Prospecton is an industrial suburb located south of

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is loca ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

History

Since 1931, the open flat undeveloped land of Prospecton which separates the two residential areas of Isipingo, Isipingo Rail inland and Isipingo Beach on the coast, was under the administration of the Isipingo Rail Health Committee. This was until the 1960s when it began developing and was declared a "White" industrial area therefore it placed under the Borough of

Amanzimtoti Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts m ...

. Many residents of Isipingo disagreed with the administration of Prospecton being under Amanzimtoti and the Isipingo Town Council petitioned the Natal Provincial Administration (NPA) frequently from 1976 to 1986 to incorporate Prospecton into Isipingo. The NPA maintained that, because Prospecton had been declared a "White" industrial township by the

South African government The Republic of South Africa is a parliamentary republic with three-tier system of government and an independent judiciary, operating in a parliamentary system. Legislative authority is held by the Parliament of South Africa. Executive authority ...

, the province could not declare it part of Isipingo as it was an " Indian" area.

Location

Prospecton lies 19 km south-west of Durban's city centre and south of the defunct

Durban International Airport Durban International Airport (formerly Louis Botha Airport) was the international airport of Durban from 1951 until 2010, when it was replaced by King Shaka International Airport, to the north. The airport is co-located with AFB Durban. His ...

, which was replaced by the

King Shaka International Airport King Shaka International Airport , abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately north of the city centre of Durban. The airport opened its doors to passen ...

in La Mercy in 2010. It forms part of the South Durban Basin which is the main industrial hub/district of Durban and is the southernmost industrial suburb of the district. It is bordered by the defunct

to the north, Isipingo Beach to the east,

to the south, Lotus Park to the south-west and Isipingo Rail to the west.

Economy

It is the location of the

Toyota South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of ...

's assembly plant, the only Toyota assembly plant in Africa. The industrial suburb consists mainly of large manufacturing plants and warehouse / distribution facilities.

Transport

The N2 freeway cuts through the area and links to

in the north and

and

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 ...

in the south. Prospecton's main roads include the R102 ''Prospecton Road'' which links to Amanzimtoti in the south and

Isipingo Isipingo is a town situated south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and currently forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. The town is named after the Siphingo River, which in turn is thought to be named (in the Zulu language) f ...

, Reunion and Durban in the north as well as Jeffels/Joyner Road which links the eastern and western side of Prospecton.

References

Suburbs of Durban {{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub