Port Shepstone


Port Shepstone is a town situated on the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. It is located halfway between Hibberdene and Margate and is located 120 km south of Durban. It is the administrative, educational and commercial centre for southern Natal.

History

Port Shepstone was founded in 1867 when marble was discovered near the Mzimkhulu River mouth and is named after Sir Theophilus Shepstone of the Natal government of the 1880s.
William Bazley built a harbour and the first coaster entered the harbour on May 8, 1880. In 1882 a party of 246 Norwegian immigrants settled here and played a large part in the development of the area. After the opening of the railway to Durban in 1901, the harbour fell into disuse and eventually the river silted up again making it impossible to use. The 27,000-candela lighthouse still stands at the mouth of the Mzimkulu River.

Norwegian settlers

immigration to Port Shepstone began in the late 19th century, when 246 Norwegians came ashore with a steamship which arrived in 1882. They founded a nearby interior village the same year, known as Marburg. The Norwegian settlers played a large role in the development of not only Marburg, but also Port Shepstone and nearby areas. Norwegian immigration to the region was in part a result of the Natal Immigration Board’s efforts to claim land for Europeans in South Africa. When the Norwegians first arrived, they were the largest European group in Alfred County. Remains of the Norwegian presence can be seen in place names throughout Port Shepstone, e.g. Fredheim and Oslo Beach with its main street King Haakon Drive.
The Norwegians erected a Norwegian Lutheran church, school, cultural hall, choir, and rowing club. A newspaper in Norwegian language was also distributed in Port Shepstone. Drinks such as akvavit and cuisine, including cheese from soured milk, were easily accessible. When the Norwegians arrived, few European settlers lived in the area and the town of Port Shepstone consisted of one hotel, two cabins, one shop, and little else.

After Norwegian settlement

Port Shepstone was declared “a full fiscal port’ in 1893 and after Durban officially became the region’s second harbour. Eventually though the ongoing wreckages and arrival of the railway was to see the gradual closure of the harbour and the start of the real Port Shepstone boom.
When the railroad arrived in Port Shepstone in 1901, the travel time to Durban was reduced to five hours, and the city became far less isolated. The railway connection opened for increased immigration for other settlers, and the Norwegians were soon outnumbered by German- and British settlers. Between 1911-12, the number of students at the Norwegian school became too low for the school to keep open, and it consequentially closed.

Administration

Port Shepstone is governed by the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality which is part of the larger Ugu District Municipality. It is not only a regional economic hub for the South Coast but also the seat for both Ray Nkonyeni and Ugu municipalities.

Geography

Port Shepstone lies on the Indian Ocean coastline which lies to the east and is surrounded by its extension of Umtentweni in the north, Boboyi in the west and Shelly Beach in the south.
Port Shepstone's greater area extends from Oslo Beach in the south, to Melville in the north and Merlewood in the west. Nearby towns include Margate, Hibberdene, Boboyi, Shelly Beach and Uvongo.

Suburbs

Facilities

Port Shepstone has two police stations and two hospitals, Port Shepstone Regional Hospital and Hibiscus Private Hospital and two shopping centers, Sheppie Mall and Oribi Plaza.
The Port Shepstone Country Club is located on the northern banks of the Mzimkhulu River opposite the CBD in Umtentweni. Other golf courses in the broader area are in Margate, Southbroom, Hibberdene, Pennington and Scottburgh.

Education

The first school was opened in 1883 but by 1950 the school became too small. The Port Shepstone School split into two, the Port Shepstone Primary School and the Port Shepstone High School. There is also the Port Shepstone Secondary School. There are other schools in the surrounding areas such as Mlonde High School, Marburg Secondary School, Marburg Primary School, R.A Engar Primary School, Jai Hind Primary School, Margate Middle School and Margate Primary.

Economy

As the KZN South Coast's main economic hub, Port Shepstone includes the head offices for the Ugu District Municipality and Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality. There is also a Magistrates court and the Department of Home Affairs, South African Social Security Agency, Small Enterprise Development Agency and the South African Revenue Service have regional offices in Port Shepstone.
The manufacturing centre in the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast is mainly centred around Port Shepstone especially around Marburg which is a suburb that lies west of Port Shepstone and is the KZN South Coast's main industrial hub.
Its industries also include a sugar mill, a lime works and a marble quarry. Timber, wattle bark and sub-tropical fruit are produced in the district.

Tourism

Port Shepstone is not only an economic hub in the South Coast but also a tourist hub.
Attractions include the Mzimkhulu River Marina which has leisure boat trips on the river in which people can admire the rich wildlife and bird life along the banks of the river.
Other attractions include the Port Shepstone Museum which includes the town's history with series of exhibits carrying a maritime theme and the Port Shepstone Lighthouse, a 27 000 candela lighthouse which still stands at the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River. The present cast iron lighthouse was erected during 1906 and can still be explored today.
Attractions in the broader area include the Oribi Gorge 21 km west of Port Shepstone, Aliwal Shoal, Umtanvuma Nature Reserve, Pure Venom Reptile Farm and the Riverbend Crocodile Farm among others.
Beaches in the greater Port Shepstone area include Anerley, Banana Beach, Melville, Oslo Beach, Port Shepstone, Sea Park, Southport, Sunwich Port and Umtentweni.

Media

Local newspapers in Port Shepstone include the South Coast Herald and South Coast Fever which also serve the whole KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
The Ugu Youth Radio is a youth radio which is based in Port Shepstone and caters to the needs of the Zulu-speaking community. Other radios which serve Port Shepstone and surroundings include East Coast Radio, Gagasi FM, Vuma FM and Ukhozi FM which are based in the city of Durban.

Transport

Air

The nearest airport is Margate Airport in Margate which is about 20 km south-west of Port Shepstone. This is a small airport which only offers one scheduled domestic route to Johannesburg. King Shaka International Airport near Durban is about 165 km north-west of Port Shepstone and has many domestic and international air routes.

Busses

Bus companies that operate long-distance routes to and from Port Shepstone include Intercape, Greyhound and Citiliner. These buses normally terminate around the Central Business District near Port Shepstone High School, Shell petrol station or opposite Oribi Plaza Shopping Centre.

Rail

opened in 1917, serving as both the southern terminus of the Cape gauge line from & to Durban, as well as the southern coastal terminus of the narrow gauge Alfred County Railway to Harding.
After the standard gauge Transnet passenger services shut down in 1986, the ACR continued operations until 2005, when the famous Banana Express ceased operation.

Road

The N2 highway from Durban has two off ramps in Port Shepstone, exit 45 and exit 51.
Exit 45 is where the N2 meets the R61 highway to Margate and Port Edward and is where the N2 goes inland, away from the coast towards Kokstad. The off-ramp is also where the Oribi Toll Plaza is situated and as from there the R61 completes the last leg of the South Coast Toll Route. Exit 51 is located north of Port Shepstone in Umtentweni and the road at the off-ramp connects to Umtentweni and St Faith's.
An alternative route to the South Coast Toll Route is to either take the R102 if heading north towards Durban or south towards Port Shepstone and the R620 heading south towards Margate and Southbroom and north towards Port Shepstone.

Places of Worship

Islam