Durban

{{Short description|Third largest city in South Africa}}
{{about|the city in South Africa }}
{{Use South African English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Durban
| native_name        = {{native name|zu|eThekwini}}
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Durban skyline.jpg
| photo2a = Durban TownHall.jpg
| photo2b = UShaka Marine World.JPG
| photo3a = ICC Durban-20140315.jpg
| photo3b = SunCoast Casino and Entertainment World.jpg
| photo4a = Moses Mabhida Stadion durban aerial view 1.jpg
| spacing = 2
| color_border = white
| color = white
| size = 280
| foot_montage = Clockwise from top: Durban beachfront ([[Golden Mile, Durban|Golden Mile]]), [[uShaka Marine World]], [[Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World]], [[Moses Mabhida Stadium]], [[Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre]], and [[Durban City Hall]]
}}
| image_flag         = DurbanFlag.svg
| image_shield       = DurbanCoatOfArms.jpg
| pushpin_map        = South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa#Africa
| coordinates        = {{coord|29|53|S|31|03|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| subdivision_type   = [[Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|South Africa}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of South Africa|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|KwaZulu-Natal}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[District]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Municipality]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality|eThekwini]]
| subdivision_type4  = Main Place
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = {{start date and age|1824|8|24|df=y}}<ref name=established>{{cite thesis |last=Robson |first=Linda Gillian |title=The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact |date=2011 |type=PhD thesis |publisher=University of Pretoria |chapter=Annexure A |chapter-url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/26503/05back.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed=y#page=31 |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/26503 |hdl=2263/26503 |pages=xlv–lii}}</ref>
| named_for          = [[Benjamin D'Urban]]
| government_type    = [[Metropolitan municipality (South Africa)|Metropolitan municipality]]
| leader_party       = ANC
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = [[Mxolisi Kaunda]]
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/599054 |title = Main Place Durban |work=Census 2011}}</ref><ref name="census2022">{{cite web | url=https://census.statssa.gov.za/assets/documents/2022/Provinces_at_a_Glance.pdf | title=Census 2022: Provinces at a Glance | date=2023 | publisher=[[Statistics South Africa]] | pages=25,61 | isbn=978-0-621-51559-6 | access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 225.91
| area_metro_km2     = 2556
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| population_total   = 595061
| population_as_of   = 2011
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_metro   = 4239901
| population_density_metro_km2 = auto
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="census2022" />
| population_demonym = Durbanite<ref name="McCrackenMcCracken">{{cite book|first=Donal P. |last=McCracken|author2=Eileen M. McCracken|title=Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens|year=1988|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3gQAQAAMAAJ&q=Durbanite|publisher=National Botanic Gardens|page=72|isbn=9780620116480}}</ref>
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->| demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics1_title1 = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]]
| demographics1_info1 = 51.1%
| demographics1_title2 = [[Coloureds|Coloured]]
| demographics1_info2 = 8.6%
| demographics1_title3 = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]]
| demographics1_info3 = 24.0%
| demographics1_title4 = [[White South African|White]]
| demographics1_info4 = 15.3%
| demographics1_title5 = Other
| demographics1_info5 = 0.9%
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->| demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s (2011)
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" />
| demographics2_title1 = [[South African English|English]]
| demographics2_info1 = 49.8%
| demographics2_title2 = [[Zulu language|Zulu]]
| demographics2_info2 = 33.1%
| demographics2_title3 = [[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]
| demographics2_info3 = 5.9%
| demographics2_title4 = [[Afrikaans]]
| demographics2_info4 = 3.6%
| demographics2_title5 = Other
| demographics2_info5 = 7.6%
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->| blank_name_sec2    = GDP
| blank_info_sec2    = [[American dollar|US$]] 83.9&nbsp;billion<ref name="brookingsgdp">{{cite web |url=http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/global-metro-monitor-3 |title=Global city GDP 2014 |publisher=Brookings Institution |access-date=18 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605135349/http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/global-metro-monitor-3 |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref>
| blank1_name_sec2   = GDP per capita
| blank1_info_sec2   = [[American dollar|US$]] 15,575<ref name="brookingsgdp" />
<!-- Other information -->| timezone1          = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]]
| utc_offset1        = +2
| postal_code_type   = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street)
| postal_code        = 4001
| postal2_code_type  = [[Post-office box|PO box]]
| postal2_code       = 4000
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[031 (South Africa Calling Code)|031]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.durban.gov.za/ }}
| population_rank    = [[List of cities in Africa by population|17th]] in Africa <br>
[[List of populated places in South Africa|3rd]] in South Africa
}}

'''Durban''' ({{IPAc-en|'|d|ɜːr|b|ə|n}} {{respell|DUR|bən}}; {{lang-zu|eThekwini}}, from {{lang|zu|itheku}} meaning "bay, lagoon"){{efn | Also called {{lang-zu|eZibubulungwini|label=none}} for the mountain range that terminates in the area.}} is the third-most populous city in [[South Africa]], after [[Johannesburg]] and [[Cape Town]], and the largest city in the [[Provinces of South Africa|province]] of [[KwaZulu-Natal]]. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the [[Indian Ocean]], Durban is [[Port of Durban|South Africa's busiest port]] and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbour and city centre lies the  mouth of the [[Umgeni River]]; the flat city centre rises to the hills of the [[Berea, Durban|Berea]] on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the [[Bluff, KwaZulu-Natal|Bluff]]. Durban is the seat of the larger [[eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality]], which spans an area of {{cvt|2556|km2|sqmi}} and had a population of 4.2{{nbsp}}million in [[2022 South African census|2022]],<ref name="census2022" /> making the metropolitan population one of [[Africa]]'s largest on the Indian Ocean. The city has a [[humid subtropical climate]], with hot, wet summers and mild, dry winters.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Roberts | first1=Debra | last2=O'Donoghue | first2=Sean | date=2013 | title=Urban environmental challenges and climate change action in Durban, South Africa | url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956247813500904 | journal=Environment and Urbanization | volume=25 | issue=2 | pages=299–319 | doi=10.1177/0956247813500904 | doi-access=free | access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref>

Archaeological evidence from the [[Drakensberg]] mountains suggests that the area had been inhabited by [[hunter-gatherers]] millennia ago. Later, the [[Nguni people]] occupied the region. During Christmas 1497, [[Vasco da Gama]] saw the coast and named it {{lang|pt|Natal}}, the Portuguese word for Christmas. In 1824, English traders from [[Cape Colony]], led by [[Francis Farewell]] and [[Henry Fynn]], established a trading post at Port Natal, and later that year, [[Shaka]], the Zulu king, granted them land around the Bay. In 1835, the settlement was named after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, then governor of Cape Colony. From 1860 onwards, indentured labourers from [[British India]] arrived in Durban, as well as later passenger Indians. [[Colony of Natal|Natal colony]], which had grown, became a province of the Union of South Africa in 1910, and the town of Durban became, in 1935, a city.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/durban-timeline-1497-1990 | title=Durban Timeline 1497-1990 | website=South African History Online | access-date=12 March 2024}}</ref>

Durban has a rich, diverse heritage, with large [[Zulu people|Zulu]], [[Indian South Africans|Indian]], [[White South African|White]], and [[Coloureds|Coloured]] populations. Historically, it was a popular tourist destination domestically because of its beaches and warm climate,<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Maharaj | first1=Brij | last2=Pillay | first2=Vino | last3=Sucheran | first3=Reshma | name-list-style=and | date=2008 | title=Durban - A subtropical coastal paradise? Tourism dynamics in a post-apartheid city | url=https://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/1192?lang=en | journal=Études caribéennes | issue=9–10 | doi=10.4000/etudescaribeennes.1192 | doi-access=free | access-date=15 March 2024}}</ref> but in recent years, tourism has declined.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-04-durban-tourism-still-limping-following-lacklustre-holiday-season-while-kzn-overall-sees-uptick/ | title=Durban tourism still limping following lacklustre holiday season while KZN overall sees uptick | last=Sikhakhane | first=Naledi | date=4 January 2024 | website=[[Daily Maverick]] | access-date=15 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/durban-can-wave-tourism-goodbye-if-it-doesnt-get-its-act-together-fast-07fb7153-284b-46c4-8c0d-205a905d2479 | title=Durban can wave tourism goodbye if it doesn't get its act together fast | last=Dludla | first=Siphelele | date=24 September 2023 | website=[[Independent Online]] | access-date=15 March 2024}}</ref> Some notable places are the [[Golden Mile, Durban|Golden Mile]] beachfront, [[Durban Botanic Gardens|Botanic Gardens]], the [[Durban Art Gallery|Art Gallery]] and Natural Science Museum at [[Durban City Hall|City Hall]], the [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor-style]] Playhouse Theatre, [[uShaka Marine World]], and the [[Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre|International Convention Centre]]. In addition to various architectural styles, ranging from [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] to [[Contemporary architecture|contemporary]], [[Art Deco in Durban|Art Deco]] left its stamp on many of Durban's buildings.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/art-deco-durban | title=Art Deco Durban | last=Munro | first=Kathy | date=3 December 2019 | website=The Heritage Portal | access-date=1 April 2024}}</ref> As of 2018, the metro contributed 59.9% and 9.6% to the provincial and national gross domestic product, respectively, and the main sectors were finance, community services, manufacturing, trade, transport, and tourism.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.durban.gov.za/pages/government/about-ethekwini | title=About EThekwini | website=EThekwini Municipality | access-date=30 March 2024}}</ref> Durban became [[UNESCO]]'s first [[City of Literature]] in Africa,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.litnet.co.za/durban-first-city-african-continent-become-unesco-world-city-literature/ | title=Durban first city on the African continent to become a Unesco World City of Literature | last1=David | first1=Darryl | last2=Meyer | first2=Naomi | date=1 November 2017 | website=LitNet | access-date=15 March 2024}}</ref> and was one of the host cities of the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]], for which the [[Moses Mabhida Stadium]] was built.

