Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',
[Ishani Chetty]
City nicknames in SA and across the world
Article on ''news24.com'' from 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-03-05.[The names and the naming of Durban](_blank)
Website ''natalia.org.za'' (pdf). Retrieved 2021-03-05. is the third most populous city in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
after
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
and
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
and the largest city in
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
. Durban forms part of the
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, South Africa and surrounding towns. eThekwini is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The majo ...
, which includes neighbouring towns and has a population of about 3.44 million,
[Statistics South Africa, Community Survey, 2007, Basic Results Municipalities (pdf file)](_blank)
. Retrieved 2008-03-23. making the combined municipality one of the largest cities on the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
coast of the African continent. Durban was also one of the host cities of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
.
Durban was formerly named Port Natal due to its position as the chief seaport of South Africa, and its location on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean. Durban is a highly ethnically diverse city, with large
Zulu,
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
/
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
populations.
History
Archaeological evidence from the
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Zulu: uKhahlambha, Sotho: Maluti) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – within th ...
mountains suggests that the Durban area has been inhabited by communities of
hunter-gatherer
A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
s since
100,000 BC. These people lived throughout the area of
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
until the
expansion of Bantu farmers and pastoralists from the north saw their gradual displacement, incorporation or extermination.
Oral history has been passed down from generation to generation by the Zulu nation, who were inhabitants of the land before colonisers, but there is no
written history
Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world his ...
of the area until it was sighted by
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.
His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...
, who sailed parallel to the KwaZulu-Natal coast at Christmastide in 1497 while searching for a route from Europe to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. He named the area "Natal", or Christmas in
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
.
Abambo People
In 1686, a ship from the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
named ''Stavenisse'' was wrecked off the eastern coast of South Africa. Some of the survivors made their way to the Bay of Natal (Durban) where they were taken in by the Abambo tribe, which was led by Chief Langalibale. The crew became fluent in the tribe's language and witnessed their customs. The tribe told them that the land where the Abambo people lived was called Embo by the natives and that the people were very hospitable. On 28 October 1689, the galiot ''Noord'' travelled from Table Bay to the Bay of Natal to fetch the surviving crew of the ''Stavenisse'' and to negotiate a deal for purchasing the bay. The ''Noord'' arrived on 9 December 1689, whereafter the
Dutch Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie) was a Dutch United East India Company (VOC) colony in Southern Africa, centered on the Cape of Good Hope, from where it derived its name. The original colony and its successive states that the colony was inco ...
purchased the Bay of Natal from the Abambo people for £1,650. A formal contract was drawn up by Laurens van Swaanswyk and signed by the Chief of the Abambo people, with the crew of the ''Stavenisse'' acting as translators.
First European Colonizers
By 1822, Lieutenant James King, captain of a British ship named the ''
Salisbury
Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath.
Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...
'', together with
Lt. Francis George Farewell, both men being former
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
officers from the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, were engaged in trade between the
Cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
History
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...
and
Delagoa Bay
Maputo Bay ( pt, Baía de Maputo), formerly also known as Delagoa Bay from ''Baía da Lagoa'' in Portuguese, is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique, between 25° 40' and 26° 20' S, with a length from north to south of over 90&n ...
. On a return trip to the Cape in 1823, they were caught in a severe storm and decided to risk the Bar and anchor in the Bay of Natal. The crossing went off well and they found safe anchor from the storm.
Lt. King decided to map the Bay and named the "Salisbury and Farewell Islands". In 1824 Lt. Farewell, together with a trading company called J. R. Thompson & Co., decided to open trade relations with
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...
, the Zulu King, and establish a trading station at the Bay.
Henry Francis Fynn
Henry Francis Fynn (29 March 1803 in Grosvenor Square, London, England – 20 September 1861 in Durban, Natal, South Africa) was an English traveler and trader. He was among the first Europeans to make contact with Shaka Zulu. Fynn, Coen ...
, another trader at Delagoa Bay, was also involved in this venture.
Fynn left Delagoa Bay and sailed for the Bay of Natal on the brig ''Julia'', while Farewell followed six weeks later on the ''Antelope''. Between them they had 26 possible settlers, although only 18 stayed. On a visit to King Shaka, Henry Francis Fynn succeeded in befriending the king by helping him recover from a stab wound that he had suffered as a result of an assassination attempt by one of his half-brothers. As a token of his gratitude King Shaka granted Fynn a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth". On 7 August 1824 they concluded negotiations with King Shaka for a cession of land, including the Bay of Natal and land extending ten miles south of the Bay, twenty-five miles north of the Bay and one hundred miles inland.
Farewell took possession of this grant and raised the
Union Jack
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
with a Royal Salute, which consisted of 4 cannon shots and twenty musket shots. Only six of the original eighteen would-be settlers remained, and these six can be regarded as the founders of Port Natal as a British colony. These six were joined by Lt. James Saunders King and
Nathaniel Isaacs
Nathaniel Isaacs (1808–1872) was an English adventurer who played a part in the history of Natal, South Africa. He wrote a book spread over two volumes (whose accuracy is now disputed) called ''Travels and Adventures in Eastern Africa''. This b ...
in 1825.
The modern city of Durban thus dates from 1824, when the settlement was established on the northern shores of the bay near today's Farewell Square.
