Marburg is a suburb of Port Shepstone situated along the N2 National Route and on the banks of the Mzimkhulu River, the largest river on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa.
Marburg is situated approximately 3 km west of the Port Shepstone CBD and 123 kilometres south-west of the city of Durban. The suburb is situated among other suburbs such as Albersville, Umbango, Grosvenor, Merlewood, and Protea Park.
Established in 1882 as a Norwegian settlement and named after the town of Marburg in Germany, Marburg falls within the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality, which is part of the Ugu District Municipality.
The Norwegian founders played a significant role in the development of Marburg and the greater area of Port Shepstone. The British colonial government offered the settlers a free voyage to South Africa as well as houses and 100 acres of land. Marburg was the only successful Scandinavian settlement in South Africa.
Marburg is the only major industrial node on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, home to several service-sector businesses, particularly in the automotive and hardware retail sectors.
Transport
Marburg lies at the meeting point of three major routes (N2 National Route, R61 Provincial Route, and R102 Regional Route) known as the Marburg Interchange, which includes the Oribi Toll Plaza (charging motorists on the N2 and R61 while the R102 is designated as an untolled alternative route).
- N2 – It diverges at Marburg, heading north to Durban and west to Harding and Kokstad
- R102 (Harding Road) – As the older section of the N2 and the alternative toll-free route to the N2, it connects Marburg with the Port Shepstone CBD and Melville to the north-east
- R61 (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) – connects Marburg with Margate and Port Edward to the south.
Marburg is also traversed by the following secondary roads:
- Main Harding Road – provides a direct connection between N2 (from Kokstad) to the Port Shepstone CBD
- Izotsha Road – connects Marburg with Izotsha and Gamalakhe township to the south
- Oscar Borcherds Road – connects Marburg with Protea Park to the north and the Umzimkhulu Sugar Mill to the north-west
History
Norwegian founding
The Land and Immigration Board contemplated bringing German settlers to the Marburg area in 1881, but met opposition from the German government. Consequently, immigration agent Walter Peace suggested promoting settlement in Marburg by Norwegians.
On July 20, 1882, the first Norwegians ventured aboard the steamship Lapland for their 39-day voyage from Hull, England, to Mzimkulu near Port Shepstone, South Africa. Arriving in Africa on August 28, 1882, the Norwegians were brought ashore the following day. The 246 Norwegians onboard Lapland were first and foremost fishermen, but slowly adjusted to the agrarian lifestyle at their 100-acre agricultural Marburg community.
Many of the original 1882 founders later left Marburg, including ten families who left for Australia. However, a number remained in South Africa, though not all remained in Marburg. A number joined the Norwegian community in Durban, while others went to Johannesburg and other parts near Alfred County.
Emigration to South Africa from Norway in 1876-85 was dominated by emigrants from Møre og Romsdal, and more specifically, from Sunnmøre. Marburg’s founders were first and foremost from Ålesund in Sunnmøre.
When Marburg settlers celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1932, there were 20 Norwegian families left in town. 84 original settlers were still alive, and the Norwegian community had produced 208 children, 425 grandchildren, and 130 great-grandchildren.
Apartheid era
In 1950, the Group Areas Act racially divided Port Shepstone, similar to many other towns and cities in South Africa, in which Marburg was classified as the “Indian area” of Port Shepstone. Marburg was one of the four Indian proclaimed townships in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, and its neighbouring suburb of Merlewood to the west was classified as the “Coloured area” of Port Shepstone.
