Durban (Zulu: eThekwini, from itheku meaning "bay/lagoon") is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. After Johannesburg, the Durban Metropolitan Area ranks second among the most populous urban areas in South Africa, virtually ex-aequo with Cape Town. It forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa and is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism because of the city's warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban was formerly named Port Natal.
The municipality, which includes neighbouring towns, has a population of almost 3.5 million, making the combined municipality one of the biggest cities on the Indian Ocean coast of the African continent. Durban is the seat of the larger eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which spans an area of 2,556 km2 (987 sq mi) and had a population of 4.2 million in 2022,[3] making the metropolitan population one of Africa's largest on the Indian Ocean.
Durban is also the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa after Johannesburg.
Geographic Coordinates of Durban
The geographic coordinate system enables any place in the world to be located using its latitude and longitude. The latitude is the position relative to the equator, specifying the north-south position. The longitude specifies the east-west position measured from a reference meridian (usually the Greenwich Prime Meridian).
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Durban is located at latitude -29.8579 and longitude 31.0292. It is part of Africa and the southern hemisphere. The latitude and longitude of Durban have been calculated based on the geodetic datum WGS84.
Here's a breakdown of Durban's coordinates in various formats:
- Simple Decimal Standard: -29.8579, 31.0292
- Decimal Degrees (DD): 29.8579° S, 31.0292° E
- Degrees and Decimal Minutes (DDM): 29°51.474' S, 31°1.752' E
- Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS): 29°51'28.4'' S, 31°1'45.1'' E
Cities at the Same Latitude as Durban
- Kingston, Norfolk Island: -29.05459, 167.96628
- Maseru, Lesotho: -29.31667, 27.48333
- Caxias do Sul, Brazil: -29.16806, -51.17944
- La Rioja, Argentina: -29.41328, -66.85637
- Canoas, Brazil: -29.91778, -51.18361
Cities at the Same Longitude as Durban
- Cairo, Egypt: 30.06263, 31.24967
- Harare, Zimbabwe: -17.82772, 31.05337
- Giza, Egypt: 30.00944, 31.20861
- Juba, South Sudan: 4.85165, 31.58247
- Mbabane, Eswatini: -26.31667, 31.13333
Here is a table summarizing the coordinate formats:
| System | Latitude | Longitude |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Decimal Standard | -29.8579 | 31.0292 |
| Decimal Degrees (DD) | 29.8579° S | 31.0292° E |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes (DDM) | 29°51.474' S | 31°1.752' E |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DMS) | 29°51'28.4'' S | 31°1'45.1'' E |
Historical Overview
Archaeological evidence from the Drakensberg mountains suggests that the Durban area has been inhabited by communities of hunter-gatherers since 100,000 BP. These people lived throughout the area of KwaZulu-Natal until the expansion of agro-pastoralists and pastoralists from the north saw their gradual incorporation.
Oral history has been passed down from generation to generation by the Zulu nation, who were inhabitants of the land before European colonisers, but there is no written history of the area until it was sighted by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who sailed parallel to the KwaZulu-Natal coast at Christmastide in 1497 while searching for a route from Europe to India. During Christmas 1497, Vasco da Gama saw the coast and named it Natal, the Portuguese word for Christmas.
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In 1686, a ship from the Dutch East India Company 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 (Hlubi people), which was led by Chief Langalibalele. The crew became fluent in the tribe's language and witnessed their customs.
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 purchased the Bay of Natal from the Abambo people for £1,650.
By 1822, James Saunders King, captain of the British ship Salisbury, together with Lt. Francis George Farewell, both men being former Royal Navy officers from the Napoleonic Wars, were engaged in trade between the Cape and Delagoa Bay. 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 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 the Zulu King, and establish a trading station at the Bay. 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, by document dated the 7th of August 1824, to “F. G. Farewell took possession of this grant and raised the Union Jack with a Royal Salute, which consisted of four 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.
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In 1835, the settlement was named after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, then governor of Cape Colony, and became a borough in 1854. From 1860 onwards, indentured labourers from British India arrived in Durban, as well as later passenger Indians. Durban has a rich, diverse heritage, with large Zulu, Indian, White, and Coloured populations.
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 and his servant Ndongeni were able to escape the blockade and rode to Grahamstown, a distance of 600 km (370 mi) in fourteen days to raise reinforcements.
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 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 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.
With the end of apartheid, Durban was subject to restructuring of local government. 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 was appointed mayor of Durban UniCity; in 1999 he was elected 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.
Geography and Climate
Durban is located on the east coast of South Africa, looking out upon the Indian Ocean. The city lies at the mouth of the Umgeni River, which demarcates parts of Durban's north city limit, while other sections of the river flow through the city itself. The extent of urban sprawl the Greater Durban agglomeration has experienced, virtually adjoining surrounding smaller towns, has made boundaries in the metropolitan area quite complicated.
Durban has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with hot, humid summers and mild to warm, moderately dry winters, which are frost-free. Durban has an annual rainfall of 1,009 millimetres (39.7 in).
