Uvongo

Uvongo is a seaside resort town situated along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast at the mouth of the Vungu River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Situated 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Margate, Uvongo is the largest upmarket residential area on the Lower South Coast.

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

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

Geography
The geographical position of Uvongo is between the coastal towns of St Michael’s-on-Sea and Shelly Beach to the north and Manaba Beach and Margate to the south. It is situated south of the Mhlangeni River and is bisected by the Vungu River, which forms a 23-metre high waterfall known as the Uvongo Falls above the lagoon that flows into a small gorge at the river mouth.

The Greater Uvongo area consists of three smaller suburbs, namely Uvongo proper, situated inland from the coastline, Uvongo Beach, situated along the coastline north of the Vungu River, and Beacon Rocks, situated along the coastline south of the Vungu River.

Roads
Uvongo is bisected by the R620 (Marine Drive) connecting Shelly Beach to the north with Margate to the south and lies just off the R61 highway (future N2 Wild Coast Toll Route) between Port Shepstone in the north and Port Edward in the south. The area can also be reached via Knoxgore Road from Gamalakhe in the north-west and Seaslopes Avenue, which provides access to the R61.