== History ==
{{For timeline}}
Archaeological evidence from the [[Drakensberg]] mountains suggests that the Durban area has been inhabited by communities of [[hunter-gatherer]]s since [[Middle Paleolithic|100,000 BC]]. These people lived throughout the area of [[KwaZulu-Natal]] until the [[Bantu expansion|expansion of agro-pastoralists and pastoralists]] from the north saw their gradual incorporation. [[Oral history]] has been passed down from generation to generation by the Zulu nation, who were inhabitants of the land before colonisers, but there is no [[Recorded history|written history]] of the area until it was sighted by Portuguese explorer [[Vasco da Gama]], who sailed parallel to the KwaZulu-Natal coast at [[Christmastide]] in 1497 while searching for a route from Europe to India. He named the area {{Lang|pt|Natal}}, meaning "Christmas" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].<ref name=walker1>{{cite book|title = A History of Southern Africa|author=Eric A. Walker|publisher=Longmans|orig-year = 1928|year = 1964|location = London|chapter = Chapter I: The discovery}}</ref>

=== Abambo people ===
In 1686, a ship from the [[Dutch East India Company]] named ''Stavenisse'' was wrecked off the eastern coast of South Africa. Some of the survivors made their way to the Bay of Natal (Durban) where they were taken in by the "Abambo" tribe ([[Hlubi people]]), which was led by Chief [[Langalibalele]]. The crew became fluent in the tribe's language and witnessed their customs. The tribe told them that the land where the Abambo people lived was called Embo by the natives and that the people were very hospitable.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

On 28 October 1689, the [[galiot]] ''Noord'' travelled from Table Bay to the Bay of Natal to fetch the surviving crew of the ''Stavenisse'' and to negotiate a deal for purchasing the bay. The ''Noord'' arrived on 9 December 1689, whereafter the [[Dutch Cape Colony]] purchased the Bay of Natal from the Abambo people for £1,650.  A formal contract was drawn up by Laurens van Swaanswyk and signed by the chief of the Abambo people, with the crew of the ''Stavenisse'' acting as translators.<ref>History of South Africa 1486 - 1691, George McCall Theal, London 1888.</ref>

=== First European colonisers ===
By 1822, James Saunders King, captain of the British ship {{ship||Salisbury|1818 ship|2}}, together with [[Francis Farewell|Lt. Francis George Farewell]], both men being former [[Royal Navy]] officers from the [[Napoleonic Wars]], were engaged in trade between the [[Cape Colony|Cape]] and [[Maputo Bay|Delagoa Bay]]. On a return trip to the Cape in 1823, they were caught in a severe storm and decided to risk the Bar and anchor in the Bay of Natal. The crossing went off well and they found safe anchor from the storm. Lt. King decided to map the Bay and named the "Salisbury and Farewell Islands". In 1824 Lt. Farewell, together with a trading company called J. R. Thompson & Co., decided to open trade relations with [[Shaka]], the Zulu King, and establish a trading station at the Bay. [[Henry Francis Fynn]], another trader at Delagoa Bay, was also involved in this venture.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Fynn left Delagoa Bay and sailed for the Bay of Natal on the brig ''Julia'', while Farewell followed six weeks later on the ''Antelope''. Between them they had 26 possible settlers, although only 18 stayed. On a visit to King Shaka, Henry Francis Fynn succeeded in befriending the king by helping him recover from a stab wound that he had suffered as a result of an assassination attempt by one of his half-brothers. As a token of his gratitude King Shaka granted Fynn a "25-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth".{{cn|date=December 2023}}

On 7 August 1824, they concluded negotiations with King Shaka for a cession of land, including the Bay of Natal and land extending {{cvt|10|mi|disp=flip}} south of the Bay, {{cvt|25|mi|disp=flip}} north of the Bay and {{cvt|100|mi|disp=flip}} inland. 
Farewell took possession of this grant and raised the [[Union Jack]] with a Royal Salute, which consisted of four cannon shots and twenty musket shots. Only six of the original eighteen would-be settlers remained, and these six can be regarded as the founders of Port Natal as a British colony. These six were joined by Lt. James Saunders King and [[Nathaniel Isaacs]] in 1825.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The modern city of Durban thus dates from 1824, when the settlement was established on the northern shores of the bay near today's Farewell Square.<ref name=walker7>{{cite book
|title = A History of Southern Africa|author=Eric A. Walker|publisher=Longmans|orig-year = 1928|year = 1965|location = London|chapter = Chapter VII: The period of change 1823–36}}</ref> During a meeting of 35 European residents in Fynn's territory on 23 June 1835, it was decided to build a capital town and name it "D'Urban" after [[Benjamin D'Urban|Sir Benjamin D'Urban]], who was the governor of the Cape Colony at the time.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover-durban/our-durban/history/naming
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071103144254/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover-durban/our-durban/history/naming|archive-date= 3 November 2007|title= The Names and the Naming of Durban|access-date=9 July 2008|author=Adrian Koopman|publisher=Natalia, the Journal of the Natal Society}}</ref>

=== Republic of Natalia ===
{{Main| Battle of Congella}}
The [[Voortrekkers]] established the [[Natalia Republic|Republic of Natalia]] in 1839, with its capital at [[Pietermaritzburg]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Tension between the Voortrekkers and the Zulus prompted the governor of the Cape Colony to dispatch a force under Captain Charlton Smith to establish British rule in Natal, for fear of losing British control in Port Natal. The force arrived on 4 May 1842 and built a fortification that was later to be ''The Old Fort''. On the night of 23/24 May 1842, the British attacked the Voortrekker camp at Congella. The attack failed, and the British had to withdraw to their camp, which was put under siege. A local trader [[Dick King]] and his servant Ndongeni were able to escape the blockade and rode to [[Grahamstown]], a distance of {{convert|600|km|abbr=on}} in fourteen days to raise reinforcements. The reinforcements arrived in Durban 20 days later; the Voortrekkers retreated, and the siege was lifted.<ref name=bulpin12>{{cite book|title = Natal and the Zulu Country|author=T.V. Bulpin|publisher=T.V. Bulpin Publications|orig-year = 1966|year = 1977|location = Cape Town
|chapter = Chapter XII: Twilight of the Republic}}</ref>

Fierce conflict with the [[Zulu people|Zulu]] population led to the evacuation of Durban, and eventually the [[Afrikaner]]s accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

====Durban's historic regalia====
When the Borough of Durban was proclaimed in 1854, the council had to procure a seal for official documents. The seal was produced in 1855 and was replaced in 1882. The new seal contained a coat of arms without helmet or mantling that combined the coats of arms of Sir Benjamin D’Urban and Sir Benjamin Pine. An application was made to register the coat of arms with the [[College of Arms]] in 1906, but this application was rejected on grounds that the design implied that D’Urban and Pine were husband and wife. Nevertheless, the coat of arms appeared on the council's stationery from about 1912. The following year, a helmet and mantling was added to the council's stationery and to the new city seal that was made in 1936. The motto reads "Debile principium melior fortuna sequitur"—"Better fortune follows a humble beginning".{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The blazon of the arms registered by the South African Bureau of Heraldry and granted to Durban on 9 February 1979. The coat of arms fell into disuse with the re-organisation of the South African local government structure in 2000. The seal ceased to be used in 1995.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/za-kn-dur.html 
 |title=Durban (South Africa) – Flags of the World 
 |author=Bruce Berry 
 |date=8 May 2006 
 |access-date=8 July 2010 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613221018/http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/za-kn-dur.html 
 |archive-date=13 June 2010
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.ngw.nl/int/zaf/d/durban.htm
 |title        = Durban – Civic Heraldry of South Africa
 |author       = Ralf Hartemink
 |access-date   = 8 July 2010
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20101205062839/http://www.ngw.nl/int/zaf/d/durban.htm
 |archive-date = 5 December 2010
 |url-status     = dead}}</ref>

== Government ==
 {{Further|eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality|Mayors of Durban}}With the end of [[apartheid]], Durban was subject to restructuring of local government. Its first mayor was [[Sipho Ngwenya]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} In 1996, the city became part of the ''Durban UniCity'' in July 1996 as part of transitional arrangements and to ''eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality'' in 1999, with the adoption of South Africa's new municipal governance system. In July 1996, [[Obed Mlaba]] was appointed mayor of Durban UniCity; in 1999 he was elected mayor of the eThekwini municipality and re-elected in 2006. Following the May 2011 local elections, [[James Nxumalo]], the former speaker of the council, was elected as the new mayor. On 23 August 2016 Zandile Gumede was elected as the new mayor until 13 August 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/ancs-zandile-gumede-is-the-new-mayor-of-ethekwini|title=ANC's Zandile Gumede is the new mayor of eThekwini|access-date=7 September 2016|archive-date=19 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019042233/https://www.enca.com/south-africa/ancs-zandile-gumede-is-the-new-mayor-of-ethekwini|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 5 September 2019 Mxolisi Kaunda was sworn in as the new mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/mxolisi-kaunda-is-officially-durbans-new-mayor-31888285|title=Mxolisi Kaunda is officially Durban's new mayor|website=IOL|first=Mphathi|last=Nxumalo|date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>

The name of the Durban municipal government, prior to the post-apartheid reorganisations of municipalities, was the ''Durban Corporation'' or ''City of Durban''.<ref>[http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/bylaws/durban-corporation-transport-bylaws Durban Corporation Bylaws] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906142926/http://www1.durban.gov.za/durban/government/bylaws/durban-corporation-transport-bylaws |date=6 September 2015 }}''eThekwini Online''.</ref>