A 2019 paper published in PLOS One estimated that under Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5, a "moderate" scenario of climate change where global warming reaches ~2.5-3 °C (4.5-5.4 °F) by 2100, the climate of Durban in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of Kigali.
Moreover, according to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Durban is one of 12 major African cities (Abidjan, Alexandria, Algiers, Cape Town, Casablanca, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda and Maputo) which would be the most severely affected by future sea level rise. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of US$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050.
Demographics
Durban is ethnically diverse, with a cultural richness of mixed beliefs and traditions. Zulus form the largest single ethnic group. It has a large number of people of British and Indian descent. 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.
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 decreased from 10.26% to 8.59%.
Economy and Industry
Sugar refining is one of Durban's main industries. Durban has a number of informal and semi-formal street vendors. There are a number of civil society organisations based in Durban.
Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The Port of Durban, formerly known as Port Natal, is one of the few natural harbours between Port Elizabeth and Maputo, and is also located at the beginning of a particular weather phenomenon that can cause extremely violent seas.
King Shaka International Airport services both domestic and international flights, with regularly scheduled services to Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Harare, Manzini and Gaborone as well as eight domestic destinations. 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, about 36 kilometres (22 mi) north of central Durban.
Culture and Attractions
Durban is a modern city famous for its great beaches and excellent hotels. The landmarks of the city include its old architecture in the downtown area, numerous parks and amusement parks, stadiums and other facilities for sports, and so on.
Here are some notable cultural and recreational sites in Durban:
- Phansi Museum: Located in the historic Roberts House, featuring an extensive collection of Southern African art.
- Playhouse Theatre: A performing arts centre with five venues, originally built as a cinema in 1896.
- uShaka Marine World: A 16-hectare theme park opened in 2004, comprising uShaka Sea World, uShaka Wet 'n Wild, uShaka Beach, and uShaka Village Walk.
- Durban Botanic Gardens: The oldest surviving botanical gardens in Africa.
- Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre: A large convention centre in Durban.
Other key locations include:
- Umlazi
- Pinetown
- Gateway Theatre of Shopping
- Kloof
- Kingsmead Cricket Ground
- Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal
- KwaMashu
- Kearsney College
- Durban North
- Bluff, KwaZulu-Natal
- Mangosuthu University of Technology
Tour of Durban - South Africa
Media and Sports
Two major English-language daily newspapers are published in Durban, both part of the Independent Newspapers, the national group owned by Sekunjalo Investments. These are the morning editions of The Mercury 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.
The national broadcaster, the SABC, has regional offices in Durban and operates two major stations there. The Zulu language Ukhozi FM has a huge national listenership of more than 6.67 million, making it the second largest radio station in the world. The SABC also operates Radio Lotus, which is aimed at South Africans of Indian origin.
A major English language radio station, East Coast Radio, operates out of Durban and is owned by SA media giant Kagiso Media.
Durban is home to The Sharks rugby union team, who compete in the international United Rugby Championship and Heineken Champions Cup competitions. The Sharks also compete in the Currie Cup. The city has two soccer clubs in the Premiership - AmaZulu, and Golden Arrows. AmaZulu play most of their home games at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Durban is host to the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team, who play as the Dolphins when competing in the Sunfoil Series, as well as Durban's Super Giants, who play in the SA20. Durban hosted matches in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. In 2007 the city hosted nine matches, including a semi-final, as part of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20. The 2009 IPL season was played in South Africa, and Durban was selected as a venue.
Durban was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and A1 Grand Prix held a race on a street circuit in Durban from 2006 to 2008. The city is home to Greyville Racecourse, a major Thoroughbred horse racing venue that annually hosts a number of prestigious races including the country's premier event, the July Handicap, and the premier staying event in South Africa, the Gold Cup.
Transportation
MSC Cruises bases one of their cruise ships in Durban from November to April every year. From the 2023/2024 Southern Africa cruise season MSC Cruises will be basing the MSC Splendida in Durban. Durban is the most popular cruise hub in Southern Africa. Cruise destinations from Durban on the MSC Splendida include Mozambique, Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar and other domestic destinations such as Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Many other ships cruise through Durban every year, including some of the world's biggest, such as the RMS Queen Mary 2, the biggest ocean liner in the world.
Durban has built a brand new R200 million cruise terminal that has been in operation since October 2019, the Durban Cruise Terminal.
Naval Base Durban on 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.
Shosholoza Meyl, the passenger rail service of Spoornet, operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Durban: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via Pietermaritzburg and Newcastle, and a weekly service to and from Cape Town via Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Metrorail operates a commuter rail service in Durban and the surrounding area.
The city's main position as a port of entry onto the southern African continent has led to the development of national roads around it. The N3 Western Freeway, which links Durban with the economic hinterland of Gauteng, heads west out of the city. The N2 Outer Ring Road links Durban with the Eastern Cape to the south, and Mpumalanga in the north. 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 N2 Outer Ring Road cuts through the city from the north coast to the south coast.
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