Port Shepstone
Port Shepstone is a large 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 positioned 120 km south of Durban. It serves as the administrative, educational, industrial 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 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
immigration to Port Shepstone began in the late 19th century, when 246 Norwegians came ashore with a steamship which arrived in 1882. The soon-to-be settlers founded a nearby interior village within 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 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 still be seen today in certain places of the town, such as, 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 railway arrived in Port Shepstone in 1901, the travel time to Durban was reduced to five hours, and the town 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 and 1912, the number of students at the Norwegian school became too low for the school to keep open, and consequently, it closed.
Apartheid era
In 1950, the Group Areas Act. racially divided Port Shepstone similar to many other towns and cities in South Africa. Port Shepstone proper was classified "white" and was managed by its town board. The "white" suburbs of the town included the little coastal villages of Umtentweni, Sea Park, Southport, Anerley and Sunwich Port to the north and Oslo Beach to the south. To the west, Marburg was classified as an "Indian area" which was one of the four Indian proclaimed townships in the KwaZulu-Natal province and Merlewood was classified as a "Coloured area" with 3000 Coloureds as its first people settling there. In the late 1960s, Albersville, just west of the Central Business District was classified as an "Indian area".The N2 highway that cuts through Port Shepstone acted as a border between the "non-white" areas to the west and the "white" areas to the east which was planned by apartheid planners.
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, biochemist, died in Shepstone
- Theophilus Shepstone, statesman
Law and government
Geography
Suburban areas
The 2011 census divided the main place of Port Shepstone into 14 sub places including:- Albersville
- Anerley
- Grosvenor
- Marburg
- Marburg Ext. 22
- Merlewood
- Oslo Beach
- Port Shepstone SP
- Protea Park
- Sea Park
- Southport
- Sunwich Port
- Umbango
- Umtentweni
Climate
Economy
Economic role
Port Shepstone serves as the main economic node on the South Coast with a diverse economy, ranging from manufacturing, commerce, service, hospitality, mining and service providing companies. As the only small industrial town on the Lower South Coast, Port Shepstone is surrounded by a stretch of bustling coastal resorts, making it challenging for the town to assert its industrial and labour-intensive identity amidst the predominantly tourism-driven region. Nevertheless, Port Shepstone is still able display itself as an administrative, industrial and economic centre.Owing to its regional status and strategic central location on the Lower South Coast, the town has become the major support hub and employment centre for surrounding rural communities and smaller towns.
Manufacturing and industries
Port Shepstone has a large industrial sector located in Marburg which is located west of the Port Shepstone CBD and is the only major industrial zone on the South Coast. The town's industries also include Illovo Sugar's Umzimkhulu Sugar Mill, a lime works and a marble quarry. Additionally, timber, wattle bark and sub-tropical fruit are produced in the district.Retail
The Port Shepstone CBD has the largest concentration of retail activity in the town, with shopping characterised by typical high street shopping and shopping centres which include:- Ithala Shopping Centre
- Oribi Plaza Shopping Centre
- Port Shepstone Mall – the largest shopping centre in Port Shepstone
- Sheppie Mall
- Bargain City Centre – also known as the White House Mall
As part of the local urban renewal programme, the former Port Shepstone taxi terminus on Nelson Mandela Drive in the CBD was demolished to make way for a new integrated intermodal facility. The construction of the R550-million Port Shepstone Mall which began in November 2022 opened its doors on 24 October 2024 and officially launched on 15 November 2024. The facility is a four-level structure with gross retail area of 23 890m² comprising informal traders stalls and anchor stores such as Boxer, Shoprite and China Hyper.
A new Checkers FreshX store officially opened on Bisset Street in the CBD in May 2025. This investment is expected to create over 100 jobs and, according to South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise, will strengthen the position of Port Shepstone as a key retail and economic hub on the South Coast.
Major companies
Port Shepstone is home to the headquarters of notable companies such as the Beekman Group, a major South African leisure hospitality provider and property developer as well as the Bargain Group, a local retailer operating in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.Culture and contemporary life
Tourism
Although Port Shepstone serves as a regional economic centre at its core, it is also home to two main tourist attractions:- 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.
- 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.
Port Shepstone also serves as the gateway to the numerous attractions along the South Coast namely the Oribi Gorge, Aliwal Shoal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, Pure Venom Reptile Farm and the Riverbend Crocodile Farm among others.