During a meeting of 35 European residents in Fynn's territory on 23 June 1835, it was decided to build a capital town and name it "D'Urban" after
Sir Benjamin D'Urban
Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin D'Urban (16 February 1777 – 25 May 1849) was a British general and colonial administrator, who is best known for his frontier policy when he was the Governor in the Cape Colony (now in South Africa).
Early ...
, who was the governor of the Cape Colony at the time.
Republic of Natalia
The
Voortrekkers established the
Republic of Natalia in 1839, with its capital at
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...
.
Tension between the Voortrekkers and the Zulus prompted the governor of the Cape Colony to dispatch a force under Captain Charlton Smith to establish British rule in Natal, for fear of losing British control in Port Natal. The force arrived on 4 May 1842 and built a fortification that was later to be ''The Old Fort''. On the night of 23/24 May 1842 the British attacked the Voortrekker camp at Congella. The attack failed, and the British had to withdraw to their camp which was put under siege. A local trader
Dick King
Richard Philip King (1811–1871) was an English trader and colonist at Port Natal, a British trading station in the region now known as KwaZulu-Natal. He is best known for a historic horseback ride in 1842, where he completed a journey of i ...
and his servant Ndongeni were able to escape the blockade and rode to
Grahamstown
Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London, Eastern Cape, East London. Makhanda is the lar ...
, a distance of in fourteen days to raise reinforcements. The reinforcements arrived in Durban 20 days later; the Voortrekkers retreated, and the siege was lifted.
Fierce conflict with the
Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban, and eventually the
Afrikaner
Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from Free Burghers, predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: ...
s accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure.
Durban's historic regalia
When the Borough of Durban was proclaimed in 1854, the council had to procure a seal for official documents. The seal was produced in 1855 and was replaced in 1882. The new seal contained a coat of arms without helmet or mantling that combined the coats of arms of Sir Benjamin D’Urban and Sir Benjamin Pine. An application was made to register the coat of arms with the
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
in 1906, but this application was rejected on grounds that the design implied that D’Urban and Pine were husband and wife. Nevertheless, the coat of arms appeared on the council's stationery from about 1912. The following year, a helmet and mantling was added to the council's stationery and to the new city seal that was made in 1936. The motto reads "Debile principium melior fortuna sequitur"—"Better fortune follows a humble beginning".
The blazon of the arms registered by the South African Bureau of Heraldry and granted to Durban on 9 February 1979. The coat of arms fell into disuse with the re-organisation of the South African local government structure in 2000. The seal ceased to be used in 1995.
Government
With the end of
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
, Durban was subject to restructuring of local government. Its first mayor was
Sipho Ngwenya
Sipho Ngwenya was the first democratically elected mayor of the Greater city of Durban. He was the first black mayor of the city post Apartheid era of South Africa. Durban, South Africa's third largest city, saw a number of name changes from Gr ...
. In 1996, the city became part of the ''Durban UniCity'' in July 1996 as part of transitional arrangements and to ''eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality'' in 1999, with the adoption of South Africa's new municipal governance system. In July 1996,
Obed Mlaba
Obed Thembinkosi Mlaba (born 9 September 1943) is the former High Commissioner of South Africa to the United Kingdom and served as mayor of Durban, one of the largest and most commercially active cities in South Africa.
Early life and career
M ...
was appointed mayor of Durban UniCity; in 1999 he was elected to mayor of the eThekwini municipality and re-elected in 2006. Following the May 2011 local elections, James Nxumalo, the former speaker of the council, was elected as the new mayor. On 23 August 2016 Zandile Gumede was elected as the new mayor until 13 August 2019. On 5 September 2019 Mxolisi Kaunda was sworn in as the new mayor.
The name of the Durban municipal government, prior to the post-apartheid reorganisations of municipalities, was the ''Durban Corporation'' or ''City of Durban''.
Geography
Durban is located on the east coast of South Africa, looking out upon the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
. The city lies at the mouth of the
Umgeni River
The Umgeni River or Mgeni River ( zu, uMngeni) is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It rises in the "Dargle" in the KZN Midlands, and its mouth is at Durban, some distance north of Durban's natural harbour. The name is taken to mean "the r ...
, which demarcates parts of Durban's north city limit, while other sections of the river flow through the city itself. Durban has a natural harbour,
Durban Harbour
The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemispher ...
, which is the busiest port in South Africa and is the 4th-busiest in the Southern Hemisphere.
Climate
Durban has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa''), with hot, humid summers and warm, quite dry winters, which are snow and frost-free. Durban has an annual rainfall of . The average temperature in summer ranges around , while in winter the average temperature is .
Demographics
![Ethekwini dominant language map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Ethekwini_2001_dominant_language_map.svg)
Durban is ethnically diverse, with a cultural richness of mixed beliefs and traditions.
Zulus
Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...
form the largest single ethnic group. It has a large number of people of
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
descent. The influence of Indians in Durban has been significant, bringing with them a variety of cuisine, culture and religion.
In the years following the end of apartheid, there was a population boom as black Africans were allowed to move into the city. The population grew by an annual average of 2.34% between 1996 and 2001. This led to shanty towns forming around the city which were often demolished. Between 2001 and 2011, the population growth slowed down to 1.08% per year and shanty towns have become less common as the government builds low-income housing.
