Umhlali

Umhlali (Zulu: eMhlali) is a village on the North Coast of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, just inland from Salt Rock and approximately 50 km north-west of Durban. The name of the village, "Umhlali" derives from the Zulu name of the Monkey Orange tree - a small semi-deciduous tree that is predominant along the banks of the uMhlali River, north of the village.

History
The village of Umhlali, was established by British and Scottish Byrne settlers in 1850 and was originally Fort William, as it was the site of a fort.

It was later renamed Umhlali which is the Zulu name for the Monkey Orange tree, which grew plentifully along the banks of the uMhlali River but it was also locally referred to it as the “place of waiting” because settlers and locals would have to wait on the banks before crossing the river on a northward journey.

At that time, the nearby coastal town of Ballito was a small coastal village consisting of a few beach shacks whilst Umhlali was the hub of the farming community with the heart of the village being the bustling main road (the current R102 route) consisting of a bank, post office, supermarket, hairdresser, car dealership, farmers’ co-op and the Lali Hotel. Until the new retail developments launched in Ballito, Umhlali was initially one of the only places in the Dolphin Coast locally to buy groceries, collect post, do banking, fill up with petrol and go to school.

A significant landmark in Umhlali, Umhlali Preparatory School, which opened its doors on 11 February 1918, still exists alongside the R102 main road and is still a highly esteemed and popular school on the Dolphin Coast today.

Today
Today Umhlali still remains a quaint farming village, mostly supported by the surrounding sugarcane farms and industry and has remained largely unaffected by the rapid urban growth in the nearby Ballito/Shaka’s Rock/Salt Rock area.

Umhlali consists of a post office, petrol station, Coastal Farmer's Co-Op, a small lifestyle centre named Sugar Village, small cafes and restaurants, automotive services and agricultural stores amongst other facilities.

Geography
Located in the hilly countryside, Umhlali lies just south of the uMhlali River after which it is named after. The village is positioned approximately 3 km south of Shakaskraal (north of the uMhlali River), 3 km west of the coastal village of Salt Rock and 9 km north-west of the coastal town of Ballito.

Umhlali also forms part of the Dolphin Coast which incorporates Ballito, Shaka’s Rock, Salt Rock, Tinley Manor, Zinkwazi Beach and Shakaskraal.

Rail
The main Metrorail route between Durban in the south-east (via oThongathi) and KwaDukuza in the north-east (via Shakaskraal), known as the North Coast Line, has a station in the village, namely the Umhlali railway station.

Roads
Umhlali lies at the junction of the R102 and Salt Rock Road. The R102 bisects the village in a north–south direction, connecting Shakaskraal with oThongathi, while Salt Rock Road connects Umhlali with Salt Rock to the east and provides access to the N2 highway which runs north–south from KwaDukuza to Durban.