uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal

uMhlanga, alternatively rendered Umhlanga, is a residential, commercial and resort town 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. The name means "place of reeds" in the Zulu language, and the correct pronunciation of "hl" in uMhlanga is similar to the Welsh "ll".

This article is about the town. For the traditional reed dance ceremony, see Umhlanga (ceremony).
uMhlanga
Umhlanga
View of the skyline and beach of uMhlanga Rocks in 2011
View of the skyline and beach of uMhlanga Rocks in 2011
uMhlanga is located in KwaZulu-Natal
uMhlanga
uMhlanga
uMhlanga is located in South Africa
uMhlanga
uMhlanga
Coordinates: 29°44′00″S 31°04′15″E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
MunicipalityeThekwini
Government
 • CouncillorHeinz de Boer (DA)
Area
[1]
 • Total16.75 km2 (6.47 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total24,238
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 • Black African17.1%
 • Coloured2.1%
 • Indian/Asian29.2%
 • White53.3%
 • Other1.2%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 • English78.9%
 • Zulu9.0%
 • Afrikaans6.1%
 • Xhosa1.1%
 • Other4.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
4319
PO box
4320

It is well known for the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, the largest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere.[2] It also has the second-tallest skyscraper in South Africa, Pearl Sky, at 183 m. uMhlanga is one of the fastest-growing towns in South Africa; its population increased 57.5% from 15,387 in the 2001 census to 24,238 in the 2011 census.

Although not part of the local municipality of North Coast (KwaDukuza Local Municipality), uMhlanga has always traditionally been considered as the gateway to the North Coast.

History

uMhlanga derives its name from the Zulu language and means "place of reeds", referring to the beds of reeds growing along the Ohlanga River north of uMhlanga Rocks.[3][4]

The Oyster Box, a luxury hotel since the 1950s, was built as a beach cottage in 1869, before the town had even been founded.

In 1895, Sir Marshall Campbell founded uMhlanga. The town's first hotel was established in 1920, followed by a shop, a lighthouse, the Natal Anti Shark Measures Board (today called the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board) and further hotel developments.[5][6]

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 to mayor of the newly formed Borough of uMhlanga. Mr Rindel said that the people of La Lucia had made no secret that they were opposed to the amalgamation and were not happy with the name, but now that this had come about they would make the best of it.

Rodney Rindel - Mayor of uMhlanga 1972

In the 1980s, development expanded inland growing from a small village east of the M4 highway to a large town occupying most of the area east of N2 highway and south of the Hawaan Forest.[5]

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 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 monkeys often venture into the greater city in search of food from residents and unsuspecting tourists.

Spelling change

In November 2009, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality submitted a list of places in the municipality to the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Geographic Names Committee to be changed from their anglicised names to the correct Zulu spelling. In the list, the town "Umhlanga Rocks" was to be changed to "uMhlanga Rocks" which meant the '"u" in the spelling would change from an uppercase to a lowercase. On 1 October 2010, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture gazetted the list of approved name changes which included the town of Umhlanga Rocks.[7]

Ever since the name change, the South African National Roads Agency Ltd. (SANRAL) has changed the road signs on the N2 leading to and at the Mt Edgecombe Interchange as well as some road signs on the M41 however there are still several road signs that still remain with the spelling "Umhlanga" and many Durbanites and residents and businesses still spell the town with its previous spelling.

Geography

uMhlanga is situated on the northern urban fringe of the Greater Durban metropolitan area and is almost always regarded as a suburb of Durban being only 16 km (10 mi) away from the city centre, bordering Durban North to the south and Mount Edgecombe to the west. It lies on a large ridge overlooking the Indian Ocean and generally slopes, rising gently from the coast at uMhlanga Rocks towards the top of the ridge at uMhlanga Ridge.[8]

Cityscape
Aerial view of uMhlanga Ridge (foreground) and uMhlanga Rocks (on ocean beyond)

Central Business District

Historically, the Central Business District (CBD) of uMhlanga Rocks has always been the traditional commercial centre of the uMhlanga area, however, the newer uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre has rapidly developed to become the secondary CBD of the town.

