The uMfolozi Municipal Area comprises a long flat coastal plain rising gently from the coast towards the west where it reaches a height of approximately 200 metres above mean sea level (masl), the highest point being Kwamendo in the west at 381 mast.
The coastal plain is interspersed by high dunes and is further characterised by a number of short perennial rivers that originate within the area and either drain northwards towards the Umfolozi River or towards the coastal lakes in the vicinity of Richards Bay to the south. Two coastal lakes lie within the area, Lake Nhlabane on the coast and Lake Eteza towards the north.