Southbroom is a coastal village in

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 ...

in the

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 ...

province of

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 is located 143 km south-west of

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 ...

, and 213 km south of

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 ...

. The village was officially founded in 1933, and in the 2011 census had a population of 1,615 in 847 households.

History

In 1884, a pioneer named Alfred Eyles established a mission on the site of the present day Outlook Farm. This is the earliest recorded settlement of Southbroom. In 1895, ''The Fascadale'' was wrecked on rocks off Southbroom beach while en route to

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, but the timely arrival of another vessel meant that only two people died. The name "Southbroom" was first associated with the area in 1908, when the Swedish Zulu Mission took over the mission from the Eyles family, who subsequently renamed their home "Southbroom"; a reference to a family home in their native England. Frank and Gilbert Eyles, the youngest sons of Alfred, proclaimed the township in 1933. In 1935, the Southbroom Hotel opened, with its tidal pool (known as Granny's Pool) opening two years later. The golf course was first opened in 1939, before being extended to a full 18 holes in 1948.

Geography

Southbroom is located on a gentle hilly topography overlooking 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 ...

approximately 23 km south-west of

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. ...

and 18 km north-east of Port Edward. It is situated between

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 ...

in the north and Marina Beach in the south.

Communities

The Greater Southbroom area includes 5 seaside villages/communities alongside Southbroom proper (the main village) which is located south of Ramsgate and between the Mbizane River to the north and the Kaba River to the south. These communities include: * Marina Beach which is located south of the Southbroom and the Kaba River and north of San Lameer. * San Lameer which is located between Marina Beach in the north and Trafalgar in the south. *

Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England It may also refer to: Music * ''Trafalgar'' (album), by the Bee Gees Pl ...

which is located south of San Lameer and north of the Mpenjati River and Palm Beach.

Culture and comptemptory life

Beaches

Southbroom is also home to 5 beaches within its greater area including Southbroom Main Beach, Umkobi Beach on the Kaba river mouth, Marina Beach, San Lameer Beach and Trafalgar Beach. Two of these beaches, Marina Beach and Trafalgar Beach are accredited with the international

Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-gov ...

status and have been withholding it for many years.

Golf

Southbroom has two

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

s within its vicinity, Southbroom Golf Club and San Lameer Country Club. Southbroom Golf Club is a small 18-hole golf course stretching along the coastline of the village between the smattering of residences making it an integral component of Southbroom and also ranked the most fun golf course in South Africa. San Lameer Country Club located within the San Lameer Estate, south of Southbroom and Marina Beach is a 18-hole Championship golf course designed by Peter Matkovich and Dale Hayes and is ranked by Compleat Golfer as one of the toughest golf courses in South Africa and is consistently ranked amongst the 30 best golf courses in South Africa by Golf Digest.

Tourism and Hospitality

Similarly to most seaside communities along the

KwaZulu-Natal South Coast 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, South Africa. It stretches from Scottburgh in the north to Port Edward in the south and Harding in the ...

, Southbroom mostly depends on tourism for its small-scale economy. Southbroom is most popularly known for the San Lameer Estate, located just south of the village which includes an 18-hole Championship golf course (one of the most popular golf courses on the South Coast), luxury villas, a hotel and spa. Other than San Lameer, Southbroom includes several hospitality establishments such as B&Bs, guest houses and the Kingfisher Lakeside Resort located in Trafalgar as well as popular restaurants such as the Mariners in Marina Beach.

Infrastructure

Roads

Southbroom has access to one highway, the R61 highway (future

N2 Wild Coast Toll Route The N2 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town through George, Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha and Durban to Ermelo. It is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. Its current length of makes it the ...

). The

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 ...

/ N2’s intersection with the R620 in Southbroom is the southern terminus for the South Coast Toll Road stretching northwards to Hibberdene and the beginning of the freeway section of the R61/N2. The R61/N2 runs past Southbroom bypassing the village to the west. The regional route links the village to

and

in the north-east and Port Edward and Mbizana in the south-west. The R620 (Marine Drive) begins at the intersection with the R61/N2 towards the north of Southbroom and runs along the coast linking Southbroom to the nearby coastal towns of

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, ...

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 ...

, Shelly Beach and Port Shepstone in the north-east. The R620 can also be used as an alternative route to Shelly Beach, Port Shepstone, Durban 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 ...

(via 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 ...

in Port Shepstone) for motorists avoiding the Izotsha Ramp Plaza in Shelly Beach and the Oribi Toll Plaza in Port Shepstone.

References

{{Ugu District Municipality Populated places in the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality Populated coastal places in South Africa KwaZulu-Natal South Coast