Margate, KwaZulu-Natal

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 accurately.

Margate is situated on the Indian Ocean coastline about 15 km south-west of Port Shepstone and 127 km southwest of Durban. It is situated between Uvongo and Ramsgate in which Uvongo lies north and Ramsgate lies south.[2][3]

The central business district is mainly centered on the Uplands Road where the Margate Pavilion can be found and Marine Drive where Margate Mall, Desroches Hotel, Margate Hotel, many restaurants and holiday apartments are located.

Marine Drive, Margate's main and busiest road has holiday accommodation and many public facilities stringed along the road. Notables hotels on Marine Drive include Desroches Hotel and Margate Hotel. Margate Mall with Shoprite and the Margate Post Office are also located on Marine Drive.[4][5][6]

All bank branches in Margate are located on Marine Drive and they include FNB, Capitec Bank, African Bank, ABSA, Nedbank and Standard Bank. Notable restaurants along Marine Drive include Wimpy, RJ's, KFC, Steers, Tiago's, Lilly's Bread Bin and Friar Tuck.[7][8][9]

Volkswagen and Audi also have delearship centres on Marine Drive except this is on the R620 side of Marine Drive.[10][11]

With Margate being a major seaside resort, majority of its economy comes from tourism. Signs of this can be found on the coastline where hotels and holiday accommodation apartments lie.

Reputable hotels and holiday accomodation in Margate include the Margate Hotel, Margate Sands, Seagull Holiday Flats and the Desroches Hotel.[12][13][14][15]

It features Blue Flag Beaches for swimming, snorkelling, and surfing. Many apartment buildings offer accommodation for residents and visitors. It also contains a shopping street and many restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs, Margate is a spot where many South Africans and foreign visitors spend their vacation. [16]

Margate is busiest during school and public holidays when inland residents travel to the coast. Christmas and Easter are especially busy times, with Margate's main street 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 in the Western Cape Province. This means that Margate had the highest inflow of new visitors in December 2019 in KwaZulu-Natal.[17]

Local newspapers in Margate include the South Coast Herald and South Coast Fever which also serve the whole KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. [20][21]

The Ugu Youth Radio is a youth radio which is based in Port Shepstone and caters to the needs of the Zulu-speaking community. Other radios which serve Margate and surroundings include East Coast Radio, Gagasi FM, Vuma FM and Ukhozi FM which are based in the city of Durban.

The Margate Country Club is located on the outskirts of Margate. Other recreational facilities include the Margate Caravan Park and Pumlani Caravan Park[22][23][24]

Margate Art Museum located just opposite the Ray Nkonyeni municipal offices is the "largest art gallery in KwaZulu-Natal", that is the title that the Margate Art Museum has claimed. Touring art and craft exhibitions are regularly hosted by the Margate Art Museum, but it also has an extensive collection of local arts and crafts. [25][26]

• Black December
• Manaba Beach

Margate (KwaZulu-Natal) travel guide from Wikivoyage

• Margate, South Coast Accommodation and Adventure Guide
• 360 degree Virtual Tour of Margate Beach

• Margate Airport