Lifestyle

DURBAN STYLEThis wholly African city is one which celebrates its multicultural diversity in joyfully colourful and creative ways. Aside from its vibrant beach life,

buzzing hotspots and gorgeous scenery, Surf City has some incredible design talent. We showcase some of Durban’s best and brightest

Words: Anne Schauffer. Photographer: Shaun Mallett. Styling: Candice-Lee Kannemeyer

Sunrise over the Indian Ocean.

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Skona wears a cotton top, R695, Karen Monk- Klijnstra and chino shorts, R750, Billabong. Phume wears a dress, R690, Kathrin Kidger

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Karen Monk-Klijnstra's award-winning designs reflect her bold, colourful and exciting surroundings, but have a very distinctive street edge. Skona wears a sleeveless printed jacket, R1 295, Karen Monk-Klijnstra. Chino shorts, R750, Billabong. Phume wears a multi-coloured printed dress, R1 495, Karen Monk-Klijnstra A sand artist.

Bike & Bean.

Moyo uShaka Pier.

Love Coffee.

Freedom Café.

Bunny chow at Capsicum Restaurant.

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Phume wears a hand-painted cotton “Zeff” graffiti dress, R1 895, Karen Monk-Klijnstra and a spiral yellow necklace, R200, Blossom Handmade. Flat sandals, R299, Queue Shoes. Skona wears a cotton printed “Manteca” top, R695, Karen Monk-Klijnstra and chino trousers, R699, Guess

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Durban, or eThekwini (from the Zulu word “itheku”, meaning “bay” or “lagoon”), has a convoluted past, lying at the heart of a province in which epic battles played out dramatically over hundreds of years between the Zulu, British and Afrikaner nations. It doesn’t require too much imagination to see how, today, those threads from vastly different cultures have woven themselves into the bold tapestry that makes up the largest city on Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline: Durban, named after Sir Benjamin d’Urban, then Governor of the Cape Colony.

Way, way back, Durban’s bay was surrounded by mangroves, a green and steamy home for pelicans, flamingos and hippos. The earliest hints of the city’s inhabitants are recorded in 100 000 BC rock art in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Drakensberg Mountains, where murals depict communities of Zulu hunter-gatherers. The Lala tribe fished in the estuary, and hunted and grew crops in the coastal forests.

The first Europeans were Portuguese explorers en route to the east. Vasco da Gama was reputed to have sighted land on Christmas Day 1947, calling it Terra do Natal (Portuguese for “Country of Christmas”). Nearly 200 years later, the first trading ships arrived.

Durban’s Indian community – the second-largest outside of India – began their relationship with KZN in the1860s. The British established a sugar cane industry and, with cheap labour being scarce, brought out thousands of indentured labourers from India on contracts. Contracts complete, some returned home, but others

remained. The burgeoning sugar cane industry was the catalyst for Durban’s growth as a port. Today it’s the largest and busiest one on this continent.

RICKSHA RIDES Rickshas originated in Japan: the Japanese word “jinrikisha” means “human-powered vehicle”. The concept is of a two- or three-wheeled passenger cart containing one passenger and pulled by one man. It’s believed that in 1893, Sir Marshall Campbell, one of KZN’s great sugar barons, introduced the first ricksha to Durban as transport for his wife. It became a very popular form of getting around and, within a decade, there were over 2 000 rickshas in town, with around 24 000 registered pullers; some plied their trade on the beachfront, others at the market. Competition became fierce and for the Zulu pullers, ornamentation of the standard calico outfits was one way to raise their status. Plain was transformed into bright and bold, beaded concoctions – mostly with elements of cultural significance – and, especially, the impressive array of horns added to the hat to show the puller was as strong as an ox. Spirited leaps, whoops and twirls were also part of a puller’s offering.

Today there remain only a handful of these decorative ricksha-pullers on the Golden Mile and they earn their living more from tourist photographs than acting as taxis in the Durban heat.

Named after this traditional Durban mode of transport, the Ricksha Bus is the city’s open-top double-decker tourist which offers two three-hour tours a day, leaving from the mobile Tourist Information Centre along OR Tambo Parade, North Beach. The tour provides a wonderful overview of Durban, its history and cultural landscape.

