Durban Live Cam

Situated on beautiful Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean

Tourism in KZN as a whole is expected to grow at about 5% p.a. through the 1990’s (this forecast growth is high relative to other sectors).

The DMA’s Christmas / New Year holiday season was described as the most successful in years, suggesting that Durban has regained its position as one of South Africa’s premier holiday destinations.

KwaZulu-Natal has a 24,6% share of South Africa’s domestic holiday tourism market – almost 3 million trips per year are to this province, of which 1.3 million are to Durban. This is the largest share of all the provinces, representing 32% of the total value of domestic tourism. KZN’s largest source market (49%) is itself, followed by Gauteng, which accounts for 32% of the province’s holiday market.

The nature of Durban’s tourist market has changed – with a decline in the historical white Gauteng market, increasing numbers of middle class blacks, and a black working class segment giving rise to sporadic tourist activity, especially in central Durban on weekends. Gauteng remains an important source – of the 11.3 million trips to Durban each year, 38% come from the rest of KZN and 36% from Gauteng.

A socio-economic profile of Durban’s domestic tourists shows that

63% are ‘established achievers’: urbanised, live mainly in metropolitan areas, own their homes, tend to have tertiary education, average household income R4 571/month;

29% are ‘emergent market’: urban, mainly non-metropolitan, mainly black, mainly literate – over half have some high school education – blue-collar employed, average household income: R1059/month;

8% are ‘less privileged’: mainly rural, young black single adults or black adults over 50, 60% have never been to school or only some primary school, mainly unemployed, students or retired, average household income: R557/month.

Moreover, Durban is an important destination for domestic business travellers. Nearly 150 000 business travellers, representing 18,5% of the national market, visited Durban in 1995. The KZN region ranks equal to Gauteng as a business travel destination, having a 27% share of the national market. Business travel to Durban is expected to grow at 10% p.a. compound.

The number of foreign visitors to KwaZulu-Natal is also on an upward trend, and increased significantly in 1995. It is estimated that 346 500 overseas visitors spent an average of 13 nights each in the province, representing 31,5% of the overseas market. Approximately 26% of foreign tourists visit Durban each year, staying for an average of 8 nights.

According to forecasts, foreign tourist arrivals to Durban will grow by 15% p.a. (compound). The proposed new international airport will have a major impact, and is expected to immediately increase the number of international tourists by 50% p.a. compound in its first three years.

Durban’s role as a gateway or end destination is likely to vary according to market segment. For business traffic, Durban is clearly an end destination. International holiday tourists, on the other hand, tend to combine a visit to Durban with trips to Natal Parks Board resorts and other coastal attractions. Similarly, domestic tourists in the region will tend to spend part of their leisure time in Durban itself. By virtue of this gateway positioning, Durban benefits from the attractions of the entire province.

National information reflects that tourism contributes around 4% to GDP, accounts for about 1 in 25 jobs nationally, and brought in foreign exchange earnings of R13 billion last year. Growth prospects are generally held to be good: it is estimated that South Africa could attract 2.3 million overseas tourists by 2000, and that between now and then they should spend an average R16bn a year (1994 prices), create another 113000 direct and 226500 indirect jobs, and replace gold as the country’s largest earner of foreign exchange.

KwaZulu-Natal is at present administered jointly from Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi. The province has a monarch, the king of the Zulu Nation, and a provincial government which is run by a premier and ten cabinet ministers who represent major parties that enjoyed success in provincial elections.

The giant Durban metropolis is the economic powerhouse of KwaZulu-Natal. The Metro stretches from the Umkomaas River in the South to the Tongaat River in the North, an 80km stretch. It reaches 50 kilometres inland to Cato Ridge in the scenic thousand hills area, almost exactly half way between the coast and Pietermaritzburg, the province's second biggest city. The Durban Metro region is governed by the Metro Council, responsible for region-wide services such as electricity and water supply and by six Local Councils responsible for localised functions such as road maintenance, local museums and recreational facilities of specific areas.