The population of the city of Durban and central suburbs such as Durban North, Durban South and the Berea increased 10.9% between 2001 and 2011 from 536,644 to 595,061. The proportion of black Africans increased while the proportion of people in all the other racial groups decreased. Black Africans increased from 34.9% to 51.1%; Indians or Asians decreased from 27.3% to 24.0%; whites decreased from 25.5% to 15.3%; and
Coloureds
Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...
decreased from 10.26% to 8.59%. A new racial group, "Other", was included in the 2011 census at 0.93%.
The city's demographics indicate that 68% of the population is of working age, and 38% of the people in Durban are under the age of 19 years.
Durban has the highest number of dollar millionaires added per year of any South African city, with the number having increased 200 percent between 2000 and 2014.
Economy
Sugar refining is one of Durban's main industries. South Africa produces 19.9 million tons of sugar cane a year and most of it comes from KwaZulu-Natal.
Informal sector
Durban has a number of informal and semi-formal street vendors. The
Warwick Junction Precinct is home to a number of street markets, with vendors selling goods from traditional medicine, to clothing and spices.
The city's treatment of shack dwellers was criticised in a report from the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
linked Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions and there has also been criticism of the city's treatment of street traders, street children and sex workers. The
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
strain called 'Durban Poison' is named for the city.
Civil society
There are a number of civil society organisations based in Durban. These include:
Abahlali baseMjondolo
Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM, , in English: "the residents of the shacks") is a socialist shack dwellers' movement in South Africa which organises land occupations, builds communes (shack-dwellers') movement, the
Diakonia Council of Churches A diaconia was originally an establishment built near a church building, for the care of the poor and distribution of the church's charity in medieval Rome or Naples (the successor to the Roman grain supply system, often standing on the very sites o ...
, the
Right2Know Campaign
The Right2Know Campaign is a South African non-profit advocacy organisation established in 2010 to reduce state secrecy in the drafting of laws, increase access to information, and protect freedom of expression especially on the internet. As part ...
, the
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
and the
South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement
The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and Limpopo Province in South Africa. It is often referred to as the Unemployed People's Movement or UPM. The organisation is strongly critical ...
. The
Durban Art Gallery
Durban Art Gallery is a municipal art gallery in Durban, South Africa. It is run by eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, Sou ...
was founded in 1892.
Tourism
Durban has been named the greenest city in the world by Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index.
*
Burman Bush
Burman Bush is a nature reserve in Morningside, Durban, Morningside, Durban, situated some 8 km north of the CBD. At about 50 hectares it constitutes a small circular enclave of KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic, coastal forest which forms ...
*
Durban Botanic Gardens
The Durban Botanic Gardens is situated in the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is Durban's oldest public institution and Africa's oldest surviving botanical gardens. The gardens cover an area of in a subtropical climate.
Histo ...
*
Hawaan Forest
*
New Germany Nature Reserve
New Germany Nature Reserve is a protected area of coastal grassland and forest overlooking the suburb of New Germany outside of Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The reserve consists of a nature park featuring a walk-through aviary and sn ...
*
Pigeon Valley Nature reserve
*
Umgeni River Bird Park
The Umgeni River Bird Park is a bird zoo located in Durban, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
History
Designed and built by Dr. Alan Abrey in an old quarry site, the Umgeni River Bird Park was opened in April 1984. The park was own ...
*
Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve
Umhlanga lagoon is a nature reserve on the shore of the Indian Ocean at Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa. The reserve encloses the Ohlanga River's lagoon and mouth. The forest forms a natural extension of the less accessible Hawaan Forest, of which ...
*
Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve
Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve is a 253 hectare protected area in the suburb of Yellowwood Park, Durban, South Africa. The park was proclaimed in 1963, after land was donated by Mr Kenneth Stainbank for its purpose. The reserve is managed by ...
*
Mitchell Park Zoo
Mitchell Park Zoo is also known as Mitchell Park or Mitchell's Park. Situated in the Morningside suburb of Durban, South Africa, it is the only zoo in Durban.
The zoo was established as an Ostrich farm in 1910, but was unprofitable and started a ...
*
Moses Mabhida Stadium
The Moses Mabhida Stadium is a football stadium in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, named after Moses Mabhida, a former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. It is a multi-use stadium. The stadium became a ...
- Activities include a skycar ride or adventure walk to the top of the arch with 360-degree views over Durban;
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
bungee swing; segway gliding tours of the stadium; cafes and restaurants; monthly I Heart Durban market;
*
Kingsmead Cricket Ground
Kingsmead is a cricket ground in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its stated capacity is 25,000, although grass terracing makes up part of the viewing area. The 'end names' are the Umgeni End (north) and the Old Fort Road End (south). It is t ...
- a major
test match Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to:
* Test cricket
* Test match (indoor cricket)
* Test match (rugby union)
* Test match (rugby league)
* Test match (association football)
...
and
one-day cricket
Limited overs cricket, also known as one-day cricket or white ball cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day. There are a number of formats, including List A cricket (8-hour games), Twenty ...
venue.
*
Kings Park Stadium
The Kings Park Stadium (known as the Hollywoodbets Kings Park for sponsorship reasons since 2022), is a stadium located in the Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban, South Africa.
The stadium was originally built with a capacity of 12,000 and ...
- home ground of the internationally renowned
Sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
rugby team.
*
Greyville Racecourse
Greyville Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse race track in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 2,800 metre pear-shaped turf track consists of several gradient features: it is run uphill from the 2,400 metre mark to the 1,800 m ...
