Mount Edgecombe | |
|---|---|
 View of the Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate with Phoenix in the background | |
  Mount Edgecombe  Mount Edgecombe | |
| Coordinates: 29°43′16″S 31°03′00″E / 29.721°S 31.050°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Municipality | eThekwini |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.34 km2 (3.22 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 7,323 |
| • Density | 880/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 10.5% |
| • Coloured | 1.5% |
| • Indian/Asian | 36.5% |
| • White | 50.0% |
| • Other | 1.5% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • English | 84.1% |
| • Afrikaans | 4.8% |
| • Zulu | 4.4% |
| • Other | 6.7% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 4302 |
| PO box | 4300 |
Mount Edgecombe or Mt Edgecombe is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated just north of Durban, which forms part of eThekwini, the Greater Durban Metropolitan area. Much of the suburb is cordoned off as a gated settlement comprising resorts, golf courses and a retirement home. It was previously a sugar growing area. The population increased by 89% between 2001 and 2011 from 3,874 to 7,323. Its name is derived from the Earl of Mount Edgecombe in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Geography
Mount Edgecombe is situated in a hilly area just 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) inland from the coastal resort of uMhlanga Rocks and approximately 14 km (8.7 mi) north-east of the Durban CBD. It is bounded to the east by the N2 freeway, to the north by the M41 freeway and to the west by the R102. Neighbouring towns include uMhlanga to the east and Phoenix to the west.
Mount Edgecombe encompasses three distinct areas - the Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate, the industrial area to the west and the retail precinct to the north.
Culture and contemporary lifestyle
Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate has long held its reputation as the most expensive estate in the Greater Durban metropolitan area and comprises two smaller golf estates, numbered 1 and 2 which contain their respective championship golf courses.[2][3]
With rural origins, Mount Edgecombe is today being redeveloped as a residential suburb and golf estate on the northern outskirts of Durban. The area’s laid-back suburban atmosphere by comparison to its bustling neighbour of uMhlanga as well as its proximity to Durban, uMhlanga and the King Shaka International Airport make it a popular area to live within the metropolitan area.
Economy
Sugar
With a long history as a sugarcane growing area, today Mount Edgecombe is essentially the centre for the South African sugar industry, home to the corporate headquarters of the South African Sugar Research Institute and the South African Sugar Association.[4][5]
Although much of the sugarcane farms that once surrounded Mt Edgecombe have now been absorbed into the town, it is roughly as far as one can go within the Greater Durban metropolitan area before it dissolves into rolling sugarcane fields stretching about 70 kilometres (43 mi) northwards to the uThukela River.
Industries
Mt Edgecombe is one of the smaller industrial centres in the Greater Durban metropolitan area mainly housing various light industries ranging such as logistics – notably the regional distribution centres of Spar (for perishables) and Freedom Stationery – and hardware among others.[6]
Retail
Although Mount Edgecombe is primarily a residential suburb, it does have a retail precinct situated along Flanders Drive, on the northern fringe, lined by the Flanders Boutique Mall and a wide variety of automotive and technological businesses.[7]
A notable landmark in Mount Edgecombe is the Cornubia Mall, a 65,000m2 shopping centre opened on 27 September 2017 and forms part of the Cornubia City, a planned smart city north of the town developed on former sugarcane land by Tongaat Hulett.[8][9]
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Mount Edgecombe is served by the Life Mount Edgecombe Hospital, a private hospital owned by Life Healthcare Group located in the suburb of Rockford (falls under Phoenix), on the boundary between Phoenix and Mount Edgecombe. [10]
Rail
Mount Edgecombe is served by the Mount Edgecombe Railway Station situated on the main commuter line between Durban and KwaDukuza (North Coast Line) with Metrorail operating services on the North Coast Line to Durban, Phoenix, Verulam, oThongathi (Tongaat) and KwaDukuza (Stanger).
Roads
The N2 Outer Ring Road is a north/south freeway, connecting Mount Edgecombe with Durban to the south and with King Shaka International Airport and KwaDukuza to the north, while the M41 is an east/west freeway, connecting Mount Edgecombe with uMhlanga to the east.
The R102 is a north/south regional route connecting Verulam with Durban that by-passes Mount Edgecombe to the west as North Coast Road. The M26 is an east/west metropolitan route connecting Mount Edgecombe with Phoenix as Phoenix Highway.
Developments
The Mount Edgecombe Interchange, recently upgraded in October 2019 serves as the interchange between the N2 and M41 freeways and has become a notable landmark in Mount Edgecombe especially with one of the flyovers being the longest incrementally launched bridge in South Africa, at a length of 948 metres.[11]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Mount Edgecombe". Census 2011.
- ↑ "The most expensive estates in Durban". ECR. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Mount Edgecombe Country Club - Home of two championship golf courses". Mount Edgecombe Country Club. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Contact Us - SASRI - South African Sugarcane Research Institute". SASRI. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ↑ Alive, Come. "Contact Us". SASA. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Contact". Freedom Stationery. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Home - Flanders Boutique Mall". Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Home | Cornubia Mall". 15 November 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Cornubia - Tongaat Hulett Properties". 10 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ↑ "Life Mount Edgecombe Hospital | Durban | Life Healthcare". www.lifehealthcare.co.za. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ↑ "The R1.14bn Mount Edgecombe Interchange has officially opened".
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