Margate, South Africa

Margate is a coastal resort town in the KwaZulu-Natal province, about 20 kilometres south-west of Port Shepstone and 127 kilometres south-west of Durban. The river which flows into the sea at Margate is called "Nkhongweni" (place of entreaty) as the original inhabitants of the area were reputed to be so mean resulting in travellers begging for hospitality.[2]: 329 

Margate
Margate's main beach
Margate's main beach
Margate is located in KwaZulu-Natal
Margate
Margate
Margate is located in South Africa
Margate
Margate
Coordinates: 30°51′00″S 30°22′00″E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictUgu
MunicipalityRay Nkonyeni
Area
[1]
 • Total29.21 km2 (11.28 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total26,785
 • Density920/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 • Black African47.3%
 • Coloured2.2%
 • Indian/Asian3.1%
 • White46.9%
 • Other0.6%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 • English35.8%
 • Xhosa22.5%
 • Afrikaans19.8%
 • Zulu18.4%
 • Other3.5%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
4275
PO box
4275
Area code039

Located on the Hibiscus Coast, part of the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, Margate is one of the major hubs for tourists who are looking to visit the eastern coastline of South Africa.

History

In 1908, Henry Richardson, an English surveyor laid out the town and named it Margate after another seaside resort on the northern coast of the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom.[2]: 329 

Margate hit the world headlines in 1922 (although this date is often disputed and stated as 1924) when an enormous, white, furry creature (dubbed "Trunko" due to it having an elephantine trunk) was washed up on the beach. The "Margate monster" was too decomposed to be identified.[2]: 329 

Geography

Margate is the central town of the Greater Margate area stretching between Shelly Beach and Ramsgate. It borders on Manaba Beach and Uvongo to the north and Ramsgate to the south. The area is generally very hilly with the terrain gradually rising inland towards Margate Airport, the highest point in the area at an altitude of about 152 m.

Suburban areas

The 2011 census listed the following areas as sub-places under the main place of Margate (Greater Margate):[3]

There is also an informal settlement called "KwaMasinenge" on the western outskirts of the town, adjacent to the R61 freeway. Margate also includes the suburbs of Margate Extension 3, Margate Extension 7 and Gay Ridge which were not listed on the 2011 census.

Economy

Retail

Margate is one of the main retail hubs along the South Coast, host to a number of retail amenities, with most located within the Central Business District. Margate CBD or Margate Central is the traditional commercial centre of the town with stores, banks, nightclubs, bars and restaurants along the main high street of Marine Drive.

Margate is mainly served by Hibiscus Mall, situated west of Margate Central. There are three other shopping malls serving Margate including Margate Mall, Margate Centre and Emoyeni Centre. However, the nearby coastal town of Shelly Beach contains larger shopping centres that offer a wider variety of retail outlets such as Southcoast Mall and Shelly Centre .

Tourism
Margate Central Business District

Margate is largely a tourist town, owing to its subtropical climate, beaches, and hospitality industry with the bulk of the town's earnings coming from tourism. There is a wide range of holiday accommodation in the area including hotels such as Margate Hotel and Desroches Hotel, holiday apartments along the coast, self-contained units and holiday houses for rent.[4][5]

Margate is popularly known for its good beaches, especially its main beach, which is accredited with the international Blue Flag status. The Margate CBD centred around the main beach is a lively area filled with many restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs.[6]

The Margate Country Club is an 18-hole golf course, par 71 course designed by Peter Matkovich which is set high on the western outskirts of Margate overlooking the Indian Ocean from a distance.[7] Other golf courses in the broader South Coast area can be found in Port Shepstone, Port Edward, Southbroom, Hibberdene, Pennington and Scottburgh.

Margate is busiest during school and public holidays when inland residents travel to the coast. Christmas and Easter are especially busy times, with Margate's main street often clogged with heavy traffic during these times.

Margate is one of the most visited tourist destinations in South Africa and had the third highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in South Africa after Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, both in the Western Cape Province meaning that Margate had the highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.[8]

Education

Public Schools
  • Hibiscus Primary School[9]
  • Margate Middle School[10]
  • Margate Primary School[11]

Private Schools
  • South Coast Academy[12]
  • Hibiscus International Academy

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Margate is served by the Netcare Margate Hospital which is a private hospital established in 2001 by one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare providers, Netcare Limited.[13]

The Margate Clinic is the only public health clinic in Margate and operates as a municipal clinic under the Ugu District Municipality. For public hospitals, residents of Margate normally use the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital in Port Shepstone.

Roads

The R61 is a north–south toll freeway connecting Port Shepstone with Port Edward that passes through Margate, while the R620 is the untolled north–south alternative route to the R61 connecting Port Shepstone and Uvongo with Ramsgate and Southbroom that passes through Margate as Marine Drive and National Road (by-passing Margate Central).

Of importance are also: Seaslopes Avenue to the north providing access to the R61 and connecting Uvongo with Izotsha Road (to Gamalakhe and Izotsha) to the west and Alford Avenue to the south also providing access to the R61 and connecting Ramsgate with Izotsha Road (to Southbroom).

Airports

Margate Airport is located in Margate Ext 3 on the western outskirts of the town. It is a small, regional, airport with easy and quick access facilities. There is one scheduled domestic route to Johannesburg offered by CemAir. King Shaka International Airport, near Durban is about 166 km north-east of Margate.

See also

References
  1. "Main Place Margate". Census 2011.
  2. Illustrated guide to Southern Africa. Internet Archive. Cape Town : Reader's Digest Association South Africa in association with T.V. Bulpin. 1980. ISBN 978-0-620-04650-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. "Census 2011: Main Place: Margate". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  4. "The Margate Hotel". Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  5. "DESROCHES HOTEL - Prices & Lodge Reviews (Margate, South Africa)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  6. Lodge, Margate Beach (2017-11-03). "South Coast hosts 5 of the 6 Blue Flag beaches". Margate Beach Lodge. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  7. "KZN South Golf Courses - Margate Country Club, Golfing at its best". Margate Country Club offers Golf, Snooker, Event and Function Venues, Bridge Club and Line Dancing Lessons. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  8. "These are the beach towns South Africans flock to for seaside holidays". The South African. 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  9. "KZN Education officially opens Hibiscus Primary School". ECR. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  10. "Margate Middle School". Skools. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  11. "Margate Primary School". Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  12. Academy, South Coast. "South Coast Academy". South Coast Academy. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  13. "Netcare Linkwood Hospital". www.netcarehospitals.co.za. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
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Margate (KwaZulu-Natal) travel guide from Wikivoyage

See also
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