031 368 1253

GOLDEN MILE Hot, humid and sizzling with the pride of a city which has world-class wild waves and beaches on its doorstep, winter or summer, the weather’s fine. Before sunrise on any given morning, Durbanites head east to celebrate the sea. The so-called Golden Mile along the Marine Parade was redeveloped in 2009 for SA’s hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The widely paved seaside promenade stretches from uShaka Marine World at the southern end to Umgeni River in the north and there are more activities here, wet and dry, motorised or manual, than you can count on one hand.

Durbanites are fully equipped with surfboards, bicycles, skates and skateboards, but visitors are welcomed with open arms, hire shops and lessons. You can do anything the locals can – you can also ask locals where to dive, hire a board and learn to surf, or rent a bike, skateboard or scuba gear. The warm Indian Ocean waves, shark nets, coffee and breakfast stops like Circus Circus Beach Café at the Bay of Plenty or Bike & Bean at Country Club Beach – a bike hire and coffee shop – entice visitors to get moving and socialise at the sea. www.circuscircus.co.za and www.bikebeandurban.com

uSHAKA MARINE WORLD At the southern end of the beach promenade, in The Point precinct development, uShaka Marine World is not only a vast, world-class aquarium (with regular dolphin and seal shows), but also a wild water entertainment park for the young and not-s o-young. From Wet ’n Wild action and nail-biting edutainment at Dangerous Creatures to stylish shopping and a range of simple to sumptuous eateries in the Village Walk, there’s something fun, gripping, crazy, lazy or educational for sun- and leisure-seekers. www.ushakamarineworld.co.za

YOu CAN fEEL It IN YOuR fEEt: the buzz, the heat and the rich accents of Africa which make up Durban. It’s a coastal city as laid back as it’s lively, with a turbulent history and a constantly evolving cultural identity.

Cotton top, R695, Karen Monk-Klijnstra. Swimming trunks, R750, Billabong

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Wilson’s Wharf.

Panorama Bar.

Art Deco buildings proliferate the city.

The KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts.

Entertainers on the Durban beachfront.

Cocktails at New York Restaurant

and Bar.

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Terrence Bray is known for his distinctive design philosophy, which is to strive for the best quality in all aspects of a garment's make-up. Phume wears a printed T-shirt, R980 and cotton shorts, R450, both Terrence Bray. Gold spiral bangles, R120 each, Blossom Handmade. Sunglasses, R2 299, Diesel @ Moscon Optics

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Swimwear designer Dax Martin is renowned for his incredible eye for colour, bold prints and outstanding quality. Skona wears swimming trucks, R750, Billabong. Phume wears a monokini, R686, Dax Martin. Sunglasses, R4 499, Chloé @ Moscon Optics. Surfboards courtesy of Clayton Surfboards

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The widely paved seaside promenade stretches from uShaka Marine World at the southern end to Umgeni River in the north and there are more activities here, wet and dry, motorised or

manual, than you can count on one hand.

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STOCKISTS: • Billabong, www.billabong.com/za • Blossom Handmade, www.blossomhandmade.co.za • Clayton Surfboards, 031 368 4825, www.claytonsurf.co.za • Dax Martin, www.daxmartin.com • Guess, 011 883 8391 • Kathrin Kidger, www.reine.co.za • Karen Monk-Klijnstra, 031 764 3147

• Mango, 011 783 7907 • Moscon Optics, www.moscon.co.za • Queue Shoes, www.queueshoes.co.za • Terrence Bray, www.terrencebray.com

Phume wears a swimsuit, R686, Dax Martin and denim shorts, R450, Mango

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Thanks to Durban Tourism for the warm introduction to SA’s sunny city and its people. For more information on what to do and where to go in and around Durban: www.durban-tourism.com

The Sawubona team was graciously hosted by the St James on Venice. A five-star boutique hotel in close proximity to the city’s main attractions, the building’s a beautiful mix of old-world charm and all the mod-cons expected by the discerning traveller. What sets the hotel apart is it’s home-away-from-

home atmosphere and attentive, friendly staff. www.stjamesonvenice.co.za

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MOSES MABHIDA STADIUMDesigned and built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, the stadium was named after a former Secretary-General of the South African Communist Party and a struggle stalwart. The design is loud and proud, incorporating architectural elements symbolic of a once divided nation now united. The stadium’s vast, graceful arch, visible from almost anywhere in Durban, offers a mix of docile and daredevil activities: plunge off the 106m arch in a mighty 220m arc on the Big Rush Big Swing, take the 550-step adventure walk to the viewing platform or climb aboard the Skycar and glide upwards for the finest view of the city. Shops, a monthly morning market, entertainment and a play area for kids are all incorporated into the precinct.