== Geography ==
Durban is located on the east coast of South Africa, looking out upon the [[Indian Ocean]]. The city lies at the mouth of the [[Umgeni River]], which demarcates parts of Durban's north city limit, while other sections of the river flow through the city itself. Durban has a natural harbour, [[Port of Durban]], which is the busiest port in South Africa and is the 4th-busiest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The extent of [[urban sprawl]] the Greater Durban [[Agglomerations|agglomeration]] has experienced, virtually adjoining surrounding smaller towns, has made boundaries in the [[metropolitan area]] quite complicated. Durban proper, which is the main city, is demarcated by its administrative city limits, which are only as large to include the [[city centre]], the [[Bluff, KwaZulu-Natal|Bluff]], [[Berea, Durban|Berea]], [[Durban North]], [[Mobeni]] as well as [[Umbogintwini]], [[Athlone Park]], [[Isipingo]] and [[Prospecton]] to the south among other suburbs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2011: Main Place: Durban |url=https://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/599054 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=census2011.adrianfrith.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2001: Main Place: Durban |url=https://census2001.adrianfrith.com/place/57218 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=census2001.adrianfrith.com}}</ref>

However, the [[eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality]] is an amalgamation of Durban proper and more than 120 other nearby formerly independent towns and suburbs such as [[Amanzimtoti]], [[Cato Ridge]], [[Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal|Chatsworth]], [[Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal|Hillcrest]], [[KwaMashu]], [[Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal|Inanda]], [[oThongathi]], [[Pinetown]], [[Queensburgh]], [[UMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal|uMhlanga]], [[Umlazi]], [[Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal|Verulam]] and [[Westville, KwaZulu-Natal|Westville]] among others that have organically merged yet still retain their legal boundaries.

The name "Durban" is commonly referred to by residents as not just the city proper but the Greater Durban metropolitan area that sometimes extends beyond eThekwini to include [[Scottburgh]], [[Ballito]] and [[KwaDukuza]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} Similarly, the [[demonym]] of a "Durbanite" not only refers to people who live within Durban proper but to residents of the Greater Durban metropolitan area.

=== Climate ===
Durban has a [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Cfa''), with hot, humid summers and warm, moderately dry winters, which are snow and frost-free. Durban has an annual rainfall of {{convert|1009|mm|in|1}}. The average temperature in summer ranges around {{convert|24|C|F}}, while in winter the average temperature is {{convert|17|C|F}}.

{{Weather box
|location = Durban (1961–1990)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 36.2
|Feb record high C = 33.9
|Mar record high C = 34.8
|Apr record high C = 36.0
|May record high C = 33.8
|Jun record high C = 35.7
|Jul record high C = 33.8
|Aug record high C = 35.9
|Sep record high C = 36.9
|Oct record high C = 40.0
|Nov record high C = 33.5
|Dec record high C = 35.9
|year record high C = 40.0
|Jan avg record high C = 32.6
|Feb avg record high C = 31.7
|Mar avg record high C = 32.0
|Apr avg record high C = 30.4
|May avg record high C = 30.2
|Jun avg record high C = 28.8
|Jul avg record high C = 28.9
|Aug avg record high C = 29.7
|Sep avg record high C = 30.3
|Oct avg record high C = 30.5
|Nov avg record high C = 30.6
|Dec avg record high C = 32.0
|year avg record high C = 34.5
|Jan high C = 27.8
|Feb high C = 28.0
|Mar high C = 27.7
|Apr high C = 26.1
|May high C = 24.5
|Jun high C = 23.0
|Jul high C = 22.6
|Aug high C = 22.8
|Sep high C = 23.3
|Oct high C = 24.0
|Nov high C = 25.2
|Dec high C = 26.9
|year high C = 25.2
|Jan mean C = 24.1
|Feb mean C = 24.3
|Mar mean C = 23.7
|Apr mean C = 21.6
|May mean C = 19.1
|Jun mean C = 16.6
|Jul mean C = 16.5
|Aug mean C = 17.7
|Sep mean C = 19.2
|Oct mean C = 20.1
|Nov mean C = 21.4
|Dec mean C = 23.1
|year mean C = 20.6
|Jan low C = 21.1
|Feb low C = 21.1
|Mar low C = 20.3
|Apr low C = 17.4
|May low C = 13.8
|Jun low C = 10.6
|Jul low C = 10.5
|Aug low C = 12.5
|Sep low C = 15.3
|Oct low C = 16.8
|Nov low C = 18.3
|Dec low C = 20.0
|year low C = 16.5
|Jan avg record low C = 17.3
|Feb avg record low C = 17.1
|Mar avg record low C = 16.1
|Apr avg record low C = 12.1
|May avg record low C = 8.7
|Jun avg record low C = 5.9
|Jul avg record low C = 5.8
|Aug avg record low C = 7.3
|Sep avg record low C = 10.0
|Oct avg record low C = 11.9
|Nov avg record low C = 13.8
|Dec avg record low C = 15.9
|year avg record low C = 5.3
|Jan record low C = 14.0
|Feb record low C = 13.3
|Mar record low C = 11.6
|Apr record low C = 8.6
|May record low C = 4.9
|Jun record low C = 3.5
|Jul record low C = 2.6
|Aug record low C = 2.6
|Sep record low C = 4.5
|Oct record low C = 8.3
|Nov record low C = 10.3
|Dec record low C = 11.8
|year record low C = 2.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 134
|Feb rain mm = 113
|Mar rain mm = 120
|Apr rain mm = 73
|May rain mm = 59
|Jun rain mm = 38
|Jul rain mm = 39
|Aug rain mm = 62
|Sep rain mm = 73
|Oct rain mm = 98
|Nov rain mm = 108
|Dec rain mm = 102
|year rain mm = 1019
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 15.2
|Feb precipitation days = 12.9
|Mar precipitation days = 12.6
|Apr precipitation days = 9.2
|May precipitation days = 6.8
|Jun precipitation days = 4.5
|Jul precipitation days = 4.9
|Aug precipitation days = 7.1
|Sep precipitation days = 11.0
|Oct precipitation days = 15.1
|Nov precipitation days = 16.0
|Dec precipitation days = 15.0
|year precipitation days = 130.3
|Jan humidity = 80
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 80
|Apr humidity = 78
|May humidity = 76
|Jun humidity = 72
|Jul humidity = 72
|Aug humidity = 75
|Sep humidity = 77
|Oct humidity = 78
|Nov humidity = 79
|Dec humidity = 79
|year humidity = 77
|Jan sun = 184.0
|Feb sun = 178.8
|Mar sun = 201.6
|Apr sun = 206.4
|May sun = 223.6
|Jun sun = 224.9
|Jul sun = 230.4
|Aug sun = 217.0
|Sep sun = 173.3
|Oct sun = 169.4
|Nov sun = 166.1
|Dec sun = 189.9
|year sun = 2365.4
|source 1 = World Meteorological Organization<ref name="WMO">{{cite web
| url = https://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=137
| title = World Weather Information Service—Durban (1961-1990 period)
| publisher = World Meteorological Organization
| others= provided by South African weather service
| access-date = 21 November 2013}}</ref>
|source 2 = NOAA (sun, extremes and humidity)<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/UA/68588.TXT
| title = Durban/Louis Both Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 21 November 2013}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

==== Climate change ====
A 2019 paper published in [[PLOS One]] estimated that under [[Representative Concentration Pathway#RCP 4.5|Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5]], a "moderate" scenario of [[climate change]] where global warming reaches ~{{convert|2.5-3|C-change|F-change}} by 2100, the climate of Durban in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of [[Kigali]]. The annual temperature would increase by {{convert|1.7|C-change|F-change}}, and the temperature of the coldest month by {{convert|1.8|C-change|F-change}}, while the temperature of the warmest month would be {{convert|0.5|C-change|F-change}} lower.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bastin |first1=Jean-Francois |last2=Clark |first2=Emily |last3=Elliott |first3=Thomas |last4=Hart |first4=Simon |last5=van den Hoogen |first5=Johan |last6=Hordijk |first6=Iris |last7=Ma |first7=Haozhi |last8=Majumder |first8=Sabiha |last9=Manoli |first9=Gabriele |last10=Maschler |first10=Julia |last11=Mo |first11=Lidong |last12=Routh |first12=Devin |last13=Yu |first13=Kailiang |last14=Zohner |first14=Constantin M. |last15=Thomas W. |first15=Crowther |title=Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues |journal=PLOS ONE |date=10 July 2019 |volume=14 |issue=7 |at=S2 Table. Summary statistics of the global analysis of city analogues. |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0217592 |pmid=31291249 |pmc=6619606 |bibcode=2019PLoSO..1417592B |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://crowtherlab.pageflow.io/cities-of-the-future-visualizing-climate-change-to-inspire-action |title=Cities of the future: visualizing climate change to inspire action |at=Current vs. future cities |access-date=8 January 2023}}</ref> According to [[Climate Action Tracker]], the current warming trajectory appears consistent with {{convert|2.7|C-change|F-change}}, which closely matches RCP 4.5.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/ |title=The CAT Thermometer |access-date=8 January 2023}}</ref>

