KwaZulu-Natal South Coast (better known as the KZN South Coast or just the South Coast) is a region on the southern coast 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 ...

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 ...

. It stretches from

Scottburgh Scottburgh () is a coastal resort town located on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It situated south of the mouth of the Mpambanyoni River ''(confuser of birds).'' History Named after Natal Colony Governor John Scott, in 186 ...

in the north to Port Edward in the south and

Harding Harding may refer to: People *Harding (surname) *Maureen Harding Clark (born 1946), Irish jurist Places Australia * Harding River Iran * Harding, Iran, a village in South Khorasan Province South Africa * Harding, KwaZulu-Natal United Sta ...

in the west. The coast is governed by the

Ugu District Municipality Ugu is one of the 11 districts of KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. ''Ugu'' is Zulu for "coast". It governs the KZN South Coast and its seat is Port Shepstone. The majority of its 722,484 people speak IsiZulu (2011 Census). The district cod ...

. Its main towns are

, Pennington,

Hibberdene Hibberdene is a small coastal town on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa. It was named after C. Maxwell-Hibberd, the former postmaster-general of Natal. Hibberdene is located in the Hibiscus Coast region of the KZN South Coast and is ...

Port Shepstone Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is positioned 120 km south of Durban. ...

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and Westbrook, Kent, ...

Southbroom Southbroom is a coastal village in Ugu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is located 143 km south-west of Durban, and 213 km south of Pietermaritzburg. The village was officially founded in 1933, an ...

and Port Edward however Port Shepstone is the municipal seat and the primary town as it is the powerhouse of the South Coast. As of 2016 the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast has a population of 753 336 (

Demographics

As of 2016, the

(KZN South Coast) has a population of 753 336 people compared to 2011 where it had a population of 689 051 which indicates that between 2011 and 2016 the population grew at about 8.5%. The annual population growth was 2.03% and the number of men per 100 females decreased from 91.8% in 2011 to 88.4% in 2016.

Geography

It is bordered by 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 ...

on the east,

East Griqualand Griqualand East (Afrikaans: ''Griekwaland-Oos''), officially known as New Griqualand (Dutch: ''Nieuw Griqualand''), was one of four short-lived Griqua states in Southern Africa from the early 1860s until the late 1870s and was located between t ...

in the west,

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

in the north, the

KwaZulu-Natal Midlands The KwaZulu-Natal midlands is an inland area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa that starts from Pietermaritzburg and ends before the Drakensberg mountain range. Area There are several small towns located in the midlands, including: Pietermaritzburg, ...

in the north-west and the

Mtamvuna River Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162&nb ...

(border between KZN and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

) to the south. The Mtanvuma River is the southernmost border which borders between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Toti Main Beach sunrise

The coastline between

Amanzimtoti Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts m ...

and Clansthal is normally regarded part of the South Coast however according to Tourism KZN (government agency for tourism in KwaZulu-Natal), the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast starts officially from

in the north to Port Edward in the south.

Administration

The region is governed by the

with its seat in

. The three different regions are administered by their respective local municipalities. The only exception is where the Hibiscus Coast is governed by two local municipalities: Unfortunately the municipality has not properly maintained sewage lines along the South Coast with the result that many beaches along the South Coast are contaminated and dangerous to swim in. One should enquire about contamination and beach closures prior to traveling to the area and to seek medical treatment immediately upon any signs of diarrhea and vomiting as a result of swimming in these waters. * Umdoni Coast and Country-

uMdoni Local Municipality uMdoni Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Ugu District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Umdoni is an isiZulu name for the indigenous tree, Mdoni (''Syzgium gerrardi''). Main places The 2001 census divided the municipality in ...

(seat:

) * Hibiscus Coast-

Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality is a local municipality of South Africa. It is located on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It was established after the August 2016 local elections by the merging of Ezinqoleni and Hibiscus Coast local municipali ...

(seat:

) &

Umzumbe Local Municipality Umzumbe Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Ugu District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after the Umzumbe River. Towns within the municipal boundaries: Friedenau, KwaDweshula, St Faith’s, Umzumbe ...

(seat:

Mtwalume Mtwalume is a settlement in Ugu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A small seaside village about 87 km south of Durban, it is predominantly a holiday and fishing village. The name "Mtwalume" is derived from ...

) * Harding and Surroundings-

uMuziwabantu Local Municipality uMuziwabantu Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Ugu District of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Umuziwabantu is an isiZulu name meaning "the people's home", or a home with wide open doors where everyone is welcome. The main sou ...

(seat:

)

Subregions

It is divided into three subregions which are Umdoni Coast & Country,

Hibiscus Coast The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of making it the 11th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Re ...

and Harding and surrounds.

