uMhlanga is situated on the northern
urban outskirts of the Greater Durban metropolitan area and is often considered a suburb of
Durban, just 16 km (10 mi) from the city centre. It shares borders with
Durban North to the south and
Mount Edgecombe to the west. Situated along the
Indian Ocean coastline, uMhlanga lies on a prominent ridge overlooking the ocean, gently sloping from uMhlanga Rocks along the coastline towards uMhlanga Ridge at the crest of the ridge.
Suburbs Along the coastline lies the suburb of uMhlanga Rocks, which contains the traditional commercial centre of uMhlanga. The ridge, which borders
Mount Edgecombe to the west includes the suburbs of uMhlanga Ridge, Prestondale, Izinga Estate, Sunningdale and Somerset Park. The slope between the ridge and the coastline include the suburbs of
La Lucia, Ridgeside and Herrwood Park.
La Lucia A formerly independent suburb, La Lucia is located on the southern boundary of uMhlanga with
Durban North and is located on the hillside overlooking the Indian Ocean. La Lucia is one of the most upmarket suburbs of Greater Durban. In 2017, according to property agency, Private Property, La Lucia was ranked as the 2nd most expensive suburb in Greater Durban after the neighbouring Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate.
Ridgeside Formerly sugarcane fields, Ridgeside is a new office node situated on the hillside overlooking the
Indian Ocean. The area combines office estate, commercial,
mixed-use, residential, leisure developments and managed open spaces. The node is home to business' regional offices in
KwaZulu-Natal such as
Investec,
eNCA,
Vodacom.
Somerset Park Somerset Park is a residential suburb on the ridge above La Lucia and its residences are notably uniform with their design with similar green colonial-designed roofs to the adjacent Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate.
uMhlanga Ridge uMhlanga Ridge is a new retail, office and residential node situated on the ridge overlooking the
Indian Ocean, making up the most recent expansion in uMhlanga. It was largely developed on
sugarcane land by property development company, Moreland Estates, owned by the
Tongaat Hulett sugar group. Located on the ridge are
Gateway Theatre of Shopping and other shopping centres, motor dealerships, two private hospitals and many offices. uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre is connected by a series of pedestrian-friendly roads, parks and public spaces. The Town Centre is easily accessed by a network of major roads, including the N2. The new uMhlanga Ridge Town Centre has been under construction for almost a decade. Vela VKE consulted on the structural input for the design of the grade separation bridge and two parking court structures.
Civil infrastructure costs amount to R200 million to date.
uMhlanga Rocks uMhlanga Rocks, also commonly known as uMhlanga Village, is the coastal strip east of the M4 and is the most established area of uMhlanga, established prior to the sprawling development of the suburbs on the ridge above. The “village” has many luxury hotels and apartments right on the beach, including the Cabana Beach Hotel, the Beverly Hills Hotel,
The Oyster Box Hotel, the uMhlanga Sands Hotel and Pearls of uMhlanga apartments. Many of these have views of the
uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse. It has a large increase in population during the summer months. == Economy ==