Moreover, according to the 2022 [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report]], Durban is one of 12 major African cities ([[Abidjan]], [[Alexandria]], [[Algiers]], [[Cape Town]], [[Casablanca]], [[Dakar]], [[Dar es Salaam]], Durban, [[Lagos]], [[Lomé]], [[Luanda]] and [[Maputo]]) which would be the most severely affected by future [[sea level rise]]. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of USD 65 billion under RCP 4.5 and USD 86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050. Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from [[marine ice sheet instability]] at high levels of warming would involve up to 137.5 billion USD in damages, while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to USD 187 billion for the "moderate" RCP4.5, USD 206 billion for RCP8.5 and USD 397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario.<ref>Trisos, C.H., I.O. Adelekan, E. Totin, A. Ayanlade, J. Efitre, A. Gemeda, K. Kalaba, C. Lennard, C. Masao, Y. Mgaya, G. Ngaruiya, D. Olago, N.P. Simpson, and S. Zakieldeen 2022: [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter09.pdf Chapter 9: Africa]. In [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/ Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability] [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US, pp. 2043–2121</ref> Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf |title=Technical Summary. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |date=August 2021 |publisher=IPCC |page=TS14 |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
[[File:Ethekwini dominant language map.svg|thumb|Geographical distribution of home languages in eThekwini metropole
{{legend-col
|{{legend|#8dd3c7|[[Afrikaans]]}}
|{{legend|#ffffb3|[[South African English|English]]}}
|{{legend|#fb8072|[[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]}}
|{{legend|#80b1d3|[[Zulu language|Zulu]]}}
|{{legend|#d0d0d0|No language dominant}}
}}]]

Durban is ethnically diverse, with a cultural richness of mixed beliefs and traditions. [[Zulu people|Zulus]] form the largest single ethnic group. It has a large number of people of [[British diaspora in Africa|British]] and [[Indian South African|Indian]] descent. The influence of Indians in Durban has been significant, bringing with them a variety of cuisine, culture and religion.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-23/mumbai/29807173_1_durban-south-africa-uk | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701174938/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-23/mumbai/29807173_1_durban-south-africa-uk | url-status=dead | archive-date=1 July 2012 | title=Durban largest 'Indian' city outside India | first=Anahita | last=Mukherji | date=23 June 2011 | work=[[The Times of India]] | access-date=2011-11-30}}</ref>

In the years following the end of apartheid, there was a population boom as black Africans were allowed to move into the city. The population grew by an annual average of 2.34% between 1996 and 2001. This led to shanty towns forming around the city, which were often demolished. Between 2001 and 2011, the population growth slowed down to 1.08% per year and shanty towns have become less common as the government builds low-income housing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1021&id=ethekwini-municipality |title=Metropolitan Municipality &#124; Statistics South Africa |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104094830/http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=1021&id=ethekwini-municipality |archive-date=4 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The population of the city of Durban and central suburbs such as Durban North, Durban South and the Berea increased 10.9% between 2001 and 2011 from 536,644 to 595,061.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://census2001.adrianfrith.com/place/57218 |title=Census 2001 — Main Place "Durban" |publisher=Census2001.adrianfrith.com |access-date=2015-12-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/599054 |title=Census 2011 — Main Place "Durban" |publisher=Census2011.adrianfrith.com |access-date=2015-12-10}}</ref> The proportion of black Africans increased while the proportion of people in all the other racial groups decreased. Black Africans increased from 34.9% to 51.1%; Indians or Asians decreased from 27.3% to 24.0%; whites decreased from 25.5% to 15.3%; and [[Coloureds]] decreased from 10.26% to 8.59%. A new racial group, "Other", was included in the 2011 census at 0.93%.

The city's demographics indicate that 68% of the population is of working age, and 38% of the people in Durban are under the age of 19 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/cifal/about/durban-ethekwini |title=durban.gov.za |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927115623/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/cifal/about/durban-ethekwini |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref>

Durban has the highest number of dollar millionaires added per year of any South African city, with the number having increased 200 percent between 2000 and 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last=Skade |first=Thandi |url=http://www.destinyconnect.com/2015/05/07/durban-is-sas-fastest-growing-millionaire-city/ |title=Durban is SA's fastest-growing 'Millionaire City' &#124; DESTINY Magazine |publisher=Destinyconnect.com |date=2015-05-07 |access-date=2015-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093844/http://www.destinyconnect.com/2015/05/07/durban-is-sas-fastest-growing-millionaire-city/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Economy==
Sugar refining is one of Durban's main industries. South Africa produces 19.9 million tons of sugar cane a year and most of it comes from KwaZulu-Natal.{{Citation needed|reason=Prior citation was accommodation website Afristay|date=April 2022}}

=== Informal sector ===
Durban has a number of informal and semi-formal street vendors. The [[Warwick Junction, Durban|Warwick Junction]] Precinct is home to a number of street markets, with vendors selling goods from traditional medicine, to clothing and spices.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pps.org/places/public-markets/warwick-junction/|title=Warwick Junction – Great Public Spaces|date=2015-03-13|newspaper=Great Public Spaces|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018010115/http://www.pps.org/places/public-markets/warwick-junction/|archive-date=18 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city's treatment of shack dwellers was criticised in a report from the [[United Nations]] linked Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions<ref>[http://www.cohre.org/sites/default/files/south_africa_-_business_as_usual_-_housing_rights_and_slum_eradication_in_durban_sept_2008_.pdf South Africa: Business as Usual – housing rights and slum eradication in Durban] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826233243/http://www.cohre.org/sites/default/files/south_africa_-_business_as_usual_-_housing_rights_and_slum_eradication_in_durban_sept_2008_.pdf |date=26 August 2013 }}, Centre on Housing Rights & Evictions, Geneva, 2008.</ref> and there has also been criticism of the city's treatment of street traders,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/Durban06.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906155140/http://www.streetnet.org.za/english/Durban06.htm|url-status=dead|title=From best practice to Pariah: the case of Durban, South Africa by Pat Horn, Street Net|archive-date=6 September 2007}}</ref><ref>[http://www.seri-sa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17:research-reports&catid=9&Itemid=29 Criminalising the Livelihoods of the Poor: The impact of formalising informal trading on female and migrant traders in Durban] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321004738/http://www.seri-sa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17:research-reports&catid=9&Itemid=29 |date=21 March 2012 }} by Blessing Karumbidza, Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (February 2011).</ref> street children<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/01/south-africa-world-cup-blikkiesdorp |title=Life in 'Tin Can Town' for the South Africans evicted ahead of World Cup|first=David|last=Smith|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 April 2010}}</ref> and sex workers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2013-12-24-the-dirty-shame-of-durbans-clean-up-campaign-of-city-streets/ |title=The dirty shame of Durban's 'clean-up' campaign of city streets|website=The Daily Maverick|first=Vanessa |last=Burger|date=24 December 2013}}</ref> The [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] strain called "Durban Poison" is named for the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2013/11/cannabis_encyclopedia_strain_review_durban_poison.php |title=Cannabis Encyclopedia strain review: Durban Poison &#124; Marijuana and Cannabis News |publisher=Toke of the Town |date=2013-11-06 |access-date=2015-12-10}}</ref>

===Civil society===
There are a number of civil society organisations based in Durban. These include: [[Abahlali baseMjondolo]] movement,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monthlyreview.org/0206pithouse.htm|title=Monthly Review - Struggle Is a School: The Rise of a Shack Dwellers' Movement in Durban, South Africa|date=1 February 2006}}</ref> the Diakonia Council of Churches, the [[Right2Know Campaign]], the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance and the [[South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement]].<ref>[http://abahlali.org/node/7580 The opening remarks of S'bu Zikode, President of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement of South Africa, at the Center for Place, Culture and Politics at the CUNY Graduate Center (NYC)], 16 November 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://abahlali.org/node/7709 |title=ANC Intimidates Witness X, More Intimidation and More Killing in Kennedy Road|website=Abahlali baseMjondolo|date=23 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/witness |title=Witness |website=News24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/200-march-against-information-bill-1.689323|title=200 march against Information Bill|author=Independent Newspapers Online|work=Independent Online}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200901070039.html|title=South Africa: Churches Ask Parties to Preach Tolerance|first=Sibongakonke|last=Shoba|date=7 January 2009|via=AllAfrica}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global,_id,=25560|title=Witness}}</ref> 

==Tourism and culture==
{{Also| List of nature reserves in eThekwini}}
Durban has been named the greenest city in the world by Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/durban-has-gone-green/|title=Durban named world's greenest city|website=ECR|date=December 19, 2019|access-date=2020-01-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/durban-named-greenest-city-in-the-world-39403941|title=Durban named greenest city in the world {{!}} Daily News|website=www.iol.co.za|language=en|date=December 18, 2019|access-date=2020-01-09}}</ref> 
===Tourist destinations===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Burman Bush]]
* [[Durban Art Gallery]]
* [[Durban Botanic Gardens]]
* [[Durban Art Gallery|Durban Natural Science Museum]]
* [[Greyville Racecourse]] - home of the [[Durban July Handicap]] and Durban Country Club and golf course
* [[Hawaan Forest]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.countrylife.co.za/adventure/walk-ancient-forest|title=A Walk in an Ancient Forest in Umhlanga|last=Horn|first=Gerhard|date=2018-05-07|website=SA Country Life|language=en-ZA|access-date=2019-05-23}}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* [[Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve]]
* [[Kingsmead Cricket Ground]] - a major [[Test cricket|test match]] and [[Limited overs cricket|one-day cricket]] venue.
* [[Kings Park Stadium]] - home ground of the internationally renowned [[Sharks (rugby union)|Sharks]] rugby team.
* [[Mitchell Park Zoo]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312595-d480869-Reviews-Mitchell_Park-Durban_KwaZulu_Natal.html|title=Mitchell Park (Durban) - 2019 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) |website=TripAdvisor |language=en |access-date=2019-05-21}}</ref>
* [[Moses Mabhida Stadium]]
* [[New Germany Nature Reserve]]<ref name="durb_NewG">{{cite web| title = New Germany Nature Reserve| work = durban.gov.za| access-date = 2015-08-12| url = http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/ParksRecreation/pnature/Pages/NGermarny.aspx| archive-date = 21 September 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150921165928/http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/ParksRecreation/pnature/Pages/NGermarny.aspx| url-status = dead}}</ref>
* [[Pigeon Valley|Pigeon Valley Nature reserve]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bereamail.co.za/148625/exploring-pigeon-valley-natal-elm/|title=Exploring Pigeon Valley: The Natal Elm|date=2019-01-26|website=Berea Mail|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>
* [[Umgeni River Bird Park]]
* [[Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve]]
* [[uShaka Marine World]]
{{div col end}}

=== Cultural attractions ===
There are many museums, art galleries, theatres, and other centres of culture in Durban.
 
