Norwegian settlers

Norwegian immigration to Port Shepstone began in the late 19th century, when 246 Norwegians (along with 175 Briton and 112 German settlers) came ashore with a steamship which arrived in 1882.^[3] The soon-to-be settlers founded a nearby interior village within the same year, known as Marburg. The Norwegian settlers played a large role in the development of not only Marburg, but also Port Shepstone and nearby areas.^[4][5] Norwegian immigration to the region was a result of the Natal Immigration Board’s efforts to claim land for Europeans in South Africa. When the Norwegians first arrived, they were the largest European group in Alfred County. Remains of the Norwegian presence can still be seen today in certain places of the town, such as, Fredheim and Oslo Beach, with its main street King Haakon Drive.^[6]

The Norwegians erected a Norwegian Lutheran church, school, cultural hall, choir, and rowing club. A newspaper in Norwegian language was also distributed in Port Shepstone. Drinks such as akvavit and cuisine, including cheese from soured milk, were easily accessible.^[7] When the Norwegians arrived, few European settlers lived in the area and the town of Port Shepstone consisted of one hotel, two cabins, one shop, and little else.^[8]

After Norwegian settlement

Port Shepstone was declared “a full fiscal port’ in 1893, and after Durban officially became the region’s second harbour. Eventually, though, the ongoing wreckages and arrival of the railway, was to see the gradual closure of the harbour and the start of the real Port Shepstone boom.^[9]

When the railroad arrived in Port Shepstone in 1901, the travel time to Durban was reduced to five hours, and the town became far less isolated. The railway connection opened for increased immigration for other settlers, and the Norwegians were soon outnumbered by German and British settlers. Between 1911 and 1912, the number of students at the Norwegian school became too low for the school to keep open, and it consequentially closed.^[10][9]

Apartheid era

In 1950, the Group Areas Act. racially divided Port Shepstone similar to many other towns and cities in South Africa. Port Shepstone proper (Sheppie) was classified "white" and was managed by its town board. The "white" suburbs of the town included the little coastal villages of Umtentweni, Sea Park, Southport, Anerley and Sunwich Port to the north and Oslo Beach to the south. To the west, Marburg was classified as an "Indian area" which was one of the four Indian proclaimed townships in the KwaZulu-Natal province and Merlewood was classified as a "Coloured area" with 3000 Coloureds as its first people settling there. In the late 1960s, Albersville, just west of the CBD was classified as an "Indian area".

The N2 highway that cuts through Port Shepstone acted as a border between the "non-white" areas to the west and the "white" areas to the east (excluding Albersville) which was planned by apartheid planners.

At the time, there was no township present in Port Shepstone due to the management of the "black" area which was creating a problem because the Nsimbini Tribal Authority claimed the extension of their territory on white land which was their in the past. The Grand Apartheid policies initiated in the 60’s is going to include the two “villages” of Boboyi and Murchison in the KwaZulu bantustan.

Suburban areas

The 2011 census divided the urban area of Port Shepstone into 17 “sub places” including:^[11]

• Albersville
• Anerley
• Bomela
• Broadview Estate
• Grosvenor
• Lion's Grove
• Louisiana
• Merlewood
• Marburg
• Mzimakwe
• Oslo Beach
• Port Shepstone proper
• Sea Park
• Southport
• Sunwich Port
• Umbango
• Umtentweni

Climate

Economic role

Port Shepstone as a large town is the main economic hub on the South Coast with a diverse economy, ranging from manufacturing, commerce, service, hospitality, mining and service providing companies. Even despite forming part of a network of coastal resorts, Port Shepstone is still able display itself as an administrative, industrial and economic centre. Owing to its regional status and central location, the town has become a hub for shopping, other services and employment for surrounding farming communities, smaller towns, and coastal resorts.

