Ilanda Wilds, Protected area in Amanzimtoti, South Africa.

Ilanda Wilds is a 20 ha nature reserve along the aManzimtoti River in eManzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal. Its land rises from riverine habitats and forest to steep rocky slopes and small patches of grassland. Part of the reserve was once a quarry, abandoned and later rehabilitated.

The site was formerly a quarry that was converted into a nature reserve during the 1960s through partnership between local residents, the Wildlife Society, and Amanzimtoti Council. This transformation shows how the degraded landscape was reclaimed and restored.

A memorial in Ilanda Wilds marks King Shaka's naming of the Amanzimtoti River; leading a raid against the Pondos in 1828, he rested on the riverbank, drank and exclaimed "Kanti amanzi mtoti" (isiZulu: "So, the water is sweet"). Councillors placed it beside the river for convenience, since the exact spot where he rested is unknown. Local sangomas and inyangas still collect muti in the reserve and hold ceremonies there.

The reserve lies along the Amanzimtoti River, with paths, bridges and former ablution blocks developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Vehicle break-ins and vandalism led the tourism office to stop recommending the area in brochures, and the ablution facilities were demolished. A field ranger, Musa Mfeka, was posted in 2009 to stop cattle grazing, medicinal plant harvesting and dumping, then redeployed to Silverglen Nature Reserve in mid-2010.

A portion of the reserve was once a quarry; after it was abandoned, the former Wildlife Society of South Africa (now WESSA) had it rehabilitated. In 2009 a field ranger, Musa Mfeka, was deployed to stop cattle grazing, medicinal-plant harvesting and dumping, and was redeployed to Silverglen Nature Reserve in mid-2010.