Richards Bay (Afrikaans: Richardsbaai) is a city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is situated on a 30 square kilometre lagoon of the Mhlatuze River, which makes it one of the country's largest harbours.[3] Richards Bay also has the deepest natural harbour on the African continent.
The town began as a makeshift harbour that was set up by Commodore of the Cape, Sir Markus Eugene Brown, during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. In 1902, Cathcart Methven, the harbour engineer for the Natal Government, in his Zululand Port Survey recognized the potential of Richards Bay as a new harbour for the eastern shore.[4]
In 1935 the Richards Bay Game Sanctuary was created to protect the ecology around the lagoon and by 1943 it expanded into Richards Bay Park. The town was laid out on the shores of the lagoon in 1954 and proclaimed a town in 1969.[5]:299
In 1965, the South African Government under Minister of Transport Ben Schoeman decided to build a deep water harbour at Richards Bay.[6] Construction work began in 1972 and lasted four years. In January 1976, there was a forced removal of local inhabitants of the Mthiyane Zulu clan.[7] On 1 April 1976, the new deep water harbour was opened with a railway and an oil/gas pipeline linking the port to Johannesburg.[8] The new residential area for Richards Bay was developed north of the harbour. Meerensee, started in 1970, was the first suburb.[9] It was followed by Arboretum in 1975, and Veldenvlei in 1980.
All three suburbs catered exclusively for whites by the existing laws of Apartheid. A township for blacks was developed at Esikhaweni, fifteen kilometres south of Richards Bay. Residential areas for Indians and coloureds (Brackenham and Aquadene) were opened after 1985 west of Veldenvlei. The three suburbs of Richards Bay (excluding the black township of Esikhaweni) had a combined population of about 20,000 in 1990.
Economy
The Port of Richards Bay contains what was once the largest coal export facility in the world, with a planned capacity of 91 million tons per year by the first half of 2009. In 2007 annual throughput was 66.12 million tons. The Australian port of Newcastle, New South Wales is the largest coal-exporting harbour in the world, exporting just over 161 million tonnes of coal in 2016.[10]
Two aluminium smelters, Hillside Aluminum and Bayside Aluminium are operated by South32. A fertiliser plant operated by Foskor has been erected at the harbour. Iron ore, rutile (titanium oxide) and zircon are mined from the dunes close to the lagoon by Richards Bay Minerals, part of the Rio Tinto Group. Local exports include coal, en bananas, aluminium, titanium and other heavy minerals, granite, ferrochrome, paper pulp, wood chips and phosphoric acid. Richards Bay is, alongside Rustenburg, South Africa's fastest-developing city. It is a fast-growing industrial centre that has been able to maintain its ecological diversity. [citation needed]
However, like most of South Africa, the Richards Bay area is plagued by unemployment and poverty. Unemployment has been estimated at forty per cent and an undefined number of people live below the poverty line. The local government have not made enough efforts to implement projects aimed at poverty reduction.
The "John Ross Parkway" (P496) which links Richards Bay to Empangeni and the N2 highway is named after "John Ross" (real name, Charles Rawden Maclean), who at the age of 15 walked from Port Natal to Maputo and back to procure medicine and supplies for the early settlers.[11]
Apart from the mining industry, tourism is a major part of the economy, with Richards Bay seen as a gateway to Zululand, an area popular with foreign tourists because of its large game parks and the diverse wildlife on offer.
The Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone is one of two Industrial Development Zones within the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It is a fully serviced industrial land comprising heavy, medium and light industries linked to the adjacent Port of Richards Bay.
White people account for 39.98 per cent of the population, followed by black Africans at 37.05 per cent, Asians or Indians at 19.16 per cent and coloureds at 3.8 per cent. 74.19 per cent of the population is under the age of 34 years, with 2.73 per cent over the age of 65. For every 100 females, there are 93 males. The population density has been estimated to be 526–1,192 persons/km squared. There are 12,433 households in Richards Bay, with 66.4 per cent of such households being house or brick structures. According to household income, the wealthiest suburb is Meerensee, with an average household income of more than R153,601 per annum. The unemployment rate in Richards Bay alone is 19 per cent, compared with 55 per cent in surrounding rural areas.