The Durban Metropolitan Council is divided into six Local Councils, namely: North, South, North Central, South Central, Inner West and Outer West. Councillors were voted into office in the June 1996 local government elections.

After the local government elections, in June 1996, the African National Congress replaced the Inkatha Freedom Party as the majority party in all seven councils. Seats were allocated on a 60:40 split between ward councillors and party-political proportional representation.

The province is currently governed by an Inkatha Freedom Party majority, but the African National Congress and the National Party also hold Cabinet seats. The remaining parties also have representatives in the legislature: The Democratic Party, African Christian Democratic Party, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Minority Front. The legislature has a sub-division of 20 portfolio committees which correspond with the various ministries, and also include groupings which deal with rules, discipline, internal arrangements, public accounts, petitions, and constitution writing. These multi-party committees are vital to the functioning of Parliament because they prepare legislation dealing with each avenue of public administration. Committee meetings are open to the public and interest groups are encouraged to make representation on various issues.

Local Government in large urban areas such as Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town consist of a Metropolitan Council which operates over a wide area and supplies services and facilities on a large scale. The Local Councils for areas which fall within the metropolitan area provide services and facilities at local level.

As far as the Durban Metropolitan Area is concerned, local government consists of a Metropolitan Council which oversees region-wide services such as the bulk provision of water and electricity, sewage purification and arterial roads.

The six Local Councils - North Central, South Central, North, South, Outer West and Inner West - which fall within this metropolitan area are responsible for local functions such as road maintenance, refuse removal, local museums, and recreational facilities.

On 27, 28 and 29 April 1994, South Africa's first democratic national election was held in terms of the new constitution and brought about wide ranging changes to the two tiers of government at national and provincial level. The Local Government Transitional Act was passed by Parliament at the end of 1993 and published in the Government Gazette on 2 February 1994. It set out the process for the rationalisation of local government to make it more representative and democratic, and to achieve a more equitable distribution of services and resources.

On 1 June 1995, the interim Transitional Metropolitan Council and four interim Transitional Councils - Central, Northern, Southern and Western - were established. These Councils operated as Transitional Councils until local elections were held on 26 June 1996.

Demarcation of the sub-structure boundaries was as a result of a settlement reached when the matter of the number of sub-structures and their boundaries came before the Special Electoral Court. The settlement basically centred on the retention of the interim boundaries but with the Western sub-structure being split into Inner and Outer West and the Central being split into North Central and South Central.

On 26 June 1996 council elections were held to elect councillors to the Metropolitan Council and to the six councils within the metropolitan area.

Councillors for the six Local Councils were elected on the basis that 60% were elected to represent wards, and 40% were elected from political parties on the basis of proportional representation. One councillor is elected to represent a ward, except in some instances where two wards have been combined to create a ward with two seats.

Twenty-eight councillors were elected to the Metropolitan Council and 42 councillors were elected by the six Local Councils to serve on the Metropolitan Council. Councillors will hold office until the next elections following finalisation of the new constitution.

The greater Durban Metropolitan Area which previously encompassed 49 local authorities, stretches roughly from the Tongaat River in the north, to Cato Ridge in the west and to the Umkomaas River in the south. The six Local Councils - North Central, South Central, North, South, Inner West and Outer West - are located within the metropolitan area, and are shown on the map.

The Metropolitan Council area stretches from the Tongaat River in the north to the Umkomaas River in the south and to Cato Ridge in the west.

The population of the Metropolitan Council area is in excess of 2 200 000.

Seventy councillors serve on the Metropolitan Council, 28 are elected councillors and 42 councillors have been nominated by the six local councils to represent the interests of local councils on the Metropolitan Council. Of the 42 nominated councillors, two were nominated by the North Local Council and two by the South Local Council. Inner West nominated six and Outer West nominated four. North Central nominated 15 and South Central 13.

