Shelly Beach is bordered by the Mhlanga River in the south, the Zotsha River in the north and the R61 highway in the west. The Mhlanga River acts as the boundary between Shelly Beach and St Michael's on Sea whilst the Zotsha River acts as the boundary between Shelly Beach and Oslo Beach, a suburb of Port Shepstone.
Retail
Shopping Centres
Shelly Beach is known as the "shopping gateway" to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast as it includes the two largest shopping centres in the region, Shelly Centre and South Coast Mall.
Shelly Beach is home to Eskom's regional offices which is located on Corniston Road.
Tourism
Beaches
Shelly Beach has a long white beach on one side and a rocky beach on the other side extending to St Michaels Beach. The rocky beach is great for walking and pottering around with kids. There are numerous rock pools to be found that have all the creatures that you find in small sea water aquariums. The name "Shelly Beach" gives an indication that there are many shells on the beaches in which there are. Here, the finest miniature pink lady shells can be found hidden among the many varieties.
Snorkeling & Diving
Shelly Beach is a popular ski boat launching site is a favourite for fishing, dolphin and whale watching excursions and divers who head to the world-renowned scuba diving reef destination, Protea Banks. Shelly Beach boasts numerous popular diving and snorkelling sites where the most spectacular varieties of tropical fish, sharks, corals as well as mystical underwater caves can be discovered. These popular sites include Potato Reef, The Caves, Deep Salmon, Arena Reef, Bo Boyi Reef and Adda Reef.
Roads
The R620 runs through the town and connects to Port Shepstone in the north and Uvongo and Margate in the south. The R61 highway runs west of the town with exit 39 connecting to the Izotsha Road. The Izotsha Road then connects to Shelly Beach in the east and Izotsha in the west.
Media
Local newspapers in Shelly Beach 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 Shelly Beach and surroundings include East Coast Radio, Gagasi FM, Vuma FM and Ukhozi FM which are based in the city ofDurban.
Hospitals
Shelly Beach has one hospital, Shelly Beach Hospital which is a private hospital opposite South Coast Mall. This is a new hospital which was completed in 2019.