The various racial makeups of the seven different suburbs are still along the Apartheid-era segregation lines, with Meerensee a mostly white area, while suburbs such as Brackenham and Aquadene are predominantly Indian/Asian and Ngwelezane home to the black community. However, in recent years there has been a movement towards more integration, with predominantly black people moving into other, traditionally higher-income areas, due to the growing black middle-class in the area.
22 per cent of the population have completed school only. A further 8.45 per cent have a tertiary education. 16.7 per cent have received no schooling at all. However, this data reflects the uMhlathuze municipality as a whole.
The parish priest of Kwambonambi celebrated Mass twice a month in a private home and, starting in 1973, in the Meerensee Primary School. There were few Catholics in Richards Bay in the beginning, but their number increased steadily with the development of the town. The parish priest of Empangeni took over the pastoral care of these Catholics after a new road link between Empangeni and Richards Bay had been completed at the end of 1974. He introduced a weekly Mass, which was held in the Methodist Church in Meerensee and later in the Primary School in Arboretum. The Diocese of Eshowe had in the meanwhile bought a church site in Meerensee. The site was offered to the Nardini Sisters who built a convent and a primary school there in 1977/78. Reg Sommerville, an architect from Empangeni, drew up the plans. O'Connell Brothers, an Empangeni company, began the building operations in June 1977. They finished the first phase within one year so that Archabbot Notker Wolf of St. Ottilien (Germany), who was at that time in South Africa on a visit, could bless the chapel and kindergarten on 12 August 1978. The second phase which involved the construction of a convent was completed in January 1979. Two Nardini Sisters took up residence in the new convent in February 1979. The convent chapel was used by the Catholic community of Richards Bay for Sunday Mass from June 1978 until August 1986 when the new church in Veld-en-Vlei was opened.
The influx of people to Richards Bay in the early eighties brought about a marked increase in the number of Catholics. This in turn made it necessary to think of building a proper church. Duvenhage and Fischer, architects from Richards Bay, were approached to submit designs. During this planning period, all parishioners were invited to make suggestions for the new Catholic centre. For months the sketches and plans were displayed after Sunday Mass so that everyone could contribute ideas. The Diocese of Eshowe eventually accepted the proposal to build a church together with a hall and a caretaker's flat in Veld en Vlei because of the central position of this suburb. The turning of the sod service took place on 12 September 1985. LTA Construction, one of the largest building companies in South Africa was awarded the contract. Work was completed in June 1986. Bishop Mansuet Biyase consecrated the new church on 31 August 1986. The patron saint of the church and the parish is St. Francis of Assisi. Attached to the church are a sacristy, a small kitchen and a caretaker's flat. In 1992, another building was added. It contains a meeting room and several classrooms for catechism children. The St. Francis Parish in Richards Bay had about 600 Catholics in 1992.
All the additional buildings were constructed and paid for by Father Pious Paul from a legacy left to him. He gave to the Richards Bay Parish a memorial for the benefit of all Catholics in Zululand. After Father Pious several priests ran the parish namely Fathers Alousios, Eugene, Hemmie, Peter Blue, Max and the incumbent Father Bheki.
Crime
The area experiences high levels of crime with a number of high-profile murders, including that of a ward councillor in 2024. Many crimes are related to procurement and supply chain issues.[13]
Geography and climate
Richards Bay is characterised by a humid subtropical climate that very closely borders a tropical savanna climate as only two months have an average temperature of below 18°C There are warm wet summers and mild moist to dry frost-free winters. The town has an average annual rainfall of 1228 millimetres (48.3in). The average annual temperature is 21.5°C (71°F), with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 29°C (84°F), and the minimum is 21°C (70°F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23°C (73°F) and a minimum of 12°C (53°F). Sunrise is at 4:45 AM and sunset at 7:00 PM in summer. In winter sunrise is at 6:20 AM and sunset at 5:00 PM. Richards Bay is a popular kitesurfing destination thanks to consistent winds blowing from the North East.
The Richards Bay area is generally very flat and is situated on a coastal plain. The terrain rises slightly towards the west. The suburbs are all no more than a few metres (around 140m, or 459.3ft) above sea level. The area is abundant in coastal dune forests, most notably along the coastal dune belt and in the suburb of Meerensee.
Richards Bay hosted the ITU