The Metropolitan Council has an Executive Committee which is responsible for management, planning, policy and financial control of the Council, and several standing committees to oversee region wide services such as the bulk provision of water and electricity, sewage purification, arterial roads, protection, fire and rescue services, metropolitan recreational facilities, environmental protection and metropolitan housing, tourism and economic development.

Art and Culture - Durban Experience

Nowhere is the diverse and cosmopolitan heritage of Durban better exemplified than in its architecture. The influences of Asian, Zulu, English Colonial and Afrikaans cultures have made the city a treasure house of architectural styles. As well as the major influences of Victorian, Edwardian, Union, Berea, Oriental and Art Deco styles, many rare and obscure styles have been preserved here.

Durban is considered to have one of the best selection of Art Deco architecture of Stampany city in the world. Art Deco emerged in the 1920s, capturing the spirit of the Jazz age for Durban designers. This radical new architectural style signified a break-away from British Imperialism. What is particularly interesting is that the style was applied not only to commercial buildings, but to residential properties too.

From stunning Art Deco residential blocks and colonial homes on the Berea, to the fascinating buildings in the Grey Street area where traders have operated family businesses since the turn of the century, Durban's architecture is quite astonishing in its quality and diversity.

If cultural diversity were the criterion for choosing the capital of the new South Africa, then Durban would be the only city in the running. In a country dubbed the Rainbow Nation, this port city is blessed with the most vibrant mix of the ethnic and cultural paint brush. The metropolis is home to three major social groupings, each with its own rich history and traditions.

It was the labour of the noble descendants of Shaka's mighty Zulu Nation which made the city the commercial and industrial hub of the province. Now with the demise of apartheid, they have become the major political force in the region with members of both the two biggest parties, the ANC and IFP proud to be called Zulus.

The quirks and mannerisms of the British settlers in Natal earned the province its nickname of Last Outpost of the British Empire. Now the great-great-grandchildren of those hardy pioneers consider themselves as South African as their Zulu neighbours.

The forerunners of Durban's thriving Indian community arrived in Durban as penniless indentured labourers last century. Since then they have built themselves into a force to be reckoned with, in the fields of commerce, culture and politics.

Apart from the big three, Durban is also home to people of Dutch, Portuguese and Chinese decent to name only a few. And many of them are second or third generation Durbanites. With such a tapestry as a backdrop, it's little wonder then that the city has such a rich cultural and artistic life.

Cultural enthusiasts will be greeted by a kaleidoscope of Indian, Colonial and African traditions that have prospered in the city and given rise to a wide variety of food, restaurants, arts and crafts, and ethnic dance forms.

Art And Crafts

African arts and crafts have existed for centuries in traditional societies. Parents were responsible for transmitting the folklore, poetry and craft traditions to their children. In urban areas the lack of suitable raw materials for craftwork has resulted in the use of alternative materials, such as plastic bags to weave floormats or telephone wires to weave baskets, which has led to some innovative and creative work. Durban has some very special Art Centres working on ambitious educational projects to futher the talents of local people, for example:

The African Art Centre - encourages works of creativity, originality and quality as opposed to curios. Thirty years ago - in 1959 - the concept of the African Arts Centre began as a box of beads in the offices of the Institute of Race Relations in their Guildhall Arcade premises in Durban's Tourist Junction. The motivation was, and still is, to promote African artists and Zulu arts and crafts.

Jo Thorpe, the secretary of the institute was an enthusiastic art lover. Under Jo's care, the box of beads exhibit grew to cover a whole wall, then half of their office space and eventually took over. The institute ultimately had to move to new premises so the office could be properly converted into a gallery to promote African art. Jo Thorpe co-ordinated the fledgling centre, which under her guidance and expertise has grown to become one of the most significant centres for African art in the country.

The African Art Centre is a non-profit development project that aims to:

Promote the traditional artistic heritage of African people;

Encourage the transition from traditional to contemporary trends in a changing society;

Provide incentives for artists and craftspeople;

Assist individuals and self-help projects to provide an income for rural people, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal;

Help young artists / craftspeople by sponsoring training in creative skills and by holding exhibitions of their work.

