KwaZulu Natal - Self Catering Directory

KwaZulu Natal also KZN or Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994 KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of the former Zulu Kingdom KwaZulu.

The KwaZulu Natal province has three different geographic areas. The lowland region, along the Indian Ocean coast - the central region "Natal Midlands", an undulating hilly plateau rising towards the west and - Two mountainous areas, the Drakensberg Mountains in the west and the Lebombo Mountains in the north.

The KZN North Coast and KZN South Coast coastlines are dotted with small towns that serve as seasonal recreational hubs. The Indian Ocean is warm and the climate of the coastal areas is humid and subtropical.

Kwa Zulu Natal Geography

The KwaZulu Natal province has three different geographic areas. The lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in the south, widening in the northern part of the province. The central region is the Natal Midlands, an undulating hilly plateau rising towards the west. Two mountainous areas, the Drakensberg Mountains in the west and the Lebombo Mountains in the north. North of Durban is locally referred to as "The North Coast", while south is "The South Coast". Port Shepstone, Scottburgh, Margate, Ramsgate and Port Edward are on the South Coast, while Ballito, Umhlanga, Umhloti, Chaka's Rock and Salt Rock are North Coast holiday resort towns and villages.

Kwa Zulu Natal Climate

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C and a minimum of 21 °C, dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C with a minimum of 11 °C. Temperature drops towards the hinterland, with Pietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter. Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C in the summer, but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on the highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity with many sugar cane farms around Pongola. As one moves further north up the coast towards the border of Mozambique, the climate becomes almost purely tropical.

Kwa Zulu Natal North Coast & South Coast Beaches

KwaZulu Natal and Durban boast 600km of subtropical beaches on the warm Indian Ocean coastline. Superb beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of South Africa's eastern seaboard on the north and south coasts of Kwazulu Natal, with some of the least developed beaches found in the far southern and far northern ends of the KwaZulu Natal province. The beach at Marina Beach (and its adjoining resort San Lameer) was recognised in the year 2002 as a Blue Flag beach.

Kwa Zulu Natal Sardine Run Phenomenon

An extraordinary natural phenomenon that is witnessed annually on the KwaZulu Natal coast during late autumn or early winter is the "sardine run". Also referred to as "the greatest shoal on earth", the sardine run occurs when millions of sardines migrate from their spawning grounds south of the southern tip of Africa northwards along the Eastern Cape coastline towards KwaZulu Natal following a path close inshore, often resulting in many fish washing up on beaches along the coast. The huge shoal of tiny fish can stretch for many kilometres and is followed and preyed upon by thousands of predators, including game fish, sharks, dolphins and seabirds. Usually the shoals break up and the fish disappear into deeper water around Durban. Many questions surrounding this exceptional event remain unanswered.