Durban – city information, tourism, weather and more.

If Johannesburg has a business culture and Cape Town has a culture culture, Durban has a beach culture! Even the high-rise offices look out over the Indian Ocean, and busy executives hang up their suits and ties, slip into shorts, and jog along the beachfront at lunchtime. Many keep a surfboard in their cars and catch a quick wave before or after work (or both).

Durban has from its earliest days possessed a special charm…a certain mystique that adds ‘something extra’ to the meeting of warm Indian Ocean, radiant golden sands and lush sub-tropical greenery. The creation of Durban Metro beckons visitors to this sublime paradise with yet another bonus… the addition of three invaluable elements to our ever-evolving, ever-widening portfolio of irresistible attractions. To offer the broadest possible spectrum of unforgettable experiences, we’ve brought to your holiday doorstep the magnificent environment and cultural wonders of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, long and tranquil beaches of The South and up-market ambience of the historic and culturally-rich Sugar Coast.

Sophisticated and cosmopolitan, Durban Metro after dark is abuzz with elegant lounges, funky taverns and cozy inns…distinctive local theatre and live music…trendy clubs, pubs and discos. Rave ’till dawn and catch sunrise over the vast Indian Ocean horizon – this is nightlife in a modern, authentic African metropolis!

From your luxury hotel, self-catering apartment or back-packers’ lodge, all the delights of our ‘mega-city’ are linked by efficient transport services…the same network that connects you with the star attractions a little further afield. No less than two World Heritage Sites wait among the majestic Berg, teeming bush, endless beach and monumental battlefields that lie within your easy reach. What a Buzz!

Being a coastal city, Durban is constantly affected by the warm sea current flowing down its coastline. The coast to the north and south of Durban enjoys beautiful beaches and warm water with high humidity. One of the most powerful currents in the world is the Agulhas Current which travels southward down the Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal shoreline. Surfing is one of the primary activities on the many beaches, where you will find the surf lifesavers with several signs demarcating safe swimming areas. Angling and boating are also very popular activities.

Durban is famed for its mild, sunny winter climate and year-round “fun-in-the-water” weather. Durban is blessed with an abundance of vegetation and a subtropical climate with sunshine for at least 320 days a year. Temperatures range from 16°C and 25°C during the winter months of June, July and August. Summer temperatures can reach 32°C with relatively high humidity during the hot season. Throughout the year, swimming is good in the Indian Ocean.

Durban is a thriving industrial centre, supporting a major seaport, and a year-round holiday destination. Industries include shipbuilding and ship repairing, sugar refining, petroleum refining, fishing, automobile assembly, and the manufacture of food products, paint, chemicals, fertilizers, soap, footwear, and textiles.

Durban has everything from shopping centres, such as The Pavilion, and chain stores to factory shops and supermarkets as well as hundreds of small businesses ranging from jewellery stores to coffee shops. When you are looking for anything to buy, Durban has it all…

Overlooking the Durban Harbour and the Natal Royal Yacht club and set just off the Victoria Embankment, Wilson’s Wharf offers the sightseer a cross section of diverse choices; from a browsers market consisting of numerous stalls selling anything from arts and crafts to souvenirs of Durban and KwaZulu-Natal to fully licensed upmarket restaurants boasting exotic seafood menus. Wilson’s Wharf should be on every visitor to Durban’s must see list.

Whether one sits and sips a cocktail on one of the sun drenched wooden decks at one of the many restaurants taking in the atmosphere of a balmy, breezy typical Durban day or soaking up the romantic atmosphere of the evening ambience with soft background music interspersed by the night sounds of the sea; Wilson’s Wharf guarantees a memorable experience.

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http://durban.kzn.org.za