Port Shepstone
Port Shepstone | ||
---|---|---|
PO box 4240 | ||
Area code | 039 |
Port Shepstone is a large town situated on the mouth of the
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.[3]: 331
William Bazley began building a harbour, and the work was later taken over by William Barnes Kinsey, who was the engineer in charge of building Port Shepstone harbour in 1898. The first coaster entered the harbour on May 8, 1880. In 1882 a party of 246 Norwegian immigrants settled in the town and subsequently started to play a major role in the development of the area. Post 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
The Norwegians erected a Norwegian
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.[9]
When the railroad arrived in Port Shepstone in 1901, the travel time to
Apartheid era
In 1950, the
The
At the time, there was no township present in Port Shepstone due to the management of the "black" area which was creating a problem because the Nsimbini Tribal Authority claimed the extension of their territory on white land which was their in the past. The Grand Apartheid policies initiated in the 60’s is going to include the two “villages” of Boboyi and Murchison in the KwaZulu bantustan.
Notable People
- Roland Victor Norris (1888–1950), biochemist, died in Shepstone
- Theophilus Shepstone (1817–1893), statesman
Law and government
Port Shepstone is located within the
Geography
Suburban areas
The 2011 census divided the urban area of Port Shepstone into 17 “sub places” including:[11]
- Albersville
- Anerley
- Bomela
- Broadview Estate
- Grosvenor
- Lion's Grove
- Louisiana
- Merlewood
- Marburg
- Mzimakwe
- Oslo Beach
- Port Shepstone (Proper)
- Sea Park
- Southport
- Sunwich Port
- Umbango
- Umtentweni
Climate
Climate data for Port Shepstone | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26 (79) |
26 (79) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
23 (73) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
21 (70) |
19 (66) |
17 (63) |
16 (61) |
17 (63) |
18 (64) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
19 (66) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20 (68) |
20 (68) |
20 (68) |
17 (63) |
15 (59) |
12 (54) |
12 (54) |
13 (55) |
15 (59) |
16 (61) |
18 (64) |
19 (66) |
16 (61) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 121 (4.8) |
126 (5.0) |
148 (5.8) |
82 (3.2) |
60 (2.4) |
31 (1.2) |
38 (1.5) |
49 (1.9) |
87 (3.4) |
114 (4.5) |
123 (4.8) |
127 (5.0) |
1,106 (43.5) |
Source: Weatherbase [12] |
Economy
Economic role
Port Shepstone is the main economic hub on the South Coast with a diverse economy, ranging from manufacturing, commerce, service, hospitality, mining and service providing companies. Although it is situated in the centre of the Hibiscus Coast, which mostly comprises a network of coastal resorts, Port Shepstone is still able display itself as an administrative, industrial and economic centre. Owing to its regional status and central location, the town has become the major support hub for surrounding farming communities and smaller towns.
Manufacturing and industries
Port Shepstone is the main industrial centre on the South Coast, mainly served by the industrial suburb of
Retail
The central business district of Port Shepstone is the main commercial and civic node of the town, containing several shops, car dealerships, restaurants and shopping centres. The major shopping centres in the CBD include Oribi Plaza, which is the largest in Port Shepstone, Sheppie Mall, Ithala Centre and Bargain City Centre. For greater variety, residents usually head to Shelly Beach which is home to two of the largest shopping centres on the South Coast, Shelly Centre and Southcoast Mall.[15]
Culture and contemporary life
Tourism
Although Port Shepstone is a regional economic centre at its core, it does house a few tourist attractions which include: The Mzimkhulu River marina has leisure boat trips on the river in which people can admire the rich wildlife and bird life along the banks of the river;[16] the Port Shepstone Museum which includes the town's history with a series of exhibits carrying a maritime theme and the Port Shepstone Lighthouse, which has a 27 000 candela lighthouse that still stands at the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River. The present day cast iron lighthouse was erected during 1906 and can still be explored today.[17][18]
The main swimming beach in Port Shepstone is Port Shepstone Beach. South of Port Shepstone is Oslo Beach, while north of Port Shepstone are the beaches of Umtentweni Beach (also known as Tweni Beach), Sea Park Beach, Southport Beach, Sunwich Port Beach, Banana Beach and Melville Beach.
Port Shepstone also serves as the gateway to the numerous attractions along the South Coast namely 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.[19][20]
Sports
Port Shepstone Country Club is a large 18-hole
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, Margate Primary, Ingwemabala Comprehensive High School, Makhanda Secondary School and Insingizi Combined Primary School.