- home of the
Durban July Handicap
The Hollywoodbets Durban July Handicap is a South African Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first Saturday of July since 1897 at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Raced on turf, the Durban July Handicap is open to horses o ...
and Durban Country Club and golf course.
*
Durban Ice Arena
Durban Ice Arena is an multi-purpose complex located in the golden mile of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The complex is composed of an ice rink, convention center
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in Britis ...
- Activities include leisure ice skating, birthday parties, school excursions, sporting events, teambuilding activities, corporate functions and group bookings.
*
Gandhi in Durban - Mahatma Gandhi spent time in Durban and there are several historical sites associated with him.
Media
![DurbanHarbor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/DurbanHarbor.jpg)
Two major English-language daily newspapers are published in Durban, both part of the Independent Newspapers, the national group owned by
Sekunjalo Investments
Sekunjalo Investment Holdings (parent company of African Equity Empowerment Investments) is a black owned South Africa-based private equity firm specializing in acquisitions, PIPEs, and buyouts. It has principal operations in publishing, Inte ...
. These are the morning editions of ''
The Mercury
Mercury most commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* M ...
'' and the afternoon ''
Daily News''. Like most news media in South Africa, they have seen declining circulations in recent years. Major Zulu language papers comprise ''Isolezwe'' (Independent Newspapers), ''UmAfrika'' and ''Ilanga''. Independent Newspapers also publish ''Post'', a newspaper aimed largely at the Indian community. A national Sunday paper, the ''Sunday Tribune'' is also published by Independent Newspapers as is the ''Independent on Saturday''.
A major city initiative is the ''eZasegagasini Metro Gazette''.
The national broadcaster, the SABC, has regional offices in Durban and operates two major stations there. The
Zulu language
Zulu (), or isiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken in Southern Africa. It is the language of the Zulu people, with about 12 million native speakers, who primarily inhabit the province of KwaZulu-Natal o ...
Ukhozi FM has a huge national listenership of over 6.67 million, which makes it the second largest radio station in the world. The SABC also operates
Radio Lotus, which is aimed at South Africans of Indian origin. The other SABC national stations have smaller regional offices in Durban, as does TV for news links and sports broadcasts. A major English language
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
,
East Coast Radio, operates out of Durban and is owned by SA media giant Kagiso Media. There are a number of smaller stations which are independent, having been granted licences by ICASA, the national agency charged with the issue of broadcast licences.
Sport
![Mm stadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Mm_stadium.jpg)
Durban was initially successful in its bid to host the
2022 Commonwealth Games
The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Birmingham 2022, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that took place in Birmingham, England bet ...
,
but needed to withdraw in March 2017 from the role of hosts when the government withdrew its subsidy due to financial constraints.
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
replaced Durban as the host city.
Durban is home to the
Sharks (rugby union)
The Sharks (known as the Cell C Sharks as they are their title sponsor) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu Natal. They compete internationally in the United Rugby Championship and Heineken Champions Cu ...
, also known as the Cell C Sharks, who compete in the domestic
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring (June to October), featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Although it is the premier ...
competition as well as in the international
United Rugby Championship
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. The current name was adopted in 2021 when the league expanded to include four South Afr ...
and
Heineken Champions Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...
competition. The Sharks' home ground is the 54,000 capacity
HollywoodbetsKings Park Stadium, sometimes referred to as the Shark Tank. The Sharks are home to many Springbok players such as
Thomas du Toit
Thomas Joubert du Toit (born 5 May 1995) is a South African rugby union player for the South Africa national rugby union team, South Africa national team and the in the United Rugby Championship. His regular position is prop. His nickname is Th ...
,
Bongi Mbonambi
Mbongeni Theo 'Bongi' Mbonambi (born 7 January 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player, He currently plays as a hooker for the United Rugby Championship, URC team and also the South Africa national rugby union team, South Afri ...
,
Eben Etzebeth
Eben Etzebeth (born 29 October 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Sharks in the United Rugby Championship. His regular playing position is as a number 4 lock.
Clu ...
,
Makazole Mapimipi,
Lukhanyo Am
Lukhanyo Am (born 28 November 1993) is a South African professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team and the in the United Rugby Championship. His regular positions are centre and wing.
Professional career
Am played for ...
and the 2019 Rugby World Cup captain
Siya Kolisi
Siyamthanda Kolisi (born 16 June 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently captains the South Africa national team and also the Cell C Sharks. He plays club rugby for the in the Currie Cup. He generally plays as a ...
.
The city is home to two clubs in the
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
—
AmaZulu
Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...
, and
Golden Arrows
Lamontville Golden Arrows F.C. are a South African soccer club based in Durban that plays in the Premier Soccer League.
History
It was founded in 1943 in the streets of Lamontville, a township in Durban. The club played in the defunct Nation ...
. AmaZulu play most of their home games at the
Moses Mabhida Stadium
The Moses Mabhida Stadium is a football stadium in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, named after Moses Mabhida, a former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. It is a multi-use stadium. The stadium became a ...
. Golden Arrows play most of their home games at the
King Zwelithini Stadium
King Zwelithini Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Umlazi, a township south-west of Durban, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for football matches and was initially set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the ...
in the nearby township of
Umlazi
Umlazi is a township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, located south-west of Durban. Organisationally and administratively it forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and its South Municipal Planning Region.
