Uvongo is a seaside resort town situated along the

KwaZulu-Natal South Coast The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast (better known as the KZN South Coast or just the South Coast) is a region along the southern stretch of coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, south of the coastal city of Durban. The primary hubs of the South ...

at the mouth of the Vungu River in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Situated 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of

Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...

, Uvongo is the largest upmarket residential area on the Lower South Coast. Uvongo beach lost its "Blue Flag" title due to storms damaging it in April 2007 but has managed to regain a clean and prestigious beach front. Uvongo still remains the playground of the rich, with multimillion rand properties in the area. Uvongo is one of South Africa's favourite holiday destinations and attracts local and foreign tourists.

Etymology

The town is named after the main river flowing through the area, the Vungu River, which is derived from the Zulu word that describes the sound of a waterfall or the wind in a gorge.

Geography

Uvongo is situated between the coastal towns of St Michael’s-on-Sea and Shelly Beach to the north, and Manaba Beach and Margate to the south. Situated south of the Mhlangeni River, it is also bisected by the Vungu River, which forms the 23-metre Uvongo Falls above the lagoon that flows into a small gorge at the river mouth. The Greater Uvongo area consists of three suburbs: Uvongo proper, inland from the coast; Uvongo Beach, along the coastline north of the Vungu River; and Beacon Rocks, situated south of the river.

Industries

The Uvongo industrial area, situated west of the

R61 R61 may refer to: * R61 (South Africa) The R61 is a long provincial route in South Africa that connects Beaufort West with Port Shepstone via Graaff-Reinet, Komani (previously Queenstown), Mthatha and Port Edward. The R61 is co-signed with th ...

, is the second largest industrial area on the Lower South Coast after

Marburg Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...

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, KwaZulu-Natal, Margate and is positioned 120&nbs ...

. It hosts a variety of small to medium local businesses, with the Natal Portland Cement (NPC) Quarry being the most notable economic activity. The area is primarily accessed via Quarry Road, off Wingate Road, near opposite the R61/Margate/Uvongo interchange.

Transport

Roads

Uvongo is bisected by the R620 (Marine Drive) connecting Shelly Beach to the north and

to the south. Situated just off the R61 highway (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) between

to the north and Port Edward to the south, the area is also accessible via Knoxgore Road from

Gamalakhe Gamalakhe is a township situated about inland on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Geography Gamalakhe is situated north of the Vungu River, approximately 19 km (12 mi) from Port Shepstone and 15 km (9 mi) from ...

in the north-west and Seaslopes Avenue, which provides direct access to the R61.

References