uMhlanga, alternatively rendered Umhlanga, is a residential, commercial, and resort town located north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which was created in 2000 and includes the greater Durban area. While uMhlanga has evolved into a major commercial node, it remains traditionally a resort town and continues to be one of South Africa's most popular tourist destinations.
uMhlanga is situated on the northern urban outskirts of the Greater Durban metropolitan area and is often considered a suburb of Durban, just 16 km (10 mi) from the city centre. It shares borders with Durban North to the south and Mount Edgecombe to the west.
uMhlanga Rocks
Early History and Formation
In 1895, Sir Marshall Campbell founded uMhlanga. The Borough of uMhlanga was formed on 1 August 1972 through the amalgamation of uMhlanga Rocks, a seaside resort town, and the suburb of La Lucia. Mr. Rodney Rindel, former chairman of the La Lucia town board, was elected mayor of the newly formed Borough of uMhlanga. Mr. Rindel noted that the people of La Lucia had opposed the amalgamation, but now that it had occurred, they would make the best of it.
Key Areas and Suburbs
Along the coastline lies the suburb of uMhlanga Rocks, which contains the traditional commercial centre of uMhlanga. The ridge, which borders Mount Edgecombe to the west includes the suburbs of uMhlanga Ridge, Prestondale, Izinga Estate, Sunningdale and Somerset Park. The slope between the ridge and the coastline include the suburbs of La Lucia, Ridgeside and Herrwood Park.
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La Lucia
A formerly independent suburb, La Lucia is located on the southern boundary of uMhlanga with Durban North and is located on the hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean. La Lucia is one of the most upmarket suburbs of Greater Durban.
Ridgeside
Formerly sugarcane fields, Ridgeside is a new office node situated on the hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean. The area combines office estate, commercial, mixed-use, residential, leisure developments and managed open spaces.
Somerset Park
Somerset Park is a residential suburb on the ridge above La Lucia and its residences are notably uniform with their design with similar green colonial-designed roofs to the adjacent Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate.
uMhlanga Ridge
uMhlanga Ridge is a new retail, office and residential node situated on the ridge overlooking the Indian Ocean, making up the most recent expansion in uMhlanga. It was largely developed on sugarcane land by property development company, Moreland Estates, owned by the Tongaat Hulett sugar group. uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre is connected by a series of pedestrian-friendly roads, parks and public spaces. The new uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre has been under construction for almost a decade. Vela VKE consulted on the structural input for the design of the grade separation bridge and two parking court structures.
uMhlanga Rocks
uMhlanga Rocks, also commonly known as uMhlanga Village, is the coastal strip east of the M4 and is the most established area of uMhlanga, established prior to the sprawling development of the suburbs on the ridge above. The “village” has many luxury hotels and apartments right on the beach, including the Cabana Beach Hotel, the Beverly Hills Hotel, The Oyster Box Hotel, the uMhlanga Sands Hotel and Pearls of uMhlanga apartments. Many of these have views of the uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse.
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Development and Expansion
The construction of the Gateway Theatre of Shopping by Old Mutual Properties (opened in 2001) marked a significant change for the uMhlanga area, creating rapid commercialisation and urban sprawl in the area and had a crucial role in the development of the then small town of Umhlanga, lying just outside Durban. The Greater Durban metropolitan area is seeing expansion into areas near the Hawaan forest to the north which is the natural habitat of many creatures such as the vervet monkey.
The new uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre has seen major expansion with many apartment complexes and businesses being built. In the uMhlanga Village, the final phase of the Pearls of Umhlanga, Pearl Sky was completed in 2017 which includes a shopping mall. Adjacent and inland of the Pearls of Umhlanga on Lagoon Drive, the Oceans uMhlanga development has already seen the opening of its 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel tower in June 2022 and its new luxury shopping centre, Oceans Mall in November 2022. Due to the economic boom in the uMhlanga area as well as the new airport located nearby, various developments are under way which will substantially increase the population over the next two decades. About 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) up the coast will be the luxury Aerotropolis known as the Sibaya Coastal Precinct inland to eMdloti.
In 1994, after the local government elections, The Borough of uMhlanga, which also included Glen Anil (now part of Durban North) and Umdloti Beach (renamed to eMdloti) was amalgamated with some surrounding areas, including Mount Edgecombe, Verulam and Tongaat (now oThongathi) to form the North Local Council, as part of the short-lived transitional Durban Metropolitan Council which included the former City of Durban Municipality and former surrounding independent municipalities.
Key Landmarks and Attractions
uMhlanga is well known for the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, the largest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere. It also has the second-tallest skyscraper in South Africa, Pearl Sky, at 183 m. The uMhlanga Rocks Promenade, officially named the Ken O'Connor Promenade after a former mayor, is a scenic beach walkway that extends along the coastline of uMhlanga Rocks. uMhlanga Rocks also features two lifeguard-patrolled beaches: Bronze Beach to the north and uMhlanga Main Beach in the central area.
Gateway Theatre of Shopping
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Infrastructure and Accessibility
The N2 and M4 serve as key north-south freeways. The N2, to the west, links uMhlanga with Durban, King Shaka International Airport, and KwaDukuza while the M4, following the coastal route, connects uMhlanga with Durban and Ballito. The M41 provides a major east-west connection between uMhlanga, Mount Edgecombe, and Phoenix. The M12, known as uMhlanga Rocks Drive, is the main arterial road through uMhlanga, extending southward toward Durban North. Additionally, the M47, called uMhlanga Ridge Boulevard, offers a direct connection between uMhlanga and Cornubia to the west.
Demographics
During apartheid, uMhlanga was a predominately white town, however now it is very diverse with people from various racial backgrounds and ethnic groups. 78.9% speak English as their first language, 9.0% Zulu and 6.12% Afrikaans. The number of people from each racial group increased between 2001 and 2011. The number of white people increased from 11,523 to 12,925 while the percentage dropped from 74.9% to 53.3%. The number of black people increased from 1,770 to 4,147. The number of "Indians or Asians" increased from 1,953 to 6,353.
As of the 2011 census, the most black area is the new town centre area which is 24.1% black. The most white area is the northern coastal area of Greater Durban including the uMhlanga Village which is 66.9% white. The most Indian area is the woodlands which is 46.0% Indian. The expensive new developments tend to have higher Indian populations than the average for uMhlanga while the lower cost developments tend to have higher Indian and black populations than the average.
Tourism and Economy
uMhlanga is part of the uMhlanga Coast, also known as the FunShine Coast, which includes Durban North, Mount Edgecombe, Verulam, oThongathi, eMdloti, La Mercy, and Westbrook. This region aligns with the boundaries of the Northern MRP within the eThekwini Municipality. There were 1.2 million visitors in 2015 which generated a GDP of R20-billion.
Table: Key Data and Statistics for uMhlanga
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Visitors in 2015 | 1.2 million |
| GDP Generated in 2015 | R20 billion |
| English Speakers (First Language) | 78.9% |
| Zulu Speakers (First Language) | 9.0% |
| Afrikaans Speakers (First Language) | 6.12% |
Environmental Challenges
In 2022, the eThekwini Metro faced a massive sewage problem due to failures in its water treatment plants which were further exacerbated by the April floods which destroyed several sewage infrastructures. uMhlanga was one of the worst affected areas in the metropolis, with its beaches closed for a long period of time due to the high E. coli levels found in the ocean water.
umhlanga Rocks nature trail
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