It is the fourth largest ...
, but sometimes play some of their matches at
Moses Mabhida Stadium
The Moses Mabhida Stadium is a football stadium in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, named after Moses Mabhida, a former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. It is a multi-use stadium. The stadium became a ...
or
Chatsworth Stadium
Chatsworth Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Durban, South Africa. It is currently used mostly for Association football, football matches and serves as the home stadium of Royal AM F.C.
From 1985 until their bankruptcy in 2006 it was the hom ...
. It is also a home to some teams that are playing in the NFD such as Royal Eagles FC and Royal Kings
![Transport des supporters à Durban](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Transport_des_supporters_%C3%A0_Durban.jpg)
Durban is host to the
KwaZulu-Natal cricket team
KwaZulu-Natal (formerly Natal) is the first-class cricket team that represents the province of KwaZulu-Natal (formerly Natal) in South Africa. For the purposes of the Sunfoil Series, KwaZulu-Natal is the only team that has not merged with another a ...
, who play as the
Dolphins
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...
when competing in the
Sunfoil Series
The CSA 4-Day Domestic Series is the domestic first class cricket competition of South Africa. The tournament is contested by teams from all nine provinces of South Africa.
First contested as the Currie Cup from 1889–90, the tournament has u ...
.
Shaun Pollock
Shaun Maclean Pollock OIS (born 16 July 1973) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer, who was captain in all formats of the game. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and allrounders of all time. A genu ...
,
Jonty Rhodes
Jonathan Neil "Jonty" Rhodes (born 27 July 1969) is a South African professional cricket commentator and former Test and One Day International cricketer. He is regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all time and was the first South African ...
,
Lance Klusener
Lance Klusener (born 4 September 1971) is an international cricket coach and former cricketer of South Africa. He was known for his aggressive batting and fast-medium swing bowling. Klusener was one of the best all-rounders in the world during ...
,
Barry Richards
Barry Anderson Richards (born 21 July 1945) is a former South African first-class cricketer. A right-handed "talent of such enormous stature", Richards is considered one of South Africa's most successful batsmen. He was able to play only four ...
,
Andrew Hudson
Andrew Charles Hudson (born 17 March 1965) is a former South African Test and ODI cricketer. The right-handed batsman played 35 Tests and 89 One Day Internationals for South Africa in the 1990s. His career spanned 16 consecutive summers, playi ...
,
Hashim Amla
Hashim Mahomed Amla OIS (born 31 March 1983) is a South African former international cricketer who played for South Africa in all three formats of the game. Amla holds the record for being the fastest ever to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 ...
,
Vince van der Bijl
Vintcent Adriaan Pieter van der Bijl (born 19 March 1948) is a retired South African cricketer. He was born in Rondebosch, Cape Town, where his father, Pieter van der Bijl, was headmaster of the Diocesan College Preparatory School after reti ...
,
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England betw ...
,
Dale Benkenstein
Dale Martin Benkenstein (born 9 June 1974) is a former South African cricketer who was an all-rounder. He is currently first-team coach at Gloucestershire, having previously held the same role at Hampshire.
Early life
Benkenstein was born in S ...
and
David Miller are all players or past players of the
Natal cricket team
KwaZulu-Natal (formerly Natal) is the first-class cricket team that represents the province of KwaZulu-Natal (formerly Natal) in South Africa. For the purposes of the Sunfoil Series, KwaZulu-Natal is the only team that has not merged with another a ...
. International cricketers representing them include
Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Denzil Marshall (18 April 1958 – 4 November 1999) was a Barbadian cricketer. Primarily a fast bowler, Marshall is widely regarded as one of the greatest and one of the most accomplished fast bowlers of the modern era in Test cricket. ...
,
Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne John Bravo (born 7 October 1983) is a Trinidadian cricketer and a former captain of the West Indies cricket team. A genuine right arm seam bowling all-rounder, Bravo is well known for his aggressive lower-order batting and for his bowli ...
and
Graham Onions
Graham Onions (born 9 September 1982) is an English former cricketer. He played for Durham, Lancashire and England as a right arm fast-medium bowler and a right-hand tail-end batsman. After a successful start to the 2009 cricket season, Onions ...
. Cricket in Durban is played at
Kingsmead cricket ground
Kingsmead is a cricket ground in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its stated capacity is 25,000, although grass terracing makes up part of the viewing area. The 'end names' are the Umgeni End (north) and the Old Fort Road End (south). It is t ...
.
Durban hosted matches in the
2003 ICC Cricket World Cup
The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth Cricket World Cup, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 23 March 2003. This edition of the World Cup was the ...
. In 2007 the city hosted nine matches, including a semi-final, as part of the inaugural
ICC World Twenty20
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup (earlier known as ICC World Twenty20) is the international championship of Twenty20. Organised by cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the tournament consists of 16 teams, comprising t ...
. The
2009 IPL season was played in South Africa, and Durban was selected as a venue. 2010 saw the city host six matches, including a semi-final, in the
2010 Champions League Twenty20
The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 was the second edition of the Champions League Twenty20, an international Twenty20 cricket tournament. The tournament, which was held from 10 to 26 September 2010 in South Africa, featured 10 domestic Twenty20 ...
.
