Nkandla Local Municipality is an administrative area in the King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

Nkandla (Enqabeni Enkulu KwaZulu) is a Zulu name for a hiding place of the Zulus a long time ago during the times of war, e.g. the Bambatha Rebellion and the Ndwandwe war from Entumeni.

It was very difficult to fight the warriors who were hiding in the thick and dark forest (iNkandla eMahlathi Amnyama).

Fourteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in fourteen wards, while the remaining thirteen are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the election of 3 August 2016 the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) won a majority of fifteen seats on the council.