Media
Local newspapers in Port Shepstone include the South Coast Herald and South Coast Fever which serve the entirety of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.[22][23]
The
Transport
Air
The nearest airport is Margate Airport, which is located in the namesake town and is about 20 km south-west of Port Shepstone. The airport is small-scale, and only offers one scheduled domestic route to Johannesburg. King Shaka International Airport, near Durban, is about 158 km north-east of Port Shepstone and has many domestic and international air routes.
Buses
Nowadays regular daily bus services connect Port Shepstone to other major cities in South Africa. These buses normally terminate in different locations in the CBD such as near Port Shepstone High School,
Rail
After the standard gauge
Roads
Port Shepstone is situated at the meeting point of three major routes (N2, R61 and R102) known as the Marburg Interchange or Exit 45. The N2 national route connects the town with Durban to the north-east and Kokstad to the west. Running north along the coast, the R102 which is the older section of the N2 connects the town with Melville and Hibberdene. Running south, the R61 provincial route connects the town with Margate and Port Edward.
Now, there is currently construction of the
Port Shepstone is also the northern end of the
).Tolling
The N2 and R61 are the main routes forming the South Coast Toll Route (between Southbroom and Hibberdene) which involves payment of toll. Traffic arriving in Port Shepstone from the north to proceed on the R61 (in the direction of Port Edward), traffic heading north on the N2 (in the direction of Durban) or traffic turning off at exit 45 from the north must pass through the mainline of the Oribi Toll Plaza. Traffic heading south to join the R61 from exit 45 or turning off at exit 45 from the south must pass through ramp toll plazas of the Oribi Toll Plaza on the respective on and off-ramps.
The R102 to Hibberdene serves as the untolled alternative route to the N2 and the R620 to Margate and Southbroom serves as the untolled alternative route to the R61.
Healthcare
Hospitals
Public Hospitals
- Port Shepstone Regional Hospital
- Situated in the Port Shepstone CBD, it is the largest medical facility on the South Coast aimed at serving the region.[29]
Private Hospitals
- Hibiscus Hospital Port Shepstone
- Situated in the Port Shepstone CBD, it was formerly named the Hibiscus Private Hospital and is flagship of the Hibiscus Hospital Group (a hospital group based in KwaZulu-Natal).[30]
Clinics
Municipal clinics
- Port Shepstone Clinic
- Umtentweni Clinic
Provincial clinics
- Marburg Clinic[31]
Arms
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References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Port Shepstone". Census 2011.
- ^ "Route 56". www.route56.co.za.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-620-04650-3.
- Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa).
- ^ Bond, John (1956). They were South Africans. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. p. 90.
- ISBN 9789171062987.
- ISBN 9781782385400.
- ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
- ^ a b "Port Shepstone history | Port Shepstone information | Port Shepstone tourism". www.southcoasthappenings.co.za. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
- ^ "Census 2011: Main Place: Port Shepstone". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
- ^ "Climate Statistics for Port Shepstone, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa". Retrieved May 8, 2012.
- ISSN 0313-6647.
- ISSN 1998-8125.
- ^ "Oribi Plaza - South Coast Directory". southcoastdirectory.co.za. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- ^ "Umzimkulu Marina in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "PICS: Port Shepstone Maritime Museum opens". South Coast Herald. 2018-10-31. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Port Shepstone Lighthouse in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Pure Venom Reptile Park, Shelly Beach Information | WhereToStay.co.za". www.wheretostay.co.za. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Riverbend Crocodile Farm". Riverbend Crocodile Farm. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
- ^ "Port Shepstone Country Club | Home Page". pscc.co.za. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ^ "South Coast Herald - South Coast Directory". www.southcoastdirectory.co.za. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "South Coast Fever - Contact Us". News24. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "Port Shepstone: Port Shepstone bus station for Intercape and Citiliner". Busbud. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "port shepstone Archives". Greyhound Busses. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "KNOCKING LINES OFF THE MAP". railwaysafrica.com. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
- ^ "Wild Coast toll road on track". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
- ^ "N2 road project to continue". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
- ^ "Port Shepstone Regional Hospital". www.kznhealth.gov.za. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- ^ "Home - Hibiscus Hospital".
- ^ http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/clinicname.pdf
- ^ "Port Shepstone, Munisipaliteit/Municipality". Bureau of Heraldry. Retrieved 23 January 2023.