Scottburgh

Scottburgh (/ˈskɒtbərə/) is a coastal resort town located along the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It situated south of the mouth of the Mpambanyoni River (confuser of birds).

Scottburgh
View of Scottburgh Beach
Scottburgh Scottburgh Scottburgh
Coordinates: 30°17′S 30°45′E
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
District	Ugu
Municipality	uMdoni
Established	1860
Area
• Total	23.80 km2 (9.19 sq mi)
Elevation	19 m (62 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	11,403
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	27.7%
• Coloured	3.0%
• Indian/Asian	22.0%
• White	46.8%
• Other	0.6%
First languages (2011)
• English	68.0%
• Zulu	16.0%
• Afrikaans	11.2%
• Xhosa	2.1%
• Other	2.7%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	4180
PO box	4180
Area code	039

Prior to 1 December 2023, vehicle registration plates in Scottburgh started with NX - N for Natal, X for Alexandra as the town once formed part of the Alexandra County in the 1800s along with Umzinto, Umkomaas, Park Rynie and Sezela-Pennington. The reason why it was not registered as NA instead was because the town of Harding, 140 kilometres south-west, already bore the vehicle registration “NA”.

History

Named after Natal Colony Governor John Scott, in 1860 it became the second township at the end of Durban but was initially known as Devonport. Scottburgh then became a very promising port as well as a new attractive location for sugar farms and sugar mills. In about 1850 the town started to attract immigrants especially from Great Britain and Ireland, known as the Byrne Settlers. They came to take advantage of the good harbours, to export their sugar both internally and overseas. Scottburgh became an independent municipality in 1964.

Geography

Location

Scottburgh is situated along the Umdoni Coast sub-region of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, approximately 53 km south-west of Durban and 58 km north-east of Port Shepstone. Neighbouring towns of Scottburgh include Amahlongwa, Amandawe, Bazley Beach, Clansthal, Dududu, KwaCele, Sezela, Umkomaas and Umzinto.

Communities

The Greater Scottburgh area encompasses seven distinct areas including Scottburgh proper, Scottburgh South, Park Rynie, Pennington, Selborne Golf Estate and Kelso to the south of the Mpambanyoni River and Freeland Park to the north of the river.

Drainage

Scottburgh is a bay situated on the southern banks of the Mpambanyoni River, a short river that culminates in a lagoon. It is one of the best geographic examples of a bay on the South African coast. Mpambanyoni mouth has fluctuated in surface area and volume dramatically over the years, due to the frequent droughts, occasional cyclones, and other extreme weather conditions that can affect KwaZulu-Natal.

Most notorious of the above-mentioned cyclones was Domoina of 1984 and the floods of 1987, which resulted in widespread flooding and infrastructural damage, including the destruction of the Old Main Road bridge from Umkomaas.

Wildlife

Wildlife found regularly inside the township includes snakes, skinks, geckos, numerous insects, millipedes, bushbuck, mongi, and most famously, large numbers of vervet monkeys. Genets have been sighted, and there are occasional unverified spottings of civets and similar small felines and cat-like mammals. Birds are abundant, perhaps the most noticeable being the raucous and much-loved hadeda ibis.

The Indian mynah is widespread but regarded as a pest due to its habits of defecating in public restaurants and eating areas and pillaging the nests of native birds. This bird has presented similar problems in other areas in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The sardine run is also visible from the shores of Scottburgh and its surroundings most winters. The umdoni and Strelitzia are the best-known trees specifically associated with Scottburgh and its environs.

Economy

Scottburgh is also particularly renowned for its large surfing community. Superior waves are to be found along the coast, especially during the winter months. Popular spots include Green Point, Pennington, Kelso, Scottburgh and Rocky Bay. Many other perfect breaks along this coast can be found. Surfers and bodyboarders from around the world come for surf trips around the south coast, and would visit Scottburgh in particular for its worldwide surfing reputation.

However, one appeal of Scottburgh beach is its grass-covered banks leading down to sandy beaches, which have made it a popular holiday resort for holidaymakers for many years.

Most Scottburgh residents work for small local businesses or the state sector, while larger industries are located in the nearby towns of Umkomaas, Umzinto, and Sezela.

North of the Mpambanyoni lies the suburb of Freeland Park, largely residential but also possessing the Cutty Sark Hotel and a river populated by juvenile and adolescent crocodiles. These crocodiles are also the product of the 1987 cyclone, when infant crocodiles escaped from the nearby Crocworld theme park. South of Scottburgh proper, and separated from it by the Country Club, Golf Course, and a considerable expanse of bush, is Scottburgh South, and a few kilometres inland lies the sugarcane farming hamlet of Renishaw, well known for its chapel.

Culture and contemporary life

Tourism

An aerial view of Scottburgh

Scottburgh Main beach along with Pennington and Park Rynie have been awarded blue flag status as of the 2014/15 summer season. Scottburgh and Pennington are both very popular for tourists to make their way to the beach. Scottburgh along with the two hotels and many B&Bs is also home to an award-winning caravan park and camping ground.

The summer season sees many tourists from the inland flock to the beaches of the South Coast. There are many activities that contribute to Scottburgh being a popular destination such as Microlighting, Diving, Shark cage diving, Sea rides, Rock and surf fishing, Surfing, Umdoni Park run, Bicycle trails. There are many more activities that can be inquired at the local South Coast tourism office.

A microlight view of Scottburgh beach

Education

Scottburgh has several educational institutions, including pre-primary schools, a co-ed primary school, and an English medium co-ed high school.

• Scottburgh Pre-Primary
• Hilltop Pre-Primary
• Casa di Montessori Pre-School
• Scottburgh Primary (Grades 1-7),
• Scottburgh High School (Grades 8-12)
• Umdoni Christian Academy (Grades R-12)

Infrastructure

Roads

The N2 is a major north–south freeway bypassing Scottburgh from Durban in the north to Port Shepstone in the south. The original N2, now renumbered to the R102 bypasses Scottburgh from Umkomaas in the north to Park Rynie and Pennington in the south. The P188 (Dududu Road) is the main road connecting Scottburgh with Amandawe and Dududu and provides access to the N2.

Notable residents

Well-known people associated with Scottburgh include:

• Dr Thomas Chalmers Robertson – world-renowned conservationist and author
• Joel Stransky – former Springbok rugby player
• Tony Pooley – the late conservationist
• Dave Bell

See also

• Black December