The '''African Art Centre''' is "the longest surviving organisation involved in the development and promotion of African artists and crafters", founded in 1960, and moving to a new home in Station Drive in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bereamail.co.za/121259/the-african-art-centre-has-a-new-home/ |title=The African Art Centre has a new home |website= Berea Mail|date=21 November 2017 |access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>

'''Ethekwini Municipal Libraries''' is a free [[public library]] network with 90 circulating branch libraries across the metropolitan area, and the Central Reference Library at the Liberty Towers Building, which includes a significant collection of [[Africana books]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Galleria Mall Municipal Library | website=galleria.co.za | url=https://www.galleria.co.za/businesses/galleria-mall-municipal-library/ | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref>

{{anchor|phansi}}<!---redirect targets this anchor--->The '''Phansi Museum''' is located in the historic Roberts House, a 19th-century colonial mansion and former home of Esther Roberts, a librarian and collector of Africana, member and supporter of the [[Black Sash]] anti-apartheid group. The collection and library is now linked to the [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]].<ref>{{cite web | title=ABOUT – PHANSI MUSEUM | website=phansi.com | url=https://phansi.com/about/ | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref> It is one of the most extensive Southern African art museums in the world, founded by Paul Mikula, who purchased artefacts from traditional craftspeople through Southern Africa over 30 years. The collection includes 19th-century [[beadwork]], pottery, carvings, and textiles. Talks and exhibitions are held at the museum.<ref>{{cite web  | title=Phansi Museum | website=Museum Explorer SA | date=18 March 2023 | url=https://museumexplorer.co.za/phansi-museum/ | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref>

{{anchor|playhouse}}'''The Playhouse Theatre''' is located on Anton Lembede Street (formerly Smith Street). The original building on the site was a cinema built in 1896, which was rebuilt in 1935 in [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor Revival]] style. The cinema reopened on 7 June 1935 and finally closed in the 1970s.<ref name=ct/> After being taken over by the Performing Arts Council in the 1980s,<ref name=cityseeker>{{cite web | title=The Playhouse, Durban | website=cityseeker | url=https://cityseeker.com/durban/214517-the-playhouse | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref> the building was restored in 1985–6, and with the former Colosseum Theatre (or Prince's Theatre) is now a [[performing arts]] centre with five venues. The refurbishment architects, Small & Pettit & Robson, were awarded the 1987 Institute of South African Architects Natal Award of Merit for the work.<ref name=ct>{{cite web | title=Playhouse Theatre in Durban, ZA | website=Cinema Treasures | url=https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/12685 | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Playhouse details | website=artefacts.co.za | url=https://artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes_mob.php?bldgid=3502 | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref> home to the Playhouse Theatre Company.<ref>{{cite web | title=home| website= The Playhouse Company  | date=13 July 2023 | url=https://playhousecompany.com/ | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref> The company's mission is "is to provide cultural education and entertainment in both an African and international context" and, apart from drama and dance performances, the company runs an educational program and presents theatre to schools.<ref name=cityseeker/> The Playhouse has been a venue for staging the work of many famous South African playwrights, including [[Mbongeni Ngema]], <ref name=filmbio>{{cite web|url=https://www.sarafina.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Sarafina_presskit_2023.pdf| title= Sarafina: Mbongeni Ngema: Biography}}</ref> and in October 2023 there was a casting call for a new musical entitled ''From Gibson Kente to Mbongeni Ngema'', to celebrate the works and influence of [[Gibson Kente]] and Ngema.<ref>{{cite web | title=Open call: The Playhouse Company auditions in SA | website=Music In Africa | date=19 October 2023 | url=https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/open-call-playhouse-company-auditions-sa | access-date=31 December 2023}}</ref>

Other significant cultural attractions include:
* [[Durban Art Gallery]]
* [[KZNSA - KwaZulu Natal Society of Arts]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kznia.org.za/durban-city-guide/late-modern/kznsa-gallery|title=KZNSA Gallery {{!}} The KwaZulu-Natal Institute for Architecture|website=www.kznia.org.za|access-date=2019-05-23}}</ref>

=== Places of worship ===
Among the [[places of worship]], there are predominantly [[Christianity|Christian]] churches and temples. These include: [[Zion Christian Church]], [[Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa]], [[Assemblies of God]], [[Baptist Union of Southern Africa]] ([[Baptist World Alliance]]), [[Methodist Church of Southern Africa]] ([[World Methodist Council]]), [[Anglican Church of Southern Africa]] ([[Anglican Communion]]), [[Presbyterian Church of Africa]] ([[World Communion of Reformed Churches]]), [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durban]] ([[Catholic Church]]) and the [[Durban South Africa Temple]] ([[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]).<ref>Britannica, [https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa SouthAfrica], britannica.com, US, accessed on 7 July 2019.</ref> 

There are also [[Mosque|mosques]] and [[Hindu]] temples.

=== Architecture ===
From its earlier years to the present, many layers have added to Durban's architectural heritage: [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]], [[Edwardian architecture|Edwardian]], [[Islamic architecture|Islamic]], [[Hindu architecture|Hindu]], [[Modern architecture|modernist]], and [[Contemporary architecture|contemporary]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kznia.org.za/buildings-architecture-city-guide-durban-kzn-kwazulu-natal | title=Durban Buildings & Architecture: City Guide | website=SAIA KwaZulu-Natal | access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref> Additionally, and in contrast to the classical styles then prevalent, [[Art Deco in Durban|Art Deco]] found expression in many of Durban's buildings in the 20th century, varying in manner from area to area.<ref>{{cite journal | date=2003 | editor1-last=Peters | editor1-first=Walter | title=Durban's Art Deco Architecture | url=https://www.kznia-journal.org.za/sites/default/files/KZNIA%201-2003%20E.PDF | journal=Journal of the KwaZulu-Natal Institute for Architecture | volume=28 | issue=1 | issn=0379-9301 | access-date=8 April 2024}}</ref>

== Media ==
[[File:DurbanHarbor.jpg|thumb|View of Durban Harbour]]
Two major English-language daily newspapers are published in Durban, both part of the Independent Newspapers, the national group owned by [[Sekunjalo Investments]]. These are the morning editions of ''[[The Mercury (South Africa)|The Mercury]]'' and the afternoon ''[[The Daily News (Durban)|Daily News]]''. Like most news media in South Africa, they have seen declining circulations in recent years. Major Zulu language papers comprise ''Isolezwe'' (Independent Newspapers), ''UmAfrika'' and ''Ilanga''. Independent Newspapers also publish ''Post'', a newspaper aimed largely at the Indian community. A national Sunday paper, the ''Sunday Tribune'' is also published by Independent Newspapers as is the ''Independent on Saturday''.

A major city initiative is the ''eZasegagasini Metro Gazette''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/media/gazette|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128134559/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/media/gazette|url-status=dead|title=eZasegagasini Metro Gazette|archive-date=28 November 2009}}</ref>

The national broadcaster, the SABC, has regional offices in Durban and operates two major stations there. The [[Zulu language]] Ukhozi FM has a huge national listenership of more than 6.67 million, making it the second largest radio station in the world. The SABC also operates [[Lotus FM|Radio Lotus]], which is aimed at South Africans of Indian origin. The other SABC national stations have smaller regional offices in Durban, as does TV for news links and sports broadcasts. A major English language [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]], [[East Coast Radio (South Africa)|East Coast Radio]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecr.co.za|title=East Coast Radio is KwaZulu-Natal's leading commercial radio station.|website=ECR}}</ref> operates out of Durban and is owned by SA media giant Kagiso Media. There are a number of smaller stations which are independent, having been granted licences by ICASA, the national agency charged with the issue of broadcast licences.

== Sport ==
[[File:Kingsmead2009.jpg|thumb|[[Kingsmead Cricket Ground]], Durban in 2009]]
[[File:Mm stadium.jpg|thumb|[[Moses Mabhida Stadium]] in Durban]]

Durban was initially successful in its bid to host the [[2022 Commonwealth Games]],<ref name="bbc._Durb">{{cite web | title = Durban hosts 2022 Commonwealth Games | work = BBC Sport | date = 2 September 2015 | access-date = 2015-09-02 | url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/commonwealth-games/34125467 }}</ref> but needed to withdraw in March 2017 from the role of hosts when the government withdrew its subsidy due to financial constraints.<ref>{{cite news|title=Commonwealth Games 2022: Durban 'may drop out as host'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39116534|access-date=28 February 2017|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=28 February 2017}}</ref> [[Birmingham]], [[England]] replaced Durban as the host city.

Durban is home to [[Sharks (rugby union)|The Sharks]] [[rugby union]] club, also known as the Cell C Sharks, who compete in the domestic [[Currie Cup]] competition as well as in the international [[United Rugby Championship]] and [[Heineken Champions Cup]] competition. The Sharks' home ground is the 54,000 capacity [[HollywoodbetsKings Park Stadium]], sometimes referred to as the Shark Tank. The Sharks are home to many [[South Africa national rugby union team]] players such as [[Thomas du Toit]], [[Bongi Mbonambi]], [[Eben Etzebeth]], [[Makazole Mapimipi]],  [[Lukhanyo Am]] and the 2019 Rugby World Cup captain [[Siya Kolisi]].

