Margate, South Africa

Margate is a coastal resort town in the KwaZulu-Natal province, about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) south-west of Port Shepstone and 127 kilometres (78.9 mi) south-west of Durban. The river which flows into the sea at Margate is called "Nkhongweni" (place of entreaty) as the original inhabitants of the area were reputed to be so mean resulting in travellers begging for hospitality.

Located on the Hibiscus Coast, part of the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, Margate is one of the major hubs for tourists who are looking to visit the eastern coastline of South Africa.

History
In 1908, Henry Richardson, an English surveyor laid out the town and named it Margate after another seaside resort on the northern coast of the county of Kent, in the United Kingdom.

Margate hit the world headlines in 1922 (although this date is often disputed and stated as 1924) when an enormous, white, furry creature (dubbed "Trunko" due to it having an elephantine trunk) was washed up on the beach. The "Margate monster" was too decomposed to be identified.

Topography
Topographically, Margate is relatively undulating with the terrain rising towards the Margate Airport in the west, the highest point in Margate, lying at an altitude of about 152 m (499 ft).

Suburbs
The 2011 census divided the urban area of Margate into 14 “sub places” including:
 * Beacon Rocks
 * Lawrence Rocks
 * Manaba Beach
 * Margate (Proper)
 * also includes Margate Extensions 3 and 7, Gayridge Agricultural Holdings and the KwaMasinenge Informal Settlement
 * Margate Beach
 * Margate North Beach
 * Ramsgate
 * Ramsgate Beach
 * Ramsgate South
 * Shelly Beach
 * St Michael's-on-sea
 * Uvongo
 * Uvongo Beach
 * Windsor-on-Sea

Retail
The main retail thoroughfare in the Margate CBD, Marine Drive, is the location of several shops, banks, nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The town also comprises four shopping centres, namely; Hibiscus Mall, which is the largest shopping centre in Margate, Emoyeni Centre, Margate Centre and Margate Mall. For greater variety, residents usually head to Shelly Beach which is home to two of the largest shopping centres on the South Coast, Shelly Centre and Southcoast Mall.

Tourism


Margate is largely a tourist town, owing to its subtropical climate, beaches, and hospitality industry with the bulk of the town's earnings coming from tourism. There is a wide range of holiday accommodation in the area including hotels such as Margate Hotel and Desroches Hotel, holiday apartments along the coast, self-contained units and holiday houses for rent.

Margate is popularly known for its good beaches, especially its main beach, which is accredited with the international Blue Flag status. The Margate CBD, centred around Marine Drive and the main beach, is a lively area filled with many restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs.

Margate is busiest during school and public holidays when inland residents travel to the coast. Christmas and Easter are especially busy times, with Marine Drive often clogged with heavy traffic during these times.

Margate is one of the most visited tourist destinations in South Africa and had the third highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in South Africa after Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, both in the Western Cape Province meaning that Margate had the highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Public Schools

 * Hibiscus Primary School
 * Margate Middle School
 * Margate Primary School

Private Schools

 * South Coast Academy
 * Hibiscus International Academy

Private healthcare
Established in 2001, Netcare Margate Hospital is the sole hospital serving the community of Margate. Owned by one of South Africa’s largest private healthcare providers, Netcare Limited, it is a private hospital operating 24-hour emergency services. The hospital is located on Wartski Drive, a short distance from the CBD.

Public healthcare
In the heart of Margate is the Margate Clinic, a government-funded municipal clinic operated by the Ugu District Municipality. For public hospitals, residents of Margate usually use the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital in Port Shepstone.

Air
Margate Airport is located in Margate Ext 3 on the western outskirts of the town. It is a small, regional, airport with easy and quick access facilities. There is one scheduled domestic route to Johannesburg offered by CemAir. King Shaka International Airport, near Durban is about 166 km north-east of Margate.

Roads
Margate is mainly reached via the R61 (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) from Port Shepstone in the north and Port Edward in the south and the R620 (Marine Drive; National Road) from Uvongo in the north and Ramsgate in the south. It can also be reached via Izotsha Road from Gamalakhe and Izotsha in the north-west.

Sport
The Margate Country Club is an 18-hole golf course, par 71 course designed by Peter Matkovich which is set high on the western outskirts of Margate overlooking the Indian Ocean from a distance.