031 582 8242 www.mosesmabhidastadium.co.za

WARWICK STREET MARKET Right on the edge of Durban’s inner city, Warwick Junction is the primary public transport interchange and therefore a very obvious node for trade. With nearly 500 000 daily commuters and upwards of 6 000 street vendors, it has nine distinct markets within the greater market. Initially, it was the Indian indentured labourers who began trading on the sidewalks, but today it’s a vibrant, all-African market considered the most authentic one SA has to offer. Its history is a troubled one through the apartheid era, when traders were constantly harassed by police and it was only in the late Eighties that they were given permission to trade legally. Today this massive informal trading platform, the income of which supports tens of thousands of locals, has been officially recognised and, in a sense, formalised. Walking tours through the market are through the NGO Asiye eTafuleni and trained guides lead visitors through the various sectors, such as the Bovine Head Market and the Bead Market. It’s an important, evolving aspect of Durban city, providing valuable insight into cultural aspects of the community. 031 309 3880

COCKTAIL NIGHTS Durban by night can be a million different things, but it’s hard to beat cocktails, the moonlight and the sea...

On the Golden Mile, take the lift to Tsogo Sun’s Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani Hotel to the stylish Panorama Bar & Pooldeck. You can snack on gourmet bites, order the craziest cocktails in your favourite colour and flavour, and gaze out at the ocean, reflecting the lights of the city. Magic.

ART SCENE The work found in a community art gallery can provide a true insider’s view of local life and viewpoints. The KZN Society of Arts (KZNSA) Gallery in Glenwood is a wonderful meeting place for local creatives with its combo of coffee, art gallery, shop, Friday night movies and more. Another legendary gallery without a commercial focus is the Durban Art Gallery in the City Hall, with its permanent art collections. www.kznsagallery.co.za

HARBOUR LIGHTS Run off to sea on a luxe catamaran, sizable or small, or on one of Durban’s fun seafaring vessels, where the lights of the harbour and beyond form a scenic backdrop to cocktails by night or, in daylight hours, offer access to the life of Africa’s biggest harbour, or even a fishing expedition. Anchors away at Wilson’s Wharf. Hakuna Matata catamarans: 031 303 3782 or 083 2746846. Sarie Marais harbour boat trips: 031 305 4022/2844

TRADITIONAL EDIBLESWith a large, diverse Indian community with roots in different parts of India, Durban offers a wide range of eateries offering hot, fragrant curries or bunny chow (a half-loaf with the bread scooped out and filled with curry and vegetables – Durbanites’ favourite late-night restorative!). One of the city’s favourite curry restaurants is the Capsicum at the Brittanica Hotel, offering affordable curry every which way – but never dull. This historic hotel, built in 1879, has become a Durban must-see. 1299 Umgeni Rd 031 303 2266

ART DECO ARCHITECTURE Durban has a number of fine examples of this Jazz Age style of architecture, mostly residential blocks built between 1930 and 1940, notably Surrey Mansions in Currie Rd. If architecture’s your thing, speak to the Durban Art Deco Society or download its map and follow the route. www.durbandeco.org.za

EAT, PLAY, SLEEP Lucy Markewicz is the creative captain of Freedom Café, a shipping container where breakfasts, lunches, dinners, cocktails and milkshakes with a serious twist are on the menu, inside and out. 37-43 St Mary’s Ave, Greyville. 031 309 4434 www.tastefreedom.co.za Alongside it are gloriously restored Victorian cottages which form the stylish and quirky B&B The Concierge Boutique Bungalows. 031 309 4453 www.the-concierge.co.za

Skona wears a checked shirt, R799 and denim jeans, R1 200, both Guess. Phume wears a printed cotton dress, R1 850, Terrence Bray

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