The city has two clubs in the [[Premier Soccer League]] — [[AmaZulu F.C.|AmaZulu]], and [[Golden Arrows]]. AmaZulu play most of their home games at the [[Moses Mabhida Stadium]]. Golden Arrows play most of their home games at the [[King Zwelithini Stadium]] in the nearby township of [[Umlazi]], but sometimes play some of their matches at [[Moses Mabhida Stadium]] or [[Chatsworth Stadium]]. It is also a home to some teams that are playing in the [[National First Division]] such as Royal Eagles FC and Royal Kings
[[File:Transport des supporters à Durban.jpg|thumb|Bus transporting supporters during [[2010 FIFA World Cup]]]]
Durban is host to the [[KwaZulu-Natal cricket team]], who play as the [[Dolphins cricket team|Dolphins]] when competing in the [[Sunfoil Series]]. [[Shaun Pollock]], [[Jonty Rhodes]], [[Lance Klusener]], [[Barry Richards]], [[Andrew Hudson (cricketer)|Andrew Hudson]], [[Hashim Amla]], [[Vince van der Bijl]], [[Kevin Pietersen]], [[Dale Benkenstein]] and [[David Miller (South African cricketer)|David Miller]] are all players or past players of the [[Natal cricket team]]. International cricketers representing them include [[Malcolm Marshall]], [[Dwayne Bravo]] and [[Graham Onions]]. Cricket in Durban is played at [[Kingsmead cricket ground, Durban|Kingsmead cricket ground]].

Durban hosted matches in the [[2003 ICC Cricket World Cup]]. In 2007 the city hosted nine matches, including a semi-final, as part of the inaugural [[ICC World Twenty20]]. The [[2009 IPL]] season was played in South Africa, and Durban was selected as a venue. 2010 saw the city host six matches, including a semi-final, in the [[2010 Champions League Twenty20]].

Durban was one of the host cities of the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]], and [[A1 Grand Prix]] held a race on a [[Durban street circuit|street circuit in Durban]] from 2006 to 2008. Durban hosted the [[123rd IOC Session]] in July 2011.

The city is home to [[Greyville Racecourse]], a major [[Thoroughbred horse race|Thoroughbred horse racing]] venue that annually hosts a number of prestigious races including the country's premier event, the [[Durban July Handicap|July Handicap]], and the premier staying event in South Africa, the [[Greyville Gold Cup|Gold Cup]]. Clairwood racecourse, south of the city, was a popular racing venue for many years, but was sold by the KZN racing authority in 2012.<ref name="spor_Clai">{{cite web | title =Clairwood Sale Advances {{!}} Clairwood Racecourse sold for R430 million | work = Sporting Post | date = 25 May 2012 | access-date = 2015-09-02 | url = http://www.sportingpost.co.za/2012/05/clairwood-racecourse/ | archive-date = 19 September 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150919083830/http://www.sportingpost.co.za/2012/05/clairwood-racecourse/ | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="iol._R2bn">{{cite web | title = R2bn Clairwood racecourse park rejected | last = Carnie | first = Tony | work = Business Report | date = 25 February 2014 | access-date = 2015-09-02 | url = http://www.iol.co.za/business/news/r2bn-clairwood-racecourse-park-rejected-1.1652574#.VebxjfR-5ek }}</ref>

Durban hosts many famous endurance sports events annually, such as the [[Comrades Marathon]], [[Dusi Canoe Marathon]] and the [[Ironman 70.3]].

The city hosted several continental basketball tournaments such as the [[1994 FIBA Africa Championship for Women]] or the [[2006 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship]].<ref>{{cite news|author1=Julio Chitunda |title=FIBA U18 African Championships have produced some bright talents over the years|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/fiba-u18-african-championships-have-produced-some-bright-talents-over-the-years |access-date=5 December 2020 |work=[[FIBA]] |date=25 September 2020}}</ref>

== Transport ==

=== Air ===
{{Main|List of airports in the Durban area}} 
[[File:KSIA-Departures.jpg|thumb|[[King Shaka International Airport]] ]]

[[King Shaka International Airport]] services both domestic and international flights, with regularly scheduled services to [[Dubai]], [[Doha]], [[Istanbul]], [[Harare]], [[Lusaka]] & [[Manzini, Eswatini|Manzini]] as well as eight domestic destinations. Flights to [[Luanda]] start on 16 January 2024. The airport's position forms part of the Golden Triangle between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is important for convenient travel and trade between these three major South African cities. The airport opened in May 2010. King Shaka International Airport handled 6.1 million passengers in 2019/2020, up 1.8 percent from 2018/2019. King Shaka International was constructed at [[La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal|La Mercy]], about {{convert|36|km|mi}} north of central Durban. All operations at [[Durban International Airport]] have been transferred to [[King Shaka International]] as of 1 May 2010, with plans for flights to [[Hong Kong]], [[Singapore]], [[Mumbai]], [[Kigali]], [[Luanda]], [[Lilongwe]] and [[Nairobi]].

=== Sea ===
[[File:Durban harbor.jpg|thumb|Durban Harbour]]

Durban has a long tradition as a port city. The [[Port of Durban]], formerly known as the Port of Natal, is one of the few natural [[Harbor|harbour]]s between [[Port Elizabeth]] and [[Maputo]], and is also located at the beginning of a particular{{clarify|date=June 2021}} weather phenomenon that can cause extremely violent seas. These two features made Durban an extremely busy [[Port|port of call]] for ship repairs when the port was opened in the 1840s.

[[MSC Cruises]] bases one of their cruise ships in Durban from November to April every year. From the 2023/2024 Southern Africa cruise season [[MSC Cruises]] will be basing the [[MSC Splendida]] in Durban. Durban is the most popular cruise hub in Southern Africa. Cruise destinations from Durban on the [[MSC Splendida|MSC ''Splendida'']] include [[Mozambique]], [[Mauritius]], [[Réunion]], [[Madagascar]] and other domestic destinations such as Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Many other ships cruise through Durban every year, including some of the world's biggest, such as the [[RMS Queen Mary 2|RMS ''Queen Mary 2'']], the biggest ocean liner in the world. Durban has built a brand new R200 million cruise terminal that has been in operation since October 2019, the [[Durban Cruise Terminal]]. The tender was awarded to KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (Pty) Ltd, which is 70% owned by MSC Cruises SA and 30% by Africa Armada Consortium. The new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate two cruise ships at any given time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece|title=Times LIVE|website=www.timeslive.co.za|access-date=1 June 2017|archive-date=6 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206173410/https://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article2650355.ece/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Naval Base Durban]] on [[Salisbury Island, Durban|Salisbury Island]] (now joined to the mainland and part of the Port of Durban), was established as a [[naval base]] during the [[Second World War]]. It was downgraded in 2002 to a naval station. In 2012 a decision was made to renovate and expand the facilities back up to a full naval base to accommodate the [[South African Navy]]'s [[offshore patrol vessel|offshore patrol]] flotilla.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23908:navy-may-upgrade-naval-station-durban-&catid=108:maritime-security&Itemid=233|title=Navy may upgrade Naval Station Durban|author=Leon Engelbrecht|work=defenceweb.co.za}}</ref> In December 2015 it was redesignated Naval Base Durban.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kim |last=Helfrich |url=http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41760:minister-says-its-naval-base-durban-not-station&catid=111:sa-defence&Itemid=242 |title=Minister says it's Naval Base Durban, not Station |publisher=defenceWeb |date=2015-12-09 |access-date=2015-12-09}}</ref>

=== Rail ===
Durban featured the first operating steam railway in South Africa when the [[Natal Railway Company]] started operating a line between the Point and the city of Durban in 1860.<ref name="Holland 1">Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, vol 1: 1859–1910, (D.F. Holland, 1971), p11, 20–21, {{ISBN|0-7153-5382-9}}</ref>

[[Shosholoza Meyl]], the passenger rail service of [[Transnet Freight Rail|Spoornet]], operates two long-distance passenger rail services from Durban: a daily service to and from Johannesburg via [[Pietermaritzburg]] and [[Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal|Newcastle]], and a weekly service to and from Cape Town via [[Kimberley, Northern Cape|Kimberley]] and [[Bloemfontein]]. These trains terminate at [[Durban railway station]].

[[Metrorail KwaZulu-Natal|Metrorail]] operates a [[commuter rail]] service in Durban and the surrounding area. The Metrorail network runs from Durban Station outwards as far as [[KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal|Stanger]] on the north coast, [[Kelso, KwaZulu-Natal|Kelso]] on the south coast, and [[Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal|Cato Ridge]] inland.

A [[Johannesburg-Durban High Speed Rail|high-speed rail link]] has been proposed, between Johannesburg and Durban.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/ambitious-plans-will-still-need-funding/browse/3.html
|access-date=19 September 2010
|title=Railway Gazette: Ambitious plans will still need funding
|archive-date=15 June 2011
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615134927/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/ambitious-plans-will-still-need-funding/browse/3.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

=== Roads ===
[[File:DurbanN3-aerial.jpg|thumb|N3 freeway on its approach to Durban's CBD, with N2–N3 [[stack interchange]] in the foreground]]

The city's main position as a [[port of entry]] onto the southern African continent has led to the development of [[National Roads in South Africa|national roads]] around it. The [[N3 road (South Africa)|N3 Western Freeway]], which links Durban with the economic hinterland of [[Gauteng]], heads west out of the city. The [[Durban Outer Ring Road|N2 Outer Ring Road]] links Durban with the [[Eastern Cape]] to the south, and [[Mpumalanga]] in the north. The Western Freeway is particularly important because freight is shipped by truck to and from the [[Witwatersrand]] for transfer to the port.

