheid is Zululand's main commercial, industrial and business centre, with a reasonably well-developed physical, social and institutional infrastructure.

Other towns and settlements within the municipal boundaries include: Alpha, Calvert, Emondlo, Esigodini, Gluckstadt, Hlobane, Kandaspunt, Lenjanedrif, Louwsburg, Ngobeni, Ngome, Scheepersnek, Steilrand, Stilwater, Swart Umfolozi, Thakazele, and Zungwini.

Current products farmed include maize, groundnuts, soya beans, sunflowers, fruits and sorghum.

Over 370 species of birds and many animals, reptiles, insects, amphibians and plants can be seen here, creating a significant potential for ecotourism in the area.

[8] As a result, without proper nutrition, health care and medicine that is available in developed countries, large numbers of people suffer and die from AIDS-related complications.

This has a significant impact on employability, the type of job opportunities that can be sought and the vocational distribution of the economically active population.

The urban centres within AbaQulusi present a slightly better picture with regard to education levels, but generally the skills base remains low.