Manufacturing and industries

Port Shepstone is the main industrial centre on the South Coast, mainly served by the industrial suburb of Marburg. The town's industries also include Illovo Sugar's Umzimkhulu Sugar Mill, a lime works and a marble quarry. Additionally, timber, wattle bark and sub-tropical fruit are produced in the district.^[13][14]

Retail

Port Shepstone CBD is the main commercial centre of the town, containing an array of local shops, car dealerships, petrol stations, restaurants and shopping centres such as Oribi Plaza Shopping Centre (the largest shopping centre in Port Shepstone), Sheppie Mall, Ithala Centre and Bargain City Centre. Although nearby Shelly Beach is usually favoured for its much larger shopping centres such as Southcoast Mall and Shelly Centre that offer a wider variety of retail outlets.^[15]

Tourism

Although Port Shepstone is a regional economic centre at its core, it does house a few tourist attractions which include: The Mzimkhulu River marina has leisure boat trips on the river in which people can admire the rich wildlife and bird life along the banks of the river;^[16] the Port Shepstone Museum which includes the town's history with a series of exhibits carrying a maritime theme and the Port Shepstone Lighthouse, which has a 27 000 candela lighthouse that still stands at the mouth of the Mzimkhulu River. The present day cast iron lighthouse was erected during 1906 and can still be explored today.^[17][18]

In addition to the Port Shepstone Beach, the town offers a number of beaches within its vicinity including Anerley Beach, Banana Beach, Melville Beach, Oslo Beach, Sea Park Beach, Southport Beach, Sunwich Port Beach and Umtentweni Beach (Tweni Beach).

Port Shepstone also serves as the gateway to the numerous attractions along the South Coast namely the Oribi Gorge (21 km west of Port Shepstone), Aliwal Shoal, Umtanvuma Nature Reserve, Pure Venom Reptile Farm and the Riverbend Crocodile Farm among others.^[19][20]

Transport

Roads

Further information: N2 Wild Coast Toll Route

Exit 51 of the N2 highway in Port Shepstone with a board sign indicating the exit to Port Shepstone North and St Faith's^[27]

Port Shepstone is the meeting point of three major routes (N2, R61 and R102), which meet at the junction named Marburg Interchange or exit 45. The N2 is a national route that runs roughly N to S from Durban to Port Shepstone and is tolled at the Oribi Toll Plaza in Marburg before diverging westwards to Kokstad and other major towns and cities such as Mthatha, East London, Gqeberha and Cape Town. The R102 is the older section of the N2, now serving as the untolled alternative route to the current N2 and connects Port Shepstone with the coastal towns of Melville and Hibberdene to the north. The R61 is a provincial route connecting Port Shepstone with Margate and Port Edward and other towns such as Mbizana and Mthatha. The R61 is also tolled at the Oribi Toll Plaza.

Now, there is currently construction of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Route,^[28][29] which will effectively re-designate the R61 highway heading south from the Marburg Interchange past Port Edward as the N2 (it will no-longer be designated as the R61) once the new route is complete. Also, the road from Marburg westwards past Kokstad will effectively be re-designated as the R102 (it will no-longer be designated as the N2).

Port Shepstone is the northern end of the R620 running roughly southwards along the coast from the R102 towards Shelly Beach, Uvongo, Margate, Ramsgate and Southbroom and is the untolled alternative route to the R61.

Apart from the national and regional routes, the smaller local routes in Port Shepstone are Rethman Drive, connecting Umtentweni to St Faith’s in the rural hinterland and Izotsha Road connecting Marburg with Izotsha and Gamalakhe to the south.

Healthcare

Two primary hospitals in the CBD serve Port Shepstone, Port Shepstone Regional Hospital and Hibiscus Hospital Port Shepstone. Port Shepstone Regional Hospital is a government-funded hospital and is the largest medical facility on the South Coast aimed at serving the region, while Hibiscus Hospital Port Shepstone is a private hospital and the flagship of the Hibiscus Hospital Group.^[30][31]

Port Shepstone is served by three clinics in the CBD, Umtentweni and Marburg. Port Shepstone (in the CBD) and Umtentweni clinics operate as municipal clinics under the Ugu District Municipality, while Marburg Clinic operates as a provincial clinic under the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department.^[32]