Suburbs

The older parts of uMhlanga which largely includes uMhlanga Rocks occupy the area along the coast while the newer suburbs have spread westwards up to uMhlanga Ridge, making up the most recent expansion of uMhlanga. The town consists of 10 suburban areas including:

Herrwood Park

Herrwood Park is an affluent residential suburb on the hillside of uMhlanga overlooking the Indian Ocean and is located between the Izinga development and uMhlanga Rocks.

Izinga

Izinga is a new upmarket estate development located on the ridge above Herrwood Park with residences designed with a uniform Mediterranean/Balinese form.

La Lucia
Main article: La Lucia

A formerly independent suburb, La Lucia is located on the southern boundary of uMhlanga with Durban North and is located on a hillside below the ridge of Somerset Park overlooking the Indian Ocean. La Lucia is one of the most upmarket suburbs of Greater Durban. In 2017, according to property agency, Private Property, La Lucia was ranked as the 2nd most expensive suburb in Greater Durban after the neighbouring Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate.[9]

La Lucia Ridge

La Lucia Ridge Office Estate is an office estate bordering south of the M41, adjacent to uMhlanga Ridge and between La Lucia and Somerset Park. The office estates comprises 10 smaller office parks which include small and major corporations such as the headquarters for Unilever South Africa, Aspen Pharmacare, SA Home Loans and Consumer Relief, the regional offices for Multichoice, Sappi, Sanlam, Liquid Telecom and Deloitte, Kantar and the German Honorary Consulate for Durban.

Prestondale

Prestondale is a small suburb located on the ridge between uMhlanga Ridge and Woodlands. Prestondale is the location of the most prestigious school in uMhlanga, Reddam House uMhlanga which is a private school offering the Cambridge Assessment international.

Ridgeside

Formerly sugarcane fields, Ridgeside is a new office node situated on the hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Ridgeside combines office estate, commercial, mixed-use, residential, leisure developments and managed open spaces. The node is home to business' regional offices in KwaZulu-Natal such as Investec, eNCA, Vodacom.[10][11][12]

Somerset Park

Somerset Park is a residential suburb on the ridge above La Lucia and are notably uniform with their design and green roofs similarly to Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate adjacent the N2.

Sunningdale

Sunningale is a residential suburb on the ridge above La Lucia and on the boundary of uMhlanga between Durban North.

uMhlanga Ridge

uMhlanga Ridge is a new retail, office and residential node situated on the ridge overlooking the Indian Ocean. It was largely developed on sugarcane land by property development company, Moreland Estates, owned by the Tongaat Hulettsugar group. Located on the ridge are Gateway Theatre of Shopping and other shopping centres, motor dealerships, a private hospital and many offices.

uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre is connected by a series of pedestrian-friendly roads, parks and public spaces. The Town Centre is easily accessed by a network of major roads, including the N2.

The uMhlanga Ridge New 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. Civil infrastructure costs amount to R200 million to date.

uMhlanga Rocks
Lighthouse at uMhlanga Rocks

uMhlanga Rocks also known as “uMhlanga Village” is the oldest part of uMhlanga and was established prior to the development of the other suburbs on the ridge above. The coastal suburb 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 landmark lighthouse. It has a large increase in population during the summer months.

Economy

Major companies

uMhlanga is a thriving business node, home to the headquarters of major corporations such as Aspen Pharmacare, Hollywoodbets, Illovo Sugar, KZN Shark Board, SA Home Loans, Unilever South Africa, BET Software, Consumer Relief, Ignition Group and the National Independent Medical Aid Society.[13][14][15][16][17]

Economic development

uMhlanga, specifically the former sugarcane fields of uMhlanga Ridge, has become the focus of development in the Greater Durban metropolitan area developing into one of metro’s economic hubs due to many businesses relocating offices from Durban CBD (similarly to Sandton forming the new centre of Johannesburg), a move that has been criticized for "fragmenting the urban fabric" and furthering "the new apartheid" in Greater Durban.[5] The opening of the King Shaka International Airport in La Mercy, near uMhlanga in 2010, replacing the Durban International Airport, south of Durban was one of the main factors that triggered the fast growing development in uMhlanga.