Durban was one of the host cities of the
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, and
A1GP
A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most for ...
held a race on a
street circuit in Durban from 2006 to 2008. Durban hosted the
123rd IOC Session The 123rd International Olympic Committee Session (or the 2011 International Olympic Committee Session, the 123rd IOC Session or the 2011 IOC Session) was held in July 2011 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban, Sout ...
in July 2011.
The city is home to
Greyville Racecourse
Greyville Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse race track in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 2,800 metre pear-shaped turf track consists of several gradient features: it is run uphill from the 2,400 metre mark to the 1,800 m ...
, a major
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...
venue which annually hosts a number of prestigious races including the country's premier event, the
July Handicap
July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the fourth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., it being the mont ...
, and the premier staying event in South Africa, the
Gold Cup. Clairwood racecourse, south of the city, was a popular racing venue for many years, but was sold by the KZN racing authority in 2012.
Durban hosts many famous endurance sports events annually, such as the
Comrades Marathon
The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately which is run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race. The direc ...
,
Dusi Canoe Marathon
The Dusi Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race held over three days between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. It is run along the Msunduzi and Mgeni Rivers over a total distance of . The race attracts between 1600 and 2000 paddlers ...
and the
Ironman 70.3 An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting o ...
.
The city hosted several continental basketball tournaments such as the
1994 FIBA Africa Championship for Women
The 1994 FIBA Africa Championship for Women was the 13th FIBA Africa Championship for Women, played under the rules of FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and the FIBA Africa thereof. The tournament was hosted by South Africa from Dece ...
or the
2006 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship
The 2006 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship was the 15th U-18 FIBA Africa championship, played under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, the world basketball sport governing body. The tournament was held from July 28 t ...
.
Transport
Air
King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors to passen ...
services both domestic and international flights, with regularly scheduled services to
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
,
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
and
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
as well as eight domestic destinations. Flights to
Luanda
Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
start on 17 November 2022. The airport's position forms part of the Golden Triangle between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is important for convenient travel and trade between these three major South African cities. The airport opened in May 2010. King Shaka International Airport handled 6.1 million passengers in 2019/2020, up 1.8 percent from 2018/2019. King Shaka International was constructed at
La Mercy
La Mercy is a suburb of the eThekwini municipality about north of Durban, South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of ...
, about north of central Durban. All operations at
Durban International Airport
Durban International Airport (formerly Louis Botha Airport) was the international airport of Durban from 1951 until 2010, when it was replaced by King Shaka International Airport, to the north. The airport is co-located with AFB Durban.
Hist ...
have been transferred to
King Shaka International
King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors to pass ...
as of 1 May 2010, with plans for flights to
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Kigali
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...
,
Luanda
Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
,
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (, , ) is the capital and most populated city of the African country of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020 that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in th ...
and
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
.
Sea
![Durban harbor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Durban_harbor.jpg)
Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The
Port of Durban
The Port of Durban, commonly called Durban Harbour, is the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa. It handles up to 31.4 million tons of cargo each year. It is the fourth largest container terminal in the Southern Hemisphe ...
, formerly known as the Port of Natal, is one of the few natural
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
s between
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
and
Maputo
Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...
, and is also located at the beginning of a particular weather phenomenon which can cause extremely violent seas. These two features made Durban an extremely busy
port of call for ship repairs when the port was opened in the 1840s.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises ( it, MSC Crociere) is an Italian global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1989 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping C ...
bases one of their cruise ships in Durban from November to April every year. From the 2019/2020 Southern Africa cruise season
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises ( it, MSC Crociere) is an Italian global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1989 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping C ...
will be basing the
MSC Orchestra in Durban. Durban is the most popular cruise hub in Southern Africa. Cruise destinations from Durban on the MSC Orchestra, MSC ''Orchestra'' include Mozambique, Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar and other domestic destinations such as Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. For the 2020/2021 cruise season
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises ( it, MSC Crociere) is an Italian global cruise line registered in Switzerland and based in Geneva, with operations offices in Naples, Genoa and Venice. It was founded in 1989 in Naples, Italy, as part of the Mediterranean Shipping C ...
will be sending 2 ships being the MSC Musica, MSC ''Musica'' & MSC Opera, MSC ''Opera'' which will include additional cruise dates and Seychelles being added as a new cruise destination. Many other ships cruise through Durban every year, including some of the world's biggest, such as the RMS Queen Mary 2, RMS ''Queen Mary 2'', the biggest ocean liner in the world. Durban will be building a brand new R200 million cruise terminal that will be operational in October 2019, the Durban Cruise Terminal. The tender was awarded to KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (Pty) Ltd which is 70% owned by MSC Cruises SA and 30% by Africa Armada Consortium. The new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate two cruise ships at any given time.
Naval Base Durban on Salisbury Island, Durban, Salisbury Island (now joined to the mainland and part of the Port of Durban), was established as a naval base during the Second World War. It was downgraded in 2002 to a naval station. In 2012 a decision was made to renovate and expand the facilities back up to a full naval base to accommodate the South African Navy's offshore patrol vessel, offshore patrol flotilla. In December 2015 it was redesignated Naval Base Durban.
Rail
Durban featured the first operating steam railway in South Africa when the Natal Railway Company started operating a line between the Point and the city of Durban in 1860.
[Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, vol 1: 1859–1910, (D.F. Holland, 1971), p11, 20–21, ]
Shosholoza Meyl, the passenger rail service of Transnet Freight Rail, Spoornet, operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Durban: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg (; Zulu: umGungundlovu) is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu ...
and Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, Newcastle, and a weekly service to and from Cape Town via Kimberley, Northern Cape, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. These trains terminate at Durban railway station.
Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal, Metrorail operates a commuter rail service in Durban and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network runs from Durban Station outwards as far as KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, Stanger on the north coast, Kelso, KwaZulu-Natal, Kelso on the south coast, and Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, Cato Ridge inland.
A Johannesburg-Durban High Speed Rail, high-speed rail link has been proposed, between Johannesburg and Durban.
Roads
![DurbanN3-aerial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/DurbanN3-aerial.jpg)
The city's main position as a port of entry onto the southern African continent has led to the development of National Roads in South Africa, national roads around it. The N3 road (South Africa), N3 Western Freeway, which links Durban with the economic hinterland of Gauteng, heads west out of the city. The Durban Outer Ring Road, N2 Outer Ring Road links Durban with the Eastern Cape to the south, and Mpumalanga in the north. The Western Freeway is particularly important because freight is shipped by truck to and from the Witwatersrand for transfer to the port.
The N3 Western Freeway starts in the central business district and heads west under Tollgate Bridge and through the suburbs of Sherwood and Mayville. The EB Cloete Interchange (which is informally nicknamed the Spaghetti Junction) lies to the west of Durban and east of Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, allowing for transfer of traffic between the N2 Durban Outer Ring Road, Outer Ring Road and the Western Freeway.
The N2 Outer Ring Road cuts through the city from the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, north coast to the South Coast (KwaZulu-Natal), south coast. It provides a vital link to the coastal towns (such as Amanzimtoti, Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal, Kingsburgh, Scottburgh, Umkomaas, Ballito and KwaDukuza) that rely on Durban.
Durban also has a system of freeway and Dual carriageway, dual arterial metropolitan routes, which connect the sprawling suburbs that lie to the north, west and south of the city. The M4 (Durban), M4 exists in two segments. The northern segment, named the Ruth First Highway, starts as an alternative highway from the R102 (South Africa), R102 inBallito and shortly after intersects the N2. It passes through the seaside towns and villages of La Mercy and eMdloti before becoming a dual carriageway in UMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, uMhlanga, north of Durban and ending at the northern edge of the CBD. The southern segment of the M4, the Albert Lutuli Highway, starts at the southern edge of the CBD, connecting through to the old, decommissioned Durban International Airport, where it once again reconnects at the southern end of the N2 Outer Ring Road.
The M7 (Durban), M7 connects the southern industrial basin of Durban with the N3 and Pinetown via Queensburgh via the N2. The M19 (Durban), M19 connects the inner northern suburbs of Durban with Pinetown via Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, Westville and the M41 (Durban), M41 connects Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, uMhlanga and Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal, Phoenix via Mount Edgecombe and the N2.
The M13 (Durban), M13 (King Cetshwayo Highway) is an untolled alternative to the N3 Western Freeway (which is tolled at Mariannhill) and is an important commuter route linking the nearby towns and suburbs to the west of Durban such as Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, Hillcrest, Gillitts, Kloof, Pinetown and Westville to the city.
In the late 2000s 107 streets in Durban were renamed, typically to honour individuals involved in the antiapartheid or international revolutionary movements, with two-thirds of the streets named after individuals associated with the governing African National Congress. This was done in two stages; a first, smaller one, which renamed eighteen streets and was met with some trepidation by opposition parties, particularly the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the Minority Front, and a second, larger stage, which renamed 99 streets and was met with considerably wider opposition after the controversy of the first and the minimal time between them. The first group was met with some opposition from This process was met with outrage from both opposition parties and the parts of the general public, as well as incidents of vandalism against the new road signs. The Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, and Minority Front were concerned with their lack of participation in the process, and that the emphasis on individuals affiliated with the ANC presented a partisan image of the antiapartheid struggle. Among the general public there was significant opposition from middle-class white South Africans, Indian South Africans, and Zulu nationalists, who believed that the new names should have a connection to the people and the history of the locality. In response, the ANC characterized the project as a transformation and part of progressive social change, characterizing their opponents as being "antitransformation" and "pro-apartheid".
Buses
Several companies run long-distance bus services from Durban to the other cities in South Africa. Buses have a long history in Durban. Most of them have been run by Indian owners since the early 1930s. Privately owned buses which are not subsidised by the government also service the communities. Buses operate in all areas of the eThekwini Municipality. Since 2003 buses have been violently taken out of the routes and bus ranks by taxi operators.
Durban was previously served by the Trolleybuses in Durban, Durban trolleybus system, which first ran in 1935.
Since 2017 the newer People Mover Bus System which runs along certain routes has been testing out free Wi-Fi for passengers.
Taxis
Durban has two kinds of taxis: taxicab, metered taxis and Share taxi, minibus taxis. Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service the Durban and surrounding regions. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles.
Mini bus taxis are the standard Mode of transport, form of transport for the majority of the population who cannot afford private cars. With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis are often filled over their legal passenger allowance, making for high casualty rates when they are involved in accidents. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in fleets, and inter-operator violence flares up from time to time, especially as Taxi wars in South Africa, turf wars over lucrative taxi routes occur.
Ride sharing apps Uber and Taxify have been launched in Durban and are also used by commuters.