Umdoni Coast & Country

Umdoni Coast and Country better known as the Upper South Coast stretches from

. It is located south of the Greater Durban Metro. Its main town is

Hibiscus Coast

also known as the Lower South Coast stretches from

in the north to Port Edward in the south and

Izingolweni Izingolweni or Ezinqoleni is a town in Ugu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It was founded in the 1870s as a police and administration post. The name comes from the Zulu language word for "place with very shal ...

in the west. Hibiscus Coast is the ultimate economy booster of the South Coast due its location and as well as being home to the South Coast 's economic hub, Port Shepstone. It is known as the 'beach holiday mecca' of KwaZulu-Natal and is known for its 'unending' Hibiscus trees found along the coast.

Harding and Surrounds

is a small town located halfway between

and

Kokstad Kokstad is a town in the Harry Gwala District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Kokstad is named after the Griqua chief Adam Kok III who settled here in 1863. Kokstad is the capital town of the East Griqualand region, as it i ...

Griqualand East Griqualand East (Afrikaans: ''Griekwaland-Oos''), officially known as New Griqualand (Dutch: ''Nieuw Griqualand''), was one of four short-lived Griqua states in Southern Africa from the early 1860s until the late 1870s and was located between t ...

. It is famous for its sawmills in the Weza area and the Ingeli Forest.

Facilities

The KZN South Coast has eight hospitals.

Public Hospitals

*Dunstan Farell Hospital,

* G.J Crookes Hospital,

* Murchsion District Hospital, Murchison, near

* Port Shepstone Regional Hospital, Port Shepstone * St Andrew's Provincial Hospital,

Private Hospitals

* Hibiscus Private Hospital, Port Shepstone * Hibiscus Private Hospital,

* Netcare Margate Hospital,

* Shelly Beach Hospital, Shelly Beach

Golfing

The South Coast has more golf courses than any other section of

; many of them are 18-hole courses and are in the country's top 100 courses. They include: * Harding Golf Club * Hibberdene Golf Club * Margate Country Club * Port Edward Country Club * Port Shepstone Country Club * San Lameer Golf Course, Southbroom * Scottburgh Golf Club * Selborne Golf Club, Pennington * Southbroom Golf Club * Umdoni Golf Club, Pennington

Tourism

The coast is rich in terms of attractions and tourism contributes largely to the region's economy. Eagles Nest, Oribi Gorge on Easter Sunday

* Avuxeni Adventures * Aqua Planet Dive Centre * Butterfly Valley * Crocworld Conservation Centre * Ingeli Forest * Macbutterflies * Margate Art Museum * Margate Main Beach * Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve * Port Shepstone Lighthouse * Port Edward Lighthouse * Pure Venom * Red Desert Nature Conservation Area * Riverbend Crocodile Farm * Stephward Estate Exotic Nursery * St Micheals on Sea Beach *

Aliwal Shoal The Aliwal Shoal is a rocky reef which is the remains of an ancient sand dune approximately off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The reef is inhabited by many kinds of hard and soft corals and other marine invertebrates, and a variety o ...

Umtamvuna Nature Reserve The Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is situated in South Africa on the KwaZulu-Natal side of the Mtamvuna River, and is managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. The reserve is 3,257 hectares in extent and was established on 25 July 1971.Pooley, T. and Player ...

* Wild Waves Water Park

Towns

The main towns or places in the Kwazulu-Natal South Coast includes:

Lower South Coast

Boboyi Boboyi, or Bhobhoyi, is a settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is located 8 km west of Port Shepstone and is named after the Boboyi River which runs through the village.{{Cite web, url=https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/police-monit ...

* Izotsha *

* Murchison *

Paddock A paddock is a small enclosure for horses. In the United Kingdom, this term also applies to a field for a general automobile racing competition, particularly Formula 1. Description In Canada and the United States of America, a paddock is a small ...

* Port Edward *

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

* Shelly Beach *

St Faith's ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

Uvongo Uvongo is a seaside resort in the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast at the mouth of the Vungu River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Uvongo is the largest upmarket residential area on the lower South Coast. The Vungu River has a waterfall that flows into ...

Upper South Coast

* Amandawe Mission *

Bazley Beach Bazley or Bazley Beach is a residential beach town along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, south of Durban. It was named after John Bazley, an engineer and Byrne Settler whose son William successfully opened the Mzimkulu River mouth for shipping in ...

Dududu Dududu is a small rural area in the South Coast of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is also referred to as Zembeni by locals. The area is primarily used for agriculture, i.e. the sugarcane plantations by the Illovo Sugar company. ...

Ifafa Beach Ifafa Beach is a small coastal resort town on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal 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 ...