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. In just over twenty years, uMhlanga has grown from a small beachside holiday destination on the North Coast to Greater Durban's premier business, retail and tourism hub.

About 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) up the coast will be the luxury Aerotropolis known as the Sibaya Coastal Precinct inland to eMdloti[18] It is estimated that it will cost R25-50 billion to develop and will. It will include around 9000 houses as well as numerous social and public facilities.[19]

The new uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre has seen major expansion with many apartment complexes and businesses being built. The estimated R25 billion Cornubia development is being built across the N2 from the new town centre and will include 24000 low and middle income houses.[20] In late 2017 the R1,8 billion Cornubia Mall opened to the public.[21]

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. At a price of R3,1 billion The Oceans uMhlanga development is the largest private sector investment in South African history narrowly beating the Pearls of Umhlanga at R3,0 billion.[22]

Retail

uMhlanga is documented for being a key shopping hub in the Greater Durban area, with a number of shopping centres scattered throughout the town. The main shopping centre in uMhlanga is the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in uMhlanga Ridge ranking as the largest shopping centre in the Greater Durban metropolitan area and KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest in South Africa.[23][24]

The town is also served by smaller shopping centres in the suburbs of La Lucia, uMhlanga Ridge and uMhlanga Rocks: La Lucia is served by the La Lucia Mall (adjacent the M4 freeway). [25] uMhlanga Ridge is served by The Crescent at Umhlanga Ridge. uMhlanga Rocks is served by Oceans Mall which is a newly developed luxury shopping centre (located on the lower level of Oceans uMhlanga), Pearls Mall (on the lower level of the Pearls of Umhlanga) and Umhlanga Centre.[26][27][28]

Moreover, uMhlanga is also served by Cornubia Mall situated in the adjoining mixed-use development of Cornubia in Mount Edgecombe.

Tourism

The uMhlanga Coast, also known as the FunShine Coast, consisting of Durban North, Mount Edgecombe, Verulam, oThongathi, eMdloti, La Mercy and Westbrook is managed by uMhlanga Rocks Tourism which assists in marketing and promoting this stretch of coastline. The uMhlanga Coast also coincides with the boundaries of the Northern Municipal Planning Region of the eThekwini Municipality.[29]

Although today uMhlanga is a major commercial centre, it is traditionally a resort town and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa. There were 1.2 million visitors in 2015 which generated a GDP of R20-billion. In 2016, the tourism chairman Peter Rose said “I can confidently say that within the next five years you will not recognise uMhlanga,” Residents of uMhlanga have mixed feelings about the changes such as that it is losing its village appeal while they appreciate the new infrastructure and increased property values.[30]

Hospitality

As a premier tourist and business destination in KwaZulu-Natal, uMhlanga is home to a plethora of hotels and holiday accommodation options. uMhlanga Rocks specifically is well-known for The Oyster Box Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel, The Capital Pearls and the new Radisson Blu Hotel Durban.

Other hotels in uMhlanga include:

  • aha Gateway Hotel[31]
  • Cabana Beach Resort
  • Coastlands Umhlanga Hotel & Convention Centre[32]
  • Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch[33]
  • Holiday Inn Express Durban - Umhlanga[34]
  • Premier Hotel Umhlanga[35]
  • Royal Palm Hotel & Apartments[36]
  • Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban Umhlanga Ridge[37]
  • Regal Inn Umhlanga[38]
  • Town Lodge Umhlanga[39]
  • uMhlanga Sands Resort
  • Urban Park Hotel and Apartments[40]

Tourist attractions

The uMhlanga Rocks Promenade (officially known as the Ken O'Connor Promenade, named after former uMhlanga mayor) is a long beach promenade stretching along uMhlanga Rocks from the Durban View Park in the south to the northern viewing deck adjacent the uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve in the north.[41]

Tourist attractions along the uMhlanga coastline and promenade include the uMhlanga Lighthouse and the Whalebone Pier. Furthermore, there are two beaches in uMhlanga, Bronze Beach to the north of the promenade and uMhlanga Main Beach, towards the centre of uMhlanga Rocks, both of which are patrolled by lifeguards throughout the day.

