Editing Ubombo (section)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Ubombo
| native_name             = Obonjeni
| pushpin_map             = South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa
| coordinates             = {{coord|27|34|S|32|05|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[South Africa]]
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = [[KwaZulu-Natal]]
| subdivision_type2       = District
| subdivision_name2       = [[uMkhanyakude District Municipality|uMkhanyakude]]
| subdivision_type3       = Municipality
| subdivision_name3       = [[Jozini Local Municipality|Jozini]]
| subdivision_type4       = Main Place
| established_title       = Established
| leader_title            = Councillor
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/583080 |title = Main Place Ubombo |work=Census 2011}}</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 9.44
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="census2011" />
| population_total        = 1220
| population_as_of        = 2011
| population_density_km2  = auto
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Racial makeup (2011)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics1_title1    = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]]
| demographics1_info1     = 93.0%
| demographics1_title2    = [[Coloureds|Coloured]]
| demographics1_info2     = 2.9%
| demographics1_title3    = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]
| demographics1_info3     = 2.0%
| demographics1_title4    = [[White South African|White]]
| demographics1_info4     = 2.0%
| demographics1_title5    = Other
| demographics1_info5     = 0.2%
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = [[First language]]s (2011)
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics2_title1    = [[Zulu language|Zulu]]
| demographics2_info1     = 91.3%
| demographics2_title2    = [[South African English|English]]
| demographics2_info2     = 6.8%
| demographics2_title3    = 
| demographics2_info3     = 
| demographics2_title4    = 
| demographics2_info4     = 
| demographics2_title5    = Other
| demographics2_info5     = 1.9%
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone1               = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset1             = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street)
| postal_code             = 
| postal2_code_type       = [[Post-office box|PO box]]
| postal2_code            = 3970
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]]
| area_code               = 035
}}
'''Ubombo''', is a small town in northern [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[South Africa]] about 17&nbsp;km north-east of [[Mkuze]]. It takes its name from the Lebombo Mountain range, on which it is situated. Derived from Zulu Lumbombo, ‘high mountain ridge’. The Zulu name for this village is Obonjeni, ‘on the ridge of the nose’, i.e. ‘ridge’.<ref name=dsapn>{{cite web|title=Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)|url=https://archive.org/details/DictionaryOfSouthernAfricanPlaceNames|publisher=Human Science Research Council|page=443}}</ref>

The site and remains believed to be those of the camp where Sir David Bruce and his wife Mary worked between 1894 and 1897, and where Bruce discovered the causative agent of nagana, African trypanosomiasis ("sleeping sickness") and its transmission by the tsetse fly were discovered here.

Bethesda district hospital, founded by the Methodist Church is in this village. It started in 1932 and was initially built by Dr Robert Albert Turner who was the medical superintendent after being the District Surgeon and was a mission training hospital.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bethesda hospital|url=http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/bethesdahospital.htm|publisher=KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health|access-date=18 August 2013}}</ref>

From the early 1950s, three prominent business families engaged in trade and transportation in Ubombo. Bob (Robert) Ueckermann and his wife Hazel and Bob's stepson David Irons operated a trading store and a bus transportation company. 
Percy and Sybil Hoff operated the Tradewinds Store which still exists, while Herbert (Sonny) Hoff and his wife Nina operated a store and butchery next door to the Hoff business. Percy Hoff was a respected politician and member of the Council for Coloured Affairs, and was well known for his fight for social justice and rights of the coloured people.

Percy Hoff eventually acquired Herbert Hoff's business and amalgamated the stores when Herbert's family left for present day Zimbabwe in the late 1960s. Tradewinds was eventually sold to Nelson Thring when Percy Hoff moved his family to Swaziland and ultimately to Canada.