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
Uvongo Beach
Uvongo Beach
Uvongo is located in KwaZulu-Natal
Uvongo
Uvongo
Uvongo is located in South Africa
Uvongo
Uvongo
Coordinates: 30°49′S 30°23′E / 30.817°S 30.383°E / -30.817; 30.383
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictUgu
MunicipalityRay Nkonyeni
Main PlaceMargate
Area
 • Total
4.52 km2 (1.75 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
4,288
 • Density950/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African21.6%
 • Coloured2.0%
 • Indian/Asian4.4%
 • White71.8%
 • Other0.3%
First languages (2011)
 • English57.7%
 • Afrikaans25.5%
 • Zulu8.1%
 • Xhosa5.6%
 • Other3.2%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
4270
PO box
4270

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,[citation needed] with multimillion rand properties in the area. Uvongo is one of South Africa's favourite holiday destinations and attracts local and foreign tourists.[citation needed]

Etymology

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The town is named after the main river flowing through the area, the Vungu River,[2] which is derived from the Zulu word that describes the sound of a waterfall or the wind in a gorge.

Geography

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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.[3]

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.[4]

Industries

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The Uvongo industrial area, situated to the west of the R61, is the second largest industrial area on the Lower South Coast after Marburg in Port Shepstone. The industrial area encompasses a variety of small to medium local businesses, however the most notable economic activity in the area is the NPC Quarry. The area is mainly accessed via Quarry Road from Wingate Road just opposite the R61/Margate/Uvongo off-ramp.[5]

Transport

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Roads

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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 to the north and Port Edward to 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.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Sub Place Uvongo". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Elwyn (2007), Falling into place: the story of modern South African place names, David Philip Publishers, p. 76
  3. ^ "Uvongo". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Census 2011: Main Place: Margate". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  5. ^ "N P C Aggregate | Concrete | Brabys". www.brabys.com. Retrieved 8 September 2024.


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