Majuba Hill which in Zulu means "the hill of doves", is a mountain in northern KwaZulu-Natal, which forms part of the Drakensberg range, rising about 7000 ft. above the sea and over 2000 ft. above the level of the surrounding country. Majuba Hill overlooks the pass through the Drakensberg known as Laing's Nek. The railway which runs from Durban to Johannesburg skirts the base of the mountain.

The Battle of Majuba Hill which took place on 27 February 1881, was considered to be the main battle of the First Boer War, and was a resounding victory for the Boers. The British forces occupied the summit of the hill on the night of February 26-27, 1881 under the command of Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley. His objective for occupying the hill still remains unknown. The Boers believed that Colley may have intended to outflank their positions at Laing's Nek.

The British soldiers occupying the hill which stood 405 strong consisted of 171 men of the 58th Regiment, with 141 soldiers of the 92nd (Gordon) Highlanders, and a small naval brigade from HMS Dido. General Colley had not though to bring artillery up to the summit, nor did he order his men to dig in, expecting that the Boers would retreat when they saw their position on the Nek was untenable. However, the Boers quickly formed a group of storming parties, led by Nicolas Smit. The parties consisted of an assortment of volunteers from various commandos, and totaled almost 500 men to attack the hill.

The 92nd Highlanders covered a wide perimeter of the summit by daybreak, while a small group occupied the ride side of the summit. The boers were unaware of the presence of the British troops until they were spotted yelling and shaking their fists, which led to fears of possible artillery attacks. Three of the Boer's storming parties, each consisting of between 100 and 200 men, began making a slow advance up the hill led by Field Cornet Stephanus Roos, Commandant D.J.K. Malan and Commandant Joachim Ferreira. The Boers displayed a superior marksmanship, and used it to keep the British on the slopes at bay, providing cover for the groups crossing the open ground to attack Gordon's knoll. In the early afternoon Ferreira's men aggressively opened fire on the exposed knoll, and captured it. Over the course of the next hour the Boers poured over the British line of defence, engaging them at long range, while avoiding hand-to-hand combat, and picking them off one by one. The Boer forces took advantage of the vegetation in the area, and used it to camouflage themselves, which the British had not been trained to do. It was at this stage of the battle that British discipline started to fade, and many troops began to flee in a panicked state. When more Boers were seen surrounding the hill, the British line collapsed and many more were seen making a hasty retreat, leaving the already suffering British defense open to a boer attack which shattered it.

With growing numbers of causalities among the British, and increasing confusion, General Colley attempted to order a fighting retreat, but was taken out by Boer marksmen. In an attempt to flee down the back of the hill, most of the remaining British forces were also hit by Boer sharpshooters who had lined the summit. The 15th Hussars and 60th rifles, who had marched from mount prospect, staged an abortive rearguard action, although this made little impact on the Boer forces. 280 British soldiers were killed, captured or wounded.

Although the Battle of Majuba Hill was relatively small in scale, it bears historical significance because it led to the signing of a peace treaty, and later the Pretoria Convention between the British and the newly created South African Republic, resulting in the end of the First Boer War. Another notable aspect of the battle was the fire and movement tactics employed by the Boers, especially Commandant Smit in his final assault on the hill, were years ahead of their time. Coupled with the defeats at Laing's Nek and Schuinshoogte, this third crushing defeat at the hands of the Boers ratified the strength of the Boers in the minds of the British, arguably to have consequences in the Second Anglo-Boer War. "Remember Majuba" became a rallying cry.

Today, the summit provides wonderful vistas over northern KwaZulu-Natal. From the south summit you can see Ingogo where the film ‘Zulu' was shot. The battle site features a memorial to British casualties on the spot where Gen Colley fell. Two memorials, both dedicated to victims of the two Transvaal-Britain Wars, are found in the town. One is for the concentration camp victims and the other for those involved in active service.