The N3 Western Freeway starts in the central business district and heads west under Tollgate Bridge and through the suburbs of Sherwood and Mayville. The [[EB Cloete Interchange]] (which is informally nicknamed the [[Spaghetti Junction]]) lies to the west of Durban and east of [[Westville, KwaZulu-Natal|Westville]], allowing for transfer of traffic between the N2 [[Durban Outer Ring Road|Outer Ring Road]] and the Western Freeway.

The N2 Outer Ring Road cuts through the city from the [[KwaZulu-Natal North Coast|north coast]] to the [[South Coast (KwaZulu-Natal)|south coast]]. It provides a vital link to the coastal towns (such as [[Amanzimtoti]], [[Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal|Kingsburgh]], [[Scottburgh]], [[Umkomaas|eMkhomazi]], [[Ballito]] and [[KwaDukuza]]) that rely on Durban.

Durban also has a system of freeway and [[Dual carriageway|dual arterial]] [[Metropolitan Routes in Durban|metropolitan routes]], which connect the sprawling suburbs that lie to the north, west and south of the city. The [[M4 (Durban)|M4]] exists in two segments. The northern segment, named the Ruth First Highway, starts as an alternative highway from the [[R102 (South Africa)|R102]] in [[Ballito]] and shortly after intersects the N2. It passes through the seaside towns and villages of La Mercy and [[eMdloti]] before becoming a dual carriageway in [[UMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal|uMhlanga]], north of Durban and ending at the northern edge of the CBD. The southern segment of the M4, the [[Albert Lutuli]]<ref>[http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/services/services_news/red-tar-for-southern-freeway]{{dead link|date=March 2013}}</ref> Highway, starts at the southern edge of the CBD, connecting through to the old, decommissioned Durban International Airport, where it once again reconnects at the southern end of the N2 Outer Ring Road.

The [[M7 (Durban)|M7]] connects the southern industrial basin of Durban with the N3 and [[Pinetown]] via [[Queensburgh]] via the N2. The [[M19 (Durban)|M19]] connects the inner northern suburbs of Durban with Pinetown via [[Westville, KwaZulu-Natal|Westville]] and the [[M41 (Durban)|M41]] connects [[Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal|uMhlanga]] and [[Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal|Phoenix]] via [[Mount Edgecombe]] and the N2.

The [[M13 (Durban)|M13]] (King Cetshwayo Highway) is an untolled alternative to the N3 Western Freeway (which is tolled at Mariannhill) and is an important commuter route linking the nearby towns and suburbs to the west of Durban such as [[Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal|Hillcrest]], [[Gillitts]], [[Kloof]], Pinetown and Westville to the city.

In the late 2000s 107 streets in Durban were renamed, typically to honour individuals involved in the antiapartheid or international revolutionary movements, with two-thirds of the streets named after individuals associated with the governing [[African National Congress]]. This was done in two stages; a first, smaller one, which renamed eighteen streets and was met with some trepidation by opposition parties, particularly the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]], the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], and the [[Minority Front]], and a second, larger stage, which renamed 99 streets and was met with considerably wider opposition after the controversy of the first and the minimal time between them.<ref>[http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/renaming/Final%20Listt-%20Street%20Naming2.xls]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Independent Newspapers Online |url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/new-road-names-go-up-1.406687 |title=New road names go up – Politics &#124; IOL News |work=Independent Online |location=South Africa |date=2 July 2008 |access-date=2011-09-16}}</ref> The first group was met with some opposition from This process was met with outrage from both opposition parties and the parts of the general public, as well as incidents of vandalism against the new road signs. The [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]], [[Inkatha Freedom Party]], and [[Minority Front]] were concerned with their lack of participation in the process, and that the emphasis on individuals affiliated with the ANC presented a partisan image of the antiapartheid struggle. Among the general public there was significant opposition from middle-class [[white South Africans]], [[Indian South Africans]], and [[Zulu nationalists]], who believed that the new names should have a connection to the people and the history of the locality. In response, the ANC characterized the project as a transformation and part of progressive social change, characterizing their opponents as being "antitransformation" and "pro-apartheid".<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Bainbridge |year=2009 |url=https://archive.org/details/southafricalesot0000bain |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/southafricalesot0000bain/page/302 302] |title=South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland |publisher=Lonely Planet |access-date=2011-09-16|isbn=9781742203751 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Wines |first=Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/world/africa/25durban.html |title=Where the Road to Renaming Does Not Run Smooth |work=The New York Times |date=25 May 2007 |access-date=2011-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Duminy |first1=James |title=Street Renaming, Symbolic Capital, and Resistance in Durban, South Africa |journal=Environment and Planning D: Society and Space |date=April 2014 |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=310–328 |doi=10.1068/d2112 |s2cid=143940799 }}</ref>

=== Buses ===
Several companies run long-distance bus services from Durban to the other cities in South Africa. Buses have a long history in Durban. Most of them have been run by Indian owners since the early 1930s. Privately owned buses that are not subsidised by the government also service the communities. Buses operate in all areas of the eThekwini Municipality. Since 2003 buses have been violently taken out of the routes and bus ranks by taxi operators.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Durban city buses torched|url = http://mg.co.za/article/2008-10-03-durban-city-buses-torched|website = The M&G Online|access-date = 2016-02-17|author = Staff Reporter|date = 3 October 2008}}</ref>

Durban was previously served by the [[Trolleybuses in Durban|Durban trolleybus system]], which first ran in 1935.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.fad.co.za/Resources/transport/transport.htm | title = Public Transport in Durban - a brief history | publisher = Facts about Durban | last = Allan Jackson | date = 2003 |access-date = 8 July 2017}}</ref>

Since 2017, the newer People Mover Bus System that runs along certain routes has been testing out free [[Wi-Fi]] for passengers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/people-mover-passengers-get-free-wi-fi-11135485|title=People Mover passengers get free wi-fi {{!}} Daily News|website=www.iol.co.za|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}}</ref>

=== Taxis ===
Durban has two kinds of taxis: [[taxicab|metered taxis]] and [[Share taxi|minibus taxi]]s. Unlike in many cities, metered taxis are not allowed to drive around the city to solicit fares and instead must be called and ordered to a specific location. A number of companies service the Durban and surrounding regions. These taxis can also be called upon for airport transfers, point to point pickups and shuttles.

Mini bus taxis are the standard [[Mode of transport|form of transport]] for the majority of the population who cannot afford private cars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cape-town.org/directory.asp?McatId=8 |publisher=CapeTown.org |title=Transport |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128184051/http://www.cape-town.org/directory.asp?McatId=8 |archive-date=28 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1566/is_200209/ai_n7215423|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203204842/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go1566/is_200209/ai_n7215423|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-02-03|title=South Africa's minibus wars: uncontrollable law-defying minibuses oust buses and trains from transit|publisher=LookSmart}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c2es.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/transportation_in_south_africa/trans_sa_execsumm.cfm|title=Transportation in Developing Countries: Greenhouse Gas Scenarios of south alabama|publisher=Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, formerly the Pew Center on Global Climate Change|access-date=8 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223234303/http://www.c2es.org/global-warming-in-depth/all_reports/transportation_in_south_africa/trans_sa_execsumm.cfm|archive-date=23 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> With the high demand for transport by the working class of South Africa, minibus taxis are often filled over their legal passenger allowance, making for high casualty rates when they are involved in accidents. Minibuses are generally owned and operated in fleets, and inter-operator violence flares up from time to time, especially as [[Taxi wars in South Africa|turf wars]] over lucrative taxi routes occur.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/1341.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825221354/http://www.aworldconnected.org/article.php/1341.html|archive-date=25 August 2006|title=Taxing Alternatives: Poverty Alleviation and the South African Taxi/Minibus Industry|publisher=Enterprise Africa! Research Publications}}</ref>

Ride sharing apps [[Uber]] and [[Taxify]] have been launched in Durban and are also used by commuters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://compareguru.co.za/news/uber-taxify-taxi-service-better/|title=Uber Vs Taxify: Which Taxi Service Is Better?|website=CompareGuru|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}}</ref>

=== Rickshaws ===
Although [[rickshaw]]s have been a mode of transportation since the early 1900s, they have been displaced by other forms of motorised transport. The roughly 25 remaining rickshaws mostly cater to tourists.<ref>{{cite web|editor=Fiona Wayman, Neville Grimmet and Angela Spencer |url=http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/history/our-town/rickshaws |title=Zulu Rickshaws |publisher=Durban.gov.za |access-date=2 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100519145024/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/discover/history/our-town/rickshaws <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=19 May 2010}}</ref>

== Crime and safety ==
Compared to other South African cities, Durban has a high murder rate. Between April 2018 and March 2019, the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality recorded 1,871 murders, gradually increasing from 1,349 seven years earlier and down from 2,042 in 2009.<ref>[https://issafrica.org/crimehub/maps/municipal-districts Crimes by municipality or district]. Map on the website ''issafrica.org''. Retrieved 2021-03-05.</ref>

Criminals usually avoid targeting tourists because they know that the police response will be greater.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Africa/South_Africa/Province_of_KwaZulu_Natal/Durban-2224702/Warnings_or_Dangers-Durban-TG-C-1.html |title=Top Durban, South Africa Warnings and Dangers on VirtualTourist |publisher=Virtualtourist.com |access-date=2015-12-10}}</ref>

Heist or theft is a common crime in the city.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/shootout-on-durban-highway-after-jewellery-store-heist-13228228|title=Shootout on Durban highway after jewellery store heist {{!}} The Mercury|first=Khumbuzile|last=Mbuqe|work=IOL|date=11 February 2018|access-date=2018-02-16|language=en}}</ref> Most houses are protected by high walls and wealthier residents are often able to afford greater protection such as electric fencing, private security or gated communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-10-26-wealthy-saved--by-alarm-bells/|title=Wealthy saved by alarm bells|website=TimesLIVE|date=26 October 2017|first=Graee|last=Hosken}}</ref> Crime rates vary widely across the city and most inner suburbs have much lower murder rates than in outlying areas of Ethekwini. Police station precincts recording the lowest murder rates per 100,000 in 2017 were Durban North (7), Mayville (8), Westville (12) and Malvern (12); Kwamashu (76) and Umlazi (69) were some of the most dangerous areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issafrica.org/crimehub/maps/police-stations|title=Police crime statistics|website=issafrica.org}}</ref> Other crime comparisons are less valuable due to significant under-reporting especially in outlying areas.

