Margate is a coastal resort town situated along the R61 and R620 roads in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, approximately 14 km south-west of Port Shepstone and 132 km south-west of Durban.
Located on the Hibiscus Coast, part of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, Margate is one of the major tourist hubs on the eastern coastline of South Africa.
Margate’s terrain is relatively undulating, rising westward to its highest point at Margate Airport (152 m/499 ft). The town is bordered by Ramsgate to the south and Manaba Beach to the north, forming a continuous coastal stretch.
Margate falls within the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality, which is part of the Ugu District Municipality.
History
In 1908, Henry Richardson, an English surveyor, laid out the town and named it Margate after another seaside resort on the northern coast of the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom.
Margate hit the world headlines in 1922 (although this date is often disputed and stated as 1924) when an enormous, white, furry creature (dubbed “Trunko” due to it having an elephantine trunk) washed up on the beach. The “Margate monster” was too decomposed to be identified.
Suburbs
The 2011 census divided Margate into 14 “sub places”, including:
- Beacon Rocks
- Lawrence Rocks
- Manaba Beach
- Margate (Proper) [also encompasses Margate Ext. 3 and Ext. 7, Gayridge Agricultural Holdings and the KwaMasinenge Informal Settlement]
- Margate Beach
- Margate North Beach
- Ramsgate
- Ramsgate Beach
- Ramsgate South
- Shelly Beach
- St Michael’s-on-sea
- Uvongo
- Uvongo Beach
- Windsor-on-Sea
Economy
Retail
Shopping centres
- Margate Mall (also known as Shoprite Centre)
- Emoyeni Centre
- Margate Centre
- Hibiscus Mall – the primary shopping centre in Margate
For a wider variety, residents often visit Shelly Beach, home to two of the South Coast’s largest malls: Southcoast Mall and Shelly Centre.
Tourism
Margate is mainly a tourist town, owing to its subtropical climate, beaches, and hospitality industry, with the bulk of the town’s earnings coming from tourism. There is a wide range of holiday accommodation in the area, including hotels such as Margate Hotel and Desroches Hotel, holiday apartments along the coast, self-contained units, and holiday houses for rent.
Margate is popularly known for its good beaches, especially its main beach, which is accredited with the international Blue Flag status. The Margate Central Business District (CBD), situated between the main road, Marine Drive, and the main beach, is a lively area filled with many restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs.
Margate is busiest during public and school holidays when inland residents travel to the coast. Easter and Christmas holidays are especially busy times, with Marine Drive often clogged with heavy traffic during these times.
Margate is one of the most visited tourist destinations in South Africa and had the third highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in South Africa after Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, both in the Western Cape Province, meaning that Margate had the highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
Education
Public Schools
- Hibiscus Primary School
- Margate Middle School
- Margate Primary School
Private Schools
- South Coast Academy
- Hibiscus International Academy
Healthcare
Public healthcare
Margate Clinic is a Provincial Government-funded municipal clinic operated by the Ugu District Municipality, located near the Margate CBD. For public hospitals, residents of Margate usually use the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital in Port Shepstone.
Private healthcare
Netcare Margate Hospital (established in 2001) is the main healthcare facility serving the Margate community. As part of Netcare Limited, one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare providers, it offers 24-hour emergency services. Conveniently situated on Wartski Drive, it lies just a short distance from the CBD.
Transport
Air
Margate Airport, situated in Margate Ext. 3 on the town’s western outskirts is a small, regional airport with easy and quick access. It offers a scheduled domestic route to Johannesburg operated by CemAir. For broader travel options, King Shaka International Airport in La Mercy, eThekwini, is approximately 165 km north-east of Margate.
Roads
Margate is mainly accessed via the R61 Regional Route (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) linking the town to Port Shepstone in the north and Port Edward in the south.
The main arterial route is the R620 Regional Route (Marine Drive), connecting Margate to Uvongo to the north and Ramsgate to the south. Additionally, the P200 (Izotsha Road) provides a link to Gamalakhe and Izotsha to the north-west.
Sport
The Margate Country Club is an 18-hole golf course, par 71 course designed by Peter Matkovich, which is set high on the western outskirts of Margate overlooking the Indian Ocean from a distance.