Park Rynie Park Rynie is a small resort town on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was established in 1857 and possibly named after Renetta (nicknamed Rynie) Hoets, wife of one of the John Phillip Hoffman, partner in the firm Nosworthy ...

* Pennington *

Sezela Sezela is a small town on the mouth of iSezela River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is 78.7 km south of Durban. It is notable for its large sugar mill. Etymology The river and the town are named after a crocodile. In 1828, the Z ...

Umzinto Umzinto is a town, located in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and falls under the uMdoni Local Municipality. It was a sugarcane growing area and the town was set up as the centre for a sugar mill. Etymology "Umzinto" is said to ...

Harding and Surroundings

* Weza

Transport

Road

The region is connected by the N2,

R61 R61 may refer to: * R61 (South Africa) The R61 is a long provincial route in South Africa that connects Beaufort West with Port Shepstone via Graaff-Reinet, Komani (previously Queenstown), Mthatha and Port Edward. The R61 is co-signed with the ...

R102 The R.102 (originally referred to as Project H) was a British airship planned in 1930 but never built. The development of R.102 resulted from the Imperial Airship Scheme, when it became apparent that the R100 and R101 airships then being built ...

and R612. - The N2 links to

Richards Bay Richards Bay ( af, Richardsbaai) is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which makes it one of the country's largest harbours. Richards Bay also has the deepest natural ha ...

and Ermelo in the north and

Mthatha Mthatha , formerly Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known as the K. D. Matanzi ...

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

Gqeberha 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, So ...

Garden Route The Garden Route (Afrikaans: ''Tuinroete'') is a stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from the verdant an ...

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 ...

in the south-west. - The R61 links to

Graaf-Reinet Graaff-Reinet is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is the oldest town in the province. It is also the sixth-oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, Paarl and Swellendam. The town was the c ...

and

Beaufort West Beaufort West (Afrikaans: ''Beaufort-Wes''; Xhosa: ''eBhofolo'') is a town in the Western Cape province in South Africa. It is the largest town in the arid Great Karoo region, and is known as the "Capital of the Karoo". It forms part of the Beauf ...

. - The R102 links to

KwaDukuza KwaDukuza is a municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2006, the municipal name was changed to KwaDukuza (which incorporates small towns such as Stanger, Balito, Shaka's Kraal, but the Zulu people in the area called it "Dukuza" well befor ...

and

Empangeni Empangeni is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is approximately 157 kilometres north of Durban, in hilly countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay 16 kilometres away. The N2 freeway runs east ...

. The N2 runs parallel on the coast from

and northwards and inland from Port Shepstone to

and westwards to

. The largest traffic volumes pass along the N2 towards Port Shepstone, and further towards Kokstad, as well as the R61 from Port Shepstone towards Port Edward. Large volumes of traffic also pass along the R612 from

Ixopo Ixopo is a town situated on a tributary of the Mkhomazi River along the R56 highway in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Background Ixopo was formerly known as Stuartstown, was laid out in 1878 and named after M Stuart, Resident Magi ...

, and the road from

Umtentweni Umtentweni is a small coastal resort and extension of Port Shepstone between the Mzimkulu River ''(the great home of all rivers)'' and the Mtentweni River (named after a species of grass the grows on its banks). It is situated in the Ray Nkonye ...

to St Faith’s. The N2 and

run as the "South Coast Toll Road" between

and

and includes three toll plazas: Izotsha Ramp Plaza ( Shelly Beach), Oribi Toll Plaza (Port Shepstone) and the Umtentweni Ramp Plaza (Port Shepstone). An alternative route to the N2/R61 Toll Route for commuters and travelers is the

between Port Shepstone and

and the R620 between Port Shepstone and

Air

The South Coast is served by

Margate Airport Margate Airport is an airport in Margate, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa . The airport is welcomed by many tourists (including local and international) and provides a convenient alternative to King Shaka International Airport in Durban. It only ha ...

which currently has flights to

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 ...

operated by

CemAir CemAir (Pty) Ltd is a privately owned airline operating in South Africa, servicing popular tourist destinations and important business towns, as well as leasing aircraft to other airlines across Africa and the Middle East. The airline is based i ...

. A larger alternative is

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 ...

, north of

which has flights to other domestic destinations as well as international destinations such as

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Media

Newspaper

The newspapers in the KZN South Coast are the South Coast Herald, South Coast Fever and South Coast Sun.

Radio

In terms of radio, East Coast Radio and

Ukhozi FM Ukhozi FM is a South African national radio station & owned by SABC, based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal that caters to the needs of the Zulu-speaking community. Founded in 1960, it is the largest radio station in South Africa and Africa (by listen ...

are the main radio stations mainly serving the whole province of

References

{{Reflist content://0@media/external/file/37900 KwaZulu-Natal South Coast