At present the centres has almost 300 artists and a varying number of beadworkers and crafts people. It is bursting with original works at prices ranging from R3 to R3000. The centre is mostly known for its woven Zulu grain baskets, high-quality traditional beadwork, original wood sculptures and carvings, mobiles, wire bicycles, batiks, bangles and weaving from the Rorke's Drift area.

At present the African Arts Centre works towards doing five exhibitions a year to promote artists nationally and internationally. They are working on forming joint partnerships with national art galleries to promote black artists in art festivals and exhibitions nationally and internationally.

The African Art Centre is a tribute to Jo Thorpe who co-ordinated the centre from 1959 until 1991 when she retired. After retiring, she was their consultant until her death.

The KNSA Gallery whose main function is to promote the arts and to provide a space for artists. The KNSA Gallery was formed in 1905 as the Natal Society of Artists. Essentially a support group for artists and a means of helping them organise annual exhibitions, the KNSA has achieved considerable standing through various historical periods - from colonial to union to republic and now into the post apartheid era. The KNSA, a non-profit making organisation, has evolved significantly over the last 20 years. It has been at the forefront of informal arts education and outreach programmes and has run six permanent workshops for more than five years.

The KNSA is now housed in a specially commissioned gallery building in Bulwer Road, Glenwood. It has a gallery shop, main and secondary galleries and two workshops, as well as a tea garden that serves light lunches, cakes and refreshments.

The gallery does not have a permanent exhibition but hosts twenty or more temporary exhibitions every year. The three galleries, allow works by established artists to be displayed simultaneously with those of students and community-based artists.

The gallery’s main focus is on achieving a level of professionalism and high quality. It is hoped that exhibiting at the KNSA Gallery will be something artists can aspire to and not take for granted.

An important facet of the KNSA is the actual selling of art. Stakeholders believe that in striving for greater professionalism and higher standards, a buying public will be nurtured.

The BAT Centre - The Centre with ART-TITUDE, supports a vibrant art and cultural life! On the edge of the picturesque small craft harbour in Durban is the BAT Centre, Durban's most innovative community arts centre. This wonderful space goes by the unlikely name of the BAT Centre - short for the Bartel Arts Trust Centre, in memory of philanthropic Austrian-born entrepreneur Hugo Bartel, whose money was left in a trust fund for the arts.

It is a versatile venue catering for performers, visual artists and art-lovers. It includes a 350-seater hall suitable for performances and functions, a well equipped resource centre, a photographic centre and specially art-related shops. The studio space for resident artists allows visitors to interact with artists while they are working and gain an insight into their work. The dance studios reverberate constantly with dramatic activity as local groups rehearse forthcoming productions and again visitors are welcome to come in and watch.

The Menzi Mcunu Gallery is suspended above the bar at the BAT Centre and the displays are unusual and thought provoking. The Democratic Gallery specialises in exhibiting the work of previously marginalised artists and emerging local talent. These exhibitions allow discerning art lovers to view and buy the work of gifted artists.

Next door is Funky's who offer the best in Eastern fare and live entertainment including the top rock bands unplugged, and side-splitting comedy.

The BAT Centre is found in the Small Craft Harbour off the Victoria Embankment in central Durban. The entrance is via the yacht basin. The centre is open seven days a week, from 10am until 4pm. Restaurants and the hall are open until late.

Funky's

"We're talking top jazz and rock acts, cabaret and comedy - you name it," says an excited owner, Lou Gottini, "Funky's is gonna hum." - As the name suggests, this is a funky restaurant and live-entertainment venue. It boasts a menu of predominantly eastern cuisine with tasty Durban curries and schwarmas. It has a comfortable stage much used and enjoyed by bands and comedy groups. Funky's has an impressive line-up of three or more different events in any one week. Practically the whole who's-who of Durban bands have appeared there.