Starting just south of Durban, the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal stretches from
Amanzimtoti to
Port Edward on the Transkei /
more...
Starting just south of Durban, the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal stretches from Amanzimtoti to Port Edward on the Transkei / Eastern Cape border.
Fun in the sun – that’s the easiest way to describe the South Coast. Soft sandy beaches blessed with the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. An area superb for surfing, scuba diving and deep sea fishing… Lush green golf courses, nature reserves and phenomenal bird watching. Quaint holiday villages pepper this sunny coastline, ensuring that it’s a popular year-round holiday destination.
If you’re there in winter, hold thumbs that you catch some of the action around the spectacular sardine run when millions of sardines migrate along the coast: it’s a feeding frenzy as they’re trailed by dolphins, sharks, birds and fishermen galore.
South Coast Highlights
Amanzimtoti - A popular KwaZulu Natal destination south of Durban with great beaches including Doonside, Warner Beach, Winkelspruit and Illovo. The town of Umkomaas is situated on the banks of the Mkomazi River (named from the Zulu phrase meaning Place of Whales by Shaka). Nearby Aliwal Shoal is one of the top 10 dive sites in the world!
Margate - If you love beautiful sandy beaches, tropical weather and warm ocean waves then you’ll love Margate, another seaside town along the KZN South Coast. We recommend you avoid the heavily populated beaches in season as they get very crowded with holiday-makers. Instead, head for the lesser-known, quieter seashores such as Monks Street Bay at nearby Ramsgate. This beach is not safe for swimming but kids can paddle and play on the rocks, and it’s an idyllic spot for whiling away some hours in the sun or enjoying a picnic.
Pennington Beach - Pennington Beach offers excellent KwaZulu Natal golf course, off shore and deep sea fishing, diving and snorkeling from Rocky Bay to Aliwal Shoal, hiking and action adventure sports and plenty of sea and surf.
Port Edward - Named for King Edward VIII (although at the time of naming he was still the Prince of Wales) Port Edward is another place worth visiting while travelling along the South Coast of KwaZulu Natal. There is a delightful beach at Port Edward which looks onto ‘Tragedy Hill’ where Zulu warriors clashed with opposing tribesmen in 1831. For many years one could still find human bones on this hill. Another tragedy occurred along this coastline in 1878 when a ship, The Ivy, ran aground – one of a number of shipwrecks on the South Coast. Locals raided the cargo which included wine, beer and spirits – not so much a tragedy as a party for the raiders!
Port Shepstone - Port Shepstone is the largest of all the towns along the KwaZulu Natal South Coast. Once a harbour for marine trade, with the major exports being marble, sugar and lime, the village grew when 200 Norwegian settlers arrived here and began to develop the harbour further. Once the railway line from Durban reached Port Shepstone the harbour was seldom used, the river silted up and the harbour shut down.
Southbroom - Enjoy the pleasures of the unspoilt 4 kilometres of sandy beach at Southbroom (including two wonderful swimming beaches), play golf at the renowned Southbroom Golf Club and explore the Frederika Nature Preserve, a lush, tropical paradise between the Mbizane and Kaba rivers.
Our Portfolio of South Coast Accommodation
Portfolio offers delightful, luxury, quality KwaZulu Natal South Coast accommodation throughout this popular tourism region of South Africa including B&Bs, guest houses, boutique hotels, farm stays, country homes and self catering accommodation.
Contact us for bookings and assistance.
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Personally selected guest houses, country houses, boutique hotels, villas, game lodges and B&Bs