Rickshaws
Although rickshaws have been a mode of transportation since the early 1900s, they have been displaced by other forms of motorised transport. The roughly 25 remaining rickshaws mostly cater to tourists.
Education
Private schools
*Al Falaah College
*Clifton School (South Africa), Clifton School
*Crawford College, La Lucia
*Crawford College, North Coast
*Durban Girls' College
*Eden College Durban
*Highbury Preparatory School
*Hillcrest Christian Academy
*Maris Stella School
*Orient Islamic School
*Reddam House
*Roseway Waldorf School
*St. Henry's Marist Brothers' College
*St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls, Kloof
*Thomas More College (South Africa), Thomas More College
*Al Falaah College, T Thunder College
Public schools
* Brettonwood High School
* Durban Academy High School
* Durban Girls' High School (DGHS)
* Durban High School (DHS)
* Durban North College
* George Campbell School of Technology
* Glenwood High School (South Africa), Glenwood High School
* Hillcrest High School (South Africa), Hillcrest High School
* Isipingo Secondary, Isipingo Secondary School
* Kingsway High School
* Kloof High School
* Kloof Junior Primary School
* Kloof Pre-Primary School
* Kloof Senior Primary School
* Mowat Park High School
* New Forest High School
* Northlands Girls' High School
* Northwood School (Durban North, South Africa), Northwood School
* Ogwini Comprehensive High School
* Pinetown Boys' High School
* Pinetown Girls' High School
* Port Natal High School
* Queensburgh Girls' High School
* Savannah Park Secondary School
* Sastri College High School
* St.Anthony Primary School
* Westville Boys' High School
* Westville Girls' High School
Universities and Colleges
![UKZN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/UKZN.jpg)
* Durban University of Technology
* Mangosuthu University of Technology
* Regent Business School
* University of KwaZulu-Natal
* University of South Africa
* Varsity College (South Africa)
* eta College
Culture
* African Art Centre
*
Durban Art Gallery
Durban Art Gallery is a municipal art gallery in Durban, South Africa. It is run by eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality created in 2000, that includes the city of Durban, Sou ...
* KZNSA
*Phansi Museum
* Ethekwini Municipal Libraries
* Thunee is a popular Jack–Nine card games, Jack-Nine card game that originated among communities in Durban
Places of worship
Among the places of worship, there are predominantly Christianity, Christian churches and temples. These include: Zion Christian Church, Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, Assemblies of God, Baptist Union of Southern Africa (Baptist World Alliance), Methodist Church of Southern Africa (World Methodist Council), Anglican Church of Southern Africa (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Church of Africa (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durban (Catholic Church) and the Durban South Africa Temple (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). There are also Islam, Muslim mosques and Hindu temples.
Crime and safety
As in other South African cities, Durban has a high murder rate. Between April 2018 and March 2019, the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality recorded 1,871 murders, gradually increasing from 1,349 seven years earlier and down from 2,042 in 2009.
Criminals usually avoid targeting tourists because they know that the police response will be greater.
Heist or theft is a common crime in the city. Most houses are protected by high walls and wealthier residents are often able to afford greater protection such as electric fencing, private security or gated communities. Crime rates vary widely across the city and most inner suburbs have much lower murder rates than in outlying areas of Ethekwini. Police station precincts recording the lowest murder rates per 100,000 in 2017 were Durban North (7), Mayville (8), Westville (12) and Malvern (12); Kwamashu (76) and Umlazi (69) were some of the most dangerous areas. Other crime comparisons are less valuable due to significant under-reporting especially in outlying areas.
There was a period of intense violence beginning in the 1990s, and the Durban area recorded a murder rate of 83 per 100,000 in 1999. The murder rate dropped rapidly in the 2000s before increasing rapidly throughout the 2010s. Durban is one of the main drug trafficking routes for drugs exiting and entering sub-Saharan Africa. The drug trade has increased significantly over the past 20 years.
International relations
Twin towns and sister cities
Durban is twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
* Alexandria, Egypt
* Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium
* Bremen, Germany
* Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
* Chicago, Illinois, US
* Gwangju, South Korea
* Eilat, Israel
* Guangzhou, China
* Le Port, Réunion, Le Port, Réunion
* Kaohsiung, Taiwan
* Leeds, United Kingdom
* Maracaibo, Venezuela
*
Maputo
Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...
, Mozambique
* Nantes, France
* New Orleans, Louisiana, US
* Oran, Algeria
* Rotterdam, Netherlands
* Mombasa, Kenya
Notable residents
* Dianne Bevelander, Dianne Lynne Bevelander, South African academic and activist
* Jack Saul (tennis), Jack Saul, South African-Israeli tennis player
* Billy Tennant, professional flowboarder
See also
* Art Deco in Durban
* Black December
* Durban International Film Festival
* Durban Youth Council
* Emmanuel Cathedral
* Riverside Soofie Mosque and Mausoleum
* World Conference against Racism 2001 – held in Durban
References
External links
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
Durban Tourism BureauSnake City, National Geographic WildGandhi Sites in Durban
{{Authority control
Durban,
1880 establishments in the British Empire
Cities in South Africa
History of KwaZulu-Natal
Port cities and towns of the Indian Ocean
Populated places established in 1824
Populated places in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
Port cities in South Africa
Populated coastal places in South Africa