Other attractions in uMhlanga and surrounding areas include:

Infrastructure

Healthcare

uMhlanga is served by two private hospitals, Busamed Gateway Private Hospital and Netcare uMhlanga Hospital, both of which are located in uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre.[44][45]

Road

uMhlanga is served by three freeways. The N2 Outer Ring Road is a north/south freeway, connecting uMhlanga with Durban to the south and with King Shaka International Airport and KwaDukuza to the north. The M4 Leo Boyd Highway is also a north/south freeway, but runs along the coast connecting uMhlanga with Durban to the south and with Ballito to the north and is an untolled alternative route to the N2 (tolled in oThongathi). The M41 is an east/west freeway, connecting uMhlanga with Mount Edgecombe and Phoenix to the west.

uMhlanga is also served by two smaller metropolitan routes: The M12 (uMhlanga Rocks Drive) connecting uMhlanga Rocks and uMhlanga Ridge with Durban North to the south and the M47 (uMhlanga Ridge Boulevard) connecting uMhlanga Ridge with Cornubia to the west.

Vehicle registration

Vehicle registrations in uMhlanga start with NUR - N for Natal, UR for uMhlanga Rocks. NUR also includes the surrounding areas of eMdloti and Mount Edgecombe.

Crime

uMhlanga is one of the safest areas in the Greater Durban area. The Durban North precinct which includes a small slice along the coast of Durban North, all of uMhlanga and eMdloti maintained a murder rate of around 7 per 100,000 from 2016 to 2019, about 1/5 of the national average of 35.9 in 2017.[46][47] Between March 2018 and March 2019, police recorded 3 murders, 136 robberies and 318 residential burglaries. The number of residential burglaries halved between 2014 and 2019 possibly linked to the proliferation of highly visible private security in the area. Certain areas in uMhlanga are very safe, one being Somerset park, a short distance from the Gateway mall.

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. There is also a sizable Portuguese population.

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. The number of coloureds increased from 141 to 297.[1][48]

As of the 2011 census, the most black area is the new town centre area which is 24.1% black.[49] The most white area is the northern coastal area of Greater Durban including the uMhlanga village which is 66.9% white.[50] The most Indian area is the woodlands which is 46.0% Indian.[51] 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. The older parts of uMhlanga tend to have higher white populations than the average.

Sewage crisis

Recently in 2022, the eThekwini Metro has 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 infrastructure.

uMhlanga is currently 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 and this had serious repercussions on Umhlanga Rocks' tourism economy.

The sewage crisis has been caused due to a pump station along the Ohlanga River that has been overflowing for several months, however on 23 November 2022, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality confirmed that the pump station was repaired in time for the festive season which brings in a lot of income for uMhlanga's economy.[52][53][54]