There was a period of intense violence beginning in the 1990s, and the Durban area recorded a murder rate of 83 per 100,000 in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.issafrica.org/pubs/CrimeIndex/01Vol5No1/City.html |title=City crime trends – Nedbank ISS Crime Index vol 5 No 1 |publisher=Issafrica.org |access-date=2015-12-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222134426/https://www.issafrica.org/pubs/CrimeIndex/01Vol5No1/City.html |archive-date=22 December 2015}}</ref> The murder rate dropped rapidly in the 2000s before increasing rapidly throughout the 2010s. Durban is one of the main drug trafficking routes for drugs exiting and entering sub-Saharan Africa. The drug trade has increased significantly over the past 20 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/3436720043269f18b87db845a23ba143/Illegal-drug-trading-on-the-rise-in-Durban-20140503|title=SABC News – Illegal drug trading on the rise in Durban:Wednesday 5 March 2014|author=SABC|work=sabc.co.za|access-date=1 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924093604/http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/3436720043269f18b87db845a23ba143/Illegal-drug-trading-on-the-rise-in-Durban-20140503|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Education ==
=== Private schools ===
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
*[[Al Falaah College]]
*[[Umlazi|Canaan College]]
*[[Clifton School (South Africa)|Clifton School]]
*[[Crawford College, La Lucia]]
*[[Crawford College, North Coast]]
*[[Durban Girls' College]]
*[[Eden College Durban]]
*[[Highbury Preparatory School]]
*[[Hillcrest Christian Academy]]
*[[Maris Stella School]]
*[[Orient Islamic School]]
*[[Reddam House]]
*[[Roseway Waldorf School]]
*[[St. Henry's Marist Brothers' College]]
*[[St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls, Kloof]]
*[[Thomas More College (South Africa)|Thomas More College]]
*[[Al Falaah College|T Thunder College]]
{{div col end}}
=== Public schools ===
<!-- Please keep the list in alphabetical order //Ndengetho High School -->
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
* [[Brettonwood High School]]
* [[Durban Academy High School]]
* [[Durban Girls' High School]] (DGHS)
* [[Durban High School]] (DHS)
* [[Durban North College]]
* [[George Campbell School of Technology]]
* [[Glenwood High School (South Africa)|Glenwood High School]]
* [[Hillcrest High School (South Africa)|Hillcrest High School]]
* [[Kingsway High School]]
* [[Kloof High School]]
* [[Kloof Junior Primary School]]
* [[Kloof Pre-Primary School]]
* [[Kloof Senior Primary School]]
* [[Northlands Girls' High School]]
* [[Northwood School (Durban North, South Africa)|Northwood School]]
* [[Pinetown Boys' High School]]
* [[Pinetown Girls' High School]]
* [[Port Natal High School]]
* [[Queensburgh Girls' High School]]
* [[Savannah Park Secondary School]]
* [[Westville Boys' High School]]
* [[Westville Girls' High School]]
{{div col end}}
[[File:UKZN.jpg|thumb|Memorial Tower Building, Howard College Campus, [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]]]]

=== Universities and colleges ===
* [[Durban University of Technology]]
* [[Mangosuthu University of Technology]]
* [[Regent Business School]]
* [[University of KwaZulu-Natal]]
* [[University of South Africa]]
* [[Varsity College (South Africa)]]
* [[eta College]]

== Twin towns and sister cities ==
{{main|List of twin towns and sister cities in South Africa}}
Durban is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref name="Durban">{{cite web|url=http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/igr/idr/sister |title=Sister Cities Home Page |access-date=2011-08-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810060743/http://www.durban.gov.za/durban/government/igr/idr/sister |archive-date=10 August 2011}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Alexandria]], Egypt
*[[Antwerp]], Flanders, Belgium
*[[Bremen]], Germany<ref name="Bremen twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.rathaus.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen54.c.2259.de|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110718204253/http://www.rathaus.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen54.c.2259.de|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-18|title=Bremen – Referat 32 Städtepartnerschaften / Internationale Beziehungen|trans-title=Bremen – Unit 32 Twinning / International Relations|access-date=2013-08-09|last=Frohmader|first=Andrea|work=Das Rathaus Bremen Senatskanzlei [Bremen City Hall – Senate Chancellery]|language=de}}</ref>
*[[Bulawayo]], Zimbabwe
*[[Chicago]], Illinois, US
*[[Gwangju]], South Korea
*[[Eilat]], Israel<ref name="masham">{{cite web|url=http://www.masham.org.il/English/SisterCities/Pages/default.aspx/ |title=Sister Cities |access-date=23 August 2012 |publisher=Union of Local Authorities in Israel (ULAI) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004235329/http://www.masham.org.il/English/SisterCities/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=4 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fad.co.za/Diary/diary007/diary007.asp |title=Facts about Durban |access-date=16 December 2007 |date=7 September 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031142402/http://www.fad.co.za/Diary/diary007/diary007.asp |archive-date=31 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Guangzhou]], China<ref name="Guangzhou twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.gzwaishi.gov.cn/Category_121/Index.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024091437/http://www.gzwaishi.gov.cn/Category_121/Index.aspx|title=Guangzhou Sister Cities'' [via WaybackMachine.com]''|publisher=Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office|archive-date=24 October 2012|access-date=2013-07-21}}</ref>
*[[Le Port, Réunion]]<ref name="Ville-Porte">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ville-port.re/portail/index.php?id=48|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908095756/http://www.ville-port.re/portail/index.php?id=48|url-status=dead|title=Le Port est jumelé à quatre villes portuaires|archive-date=8 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ville-port.re/portail/index.php?id=470Les|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927055907/http://www.ville-port.re/portail/index.php?id=470Les|url-status=dead|title=Villes de Durban (eThekwini en zulu) et du Port sont jumelées depuis le 4 novembre 2005|archive-date=27 September 2015}}</ref>
*[[Kaohsiung]], Taiwan
*[[Leeds]], United Kingdom
*[[Maracaibo]], Venezuela 
*[[Maputo]], Mozambique
*[[Nantes]], France
*[[New Orleans]], Louisiana, US
*[[Oran]], Algeria
*[[Rotterdam]], Netherlands
*[[Mombasa]], Kenya
{{div col end}}
==Notable residents==
* [[Dianne Bevelander|Dianne Lynne Bevelander]], South African academic and activist
* [[Alan Khan]], radio and television presenter
* [[Gordon Murray]], engineer and Maclaren designer
* [[Jan-Hendrik S. Hofmeyr]], biochemist, born in Durban in 1953
* [[Raoul Hyman]], racing driver
* [[Bruce Johnstone (racing driver)|Bruce Johnstone]], racing driver
* [[Aaron Klug]], Nobel prizewinner
* [[Brausch Niemann]], racing driver
* [[Jayapraga Reddy]] (1947–1996), writer
* [[Vivian Reddy]], business founder and philanthropist
* [[Jack Saul (tennis)|Jack Saul]], South African-Israeli tennis player
* [[Billy Tennant]], professional [[flowboard]]er
* [[Stephen Watson (racing driver)|Stephen Watson]], racing driver
* [[Ela Gandhi]], peace activist, grandson of [[Mahatma Gandhi]]
* [[Lara Logan]], journalist
* [[Pearl Thusi]], actress
* [[Chad Le Clos]], Olympic swimmer
* [[Jordy Smith]], surfer
* [[Penelope Coelen]], Miss World 1958
* [[Nick Price]], major winning golfer
* [[Black Coffee (DJ)]], DJ, record producer and songwriter
* [[Baby Queen]], singer-songwriter
* [[Fernando Pessoa]], poet, writer, philosopher

== See also ==
{{Portal|South Africa}}
* [[Black December]]
* [[Durban International Film Festival]]
* [[Durban Youth Council]]
* [[Emmanuel Cathedral]]
* [[Riverside Soofie Mosque and Mausoleum]]
* [[World Conference against Racism 2001]] – held in Durban

== References ==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [http://www.durban.gov.za eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19960329080010/http://www.durban.gov.za/ |date=29 March 1996 }}
* [http://www.durbanexperience.co.za Durban Tourism Bureau]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141103045759/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/snake-city/ Snake City, National Geographic Wild]
* [https://www.hcipretoria.gov.in/docs/Gandhi%20sites%20in%20Durban.pdf Gandhi Sites in Durban]

{{Durban}}
{{Durban suburbs}}
{{KwaZulu-Natal Province}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Durban| ]]
[[Category:1880 establishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:Cities in South Africa]]
[[Category:History of KwaZulu-Natal]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1824]]
[[Category:Populated places in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality]]
[[Category:Port cities in South Africa]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in South Africa]]