Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal

Coordinates: 30°05′S 30°52′E / 30.083°S 30.867°E / -30.083; 30.867
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kingsburgh
Kingsburgh is located in KwaZulu-Natal
Kingsburgh
Kingsburgh
Kingsburgh is located in South Africa
Kingsburgh
Kingsburgh
Coordinates: 30°05′S 30°52′E / 30.083°S 30.867°E / -30.083; 30.867
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
MunicipalityeThekwini
Area
 • Total11.65 km2 (4.50 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total16,368
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • White70.4%
 • Black African22.7%
 • Indian/Asian4.6%
 • Coloured1.9%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
 • English53.4%
 • Afrikaans28.1%
 • Zulu15.2%
 • Other3.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
4126

Kingsburgh is a coastal resort town along the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, approximately 32 kilometres (20 miles) south-west of Durban.

History

Originally known as Southern Umlazi, it became a township in October 1942 and reached borough status in August 1952. Probably named after Richard Philip (Dick) King (1811-1871) who rode along here from Durban to Grahamstown on horseback to secure assistance for beleaguered British troops in 1842.[2]

Kingsburgh today

Today Kingsburgh is one of the few fortunate suburbs of Durban to have maintained much of its original character as a quaint coastal town even with its loss of isolation to Durban. As a result, the coastal town now serves as a commuter suburb of Durban offering an attractive laid-back coastal lifestyle far enough from the city life of Durban but close enough to the city and its amenities.

Geography

Situated along the Sapphire Coast, Kingsburgh is one of Durban’s southernmost suburbs and is roughly as far as one can go in the Greater Durban metropolitan area before it dissolves into rolling rural areas and sugarcane fields. Its immediate surroundings include Amanzimtoti to the north, Umgababa to the south and Illovo North to the west.

Amanzimtoti and Kingsburgh, though separate, have virtually become one southern addendum to Durban and more often than not both towns are spoken about in the same breath. Kingsburgh is often referred to as being part of the greater Amanzimtoti area as they share the same postal code.[3]

Suburban areas

The town consists of a number of coastal resorts situated east of the N2, namely (north to south): Doonside, Warner Beach, Winklespruit and Illovo Beach as well as a number of hilly residential areas situated west of the N2, namely (north to south): Doonheights, Shulton Park, Illovo Glen, St Winifred’s and Astra Park.[4]

Economy

Tourism

The economy of Kingsburgh is heavily reliant on tourism in the form of hotels and holiday accommodation that dominate the coastline. Hospitality establishments of note include only 5 Star accommodation in the south coast called The View Boutique Hotel & Spa and ZAR Hotel, both in Doonside, the ATKV Natalia Resort and the Villa Spa Holiday Resort, both in Illovo Beach and Protea Hotel Karridene Beach in Karridene.

Retail

There are two main shopping centres in Winklespruit serving Kingsburgh including Kingsburgh Centre and DSM Mall, both situated along Kingsway. Although nearby Amanzimtoti is usually favoured for its much larger shopping centres such as Galleria Mall and Arbour Crossing that offer a wider variety of retail outlets.[5][6]

Transport

Rail

Kingsburgh is served by the South Coast railway line which runs from Durban to Kelso, connecting its five railway stations; Doonside, Warner Beach, Winklespruit, Illovo Beach and Karridene. The South Coast service operated by Metrorail runs northwards to Durban via Amanzimtoti and Isipingo and southwards to Kelso via Umkomaas and Scottburgh.

Road

The N2 is a major freeway passing through Kingsburgh from Durban in the north to Port Shepstone in the south and intersects the interchanges at Sbu Mkhize Drive and Seadoone Road. The old main coastal road through Kingsburgh, the R102, also known as Kingsway (renamed to Andrew Zondo Road) passes through from Amanzimtoti in the north to Umgababa in the south. The R603 connects Kingsburgh with Umbumbulu to the north-west as Sbu Mkhize Drive and is an alternative route to the N3 for travel between Kingsburgh and Pietermaritzburg.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Kingsburgh". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Raper, Peter E. (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Internet Archive. p. 248. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Kingsburgh". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Census 2011: Main Place: Kingsburgh". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Kingsburgh Centre Winklespruit, Amanzimtoti — Araucaria Rd, phone 031 916 4915, opening hours". za.polomap.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  6. ^ "DSM Mall Super Spar, Amanzimtoti — Winklespruit Rd, phone 031 916 6655". za.polomap.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.