See also

References
  1. "Main Place Umhlanga". Census 2011.
  2. "Gateway Theatre of Shopping". gatewayworld.co.za. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  3. "African languages: Meanings of place names in South Africa". Africanlanguages.com. 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  4. "Umhlanga Tourism Information Centre". UmhlangaTourism.co.za. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  5. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/2238/1/2238_1.pdf
  6. "Umhlanga Rocks history | Umhlanga Rocks information | KZN". www.kznnorthhappenings.co.za. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  7. Magazine, The Ridge (2010-11-10). "Umhlanga name change". Famous Durban. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  8. "Distance Umhlanga, EThekwini, Kwazulu-Natal, ZAF > Durban, EThekwini, Kwazulu-Natal, ZAF - Air line, driving route, midpoint". www.distance.to. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  9. "The 10 most expensive suburbs in Durban". www.privateproperty.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  10. "Ridgeside Area Information". www.dealcore.co.za. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  11. "Umhlanga & Surrounds Area & Property Information". www.verticalspaces.co.za. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  12. "Ridgeside". Tongaat Hulett. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  13. "Contact Details Of BET Software - Contact Bet Software Today". 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  14. "Contact Us". Consumer Relief. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  15. "Contact Us". Ignition Group. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  16. "Nimas - National Independent Medical Aid Society - Contact Us". www.transmed.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  17. "Contact Us". Unilever. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  18. "Sibaya Coastal Precinct - A Tongaat Hulett Property". Sibaya Coastal Precinct. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  19. "KZN's R50bn Sibaya Coastal Precinct officially launched – Property Wheel". propertywheel.co.za. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  20. "The Cornubia Mixed-Use Development | THD - Cornubia". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  21. "R1.8-billion Cornubia Mall opens to the public". Northglen News. 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  22. "Video: R3.1 bn Umhlanga development". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  23. "Top 10 Biggest Malls In South Africa (2022)". South Africa Lists. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  24. "Top 10 Biggest Malls in South Africa". comoney.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  25. "La Lucia Mall". www.laluciamall.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  26. "View all of our Retailers | The Pearls of Umhlanga". The Pearls. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  27. Pillay, Yogashen. "Oceans Mall opens to shoppers". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  28. "Umhlanga Centre". Umhlanga Rocks Tourism. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  29. "About Us - Find out about Umhlanga Rocks Tourism". Umhlanga Rocks Tourism. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  30. "Face of uMhlanga set to change". Aug 30, 2016. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  31. "aha Gateway Hotel | Official website | Located in Umhlanga". aha Hotels & Lodges. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  32. "Contact Us – Coastlands Hotel". Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  33. "Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga Arch". Hilton. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  34. "Holiday Inn Express Durban - Umhlanga". IHG. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  35. "Premier Hotel Umhlanga | Luxury Accommodation | KwaZulu-Natal". Premier Hotels. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  36. "Home". Royal Palm Hotel. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  37. "Beach Accommodation in uMhlanga Rocks, Durban |Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! uMhlanga". www.marriott.com. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  38. "Regal Inn Umhlanga | Hotel to book in South Africa, KZN". REGAL INN. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  39. "Town Lodge Umhlanga". City Lodge Hotel Group. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  40. "Urban Park Apartments & Hotel by Misty Blue Hotels | WEBSITE ✅ | Durban | South Africa". urbanparkapartmentsbymistyblue.za-southafrica.com. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  41. Tourism, Umhlanga (2020-05-11). "A Pash for the promenade". Umhlanga Rocks Tourism. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  42. "Wavepark Gateway". Durban Party Venues. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  43. "Sibaya Casino in Durban | Sun International Casinos". Hotels, Gaming and Entertainment Group. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  44. "Busamed Gateway". Busamed Gateway. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  45. "Netcare Group > netcare-facilities". www.netcare.co.za. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  46. "Crimehub | Map". Archived from the original on 2016-11-09. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  47. "South Africa Homicide rate, 1990-2019 - knoema.com". Knoema. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  48. "Census 2001 — Main Place "Umhlanga"". census2001.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  49. "Census 2011: Sub Place: Umhlanga Ridge". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  50. "Census 2011: Sub Place: Umhlanga SP". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  51. "Census 2011: Sub Place: Strattton-on-Sea". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved Apr 1, 2020.
  52. "Redirect Notice". www.google.com. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  53. shirazhabbib (2022-10-04). "Concern over 'river' of sewage flowing into uMhlanga Lagoon". Northglen News. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
  54. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/authors/suthentira-govender. "Key Durban sewage pump station repaired in time for festive season". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 2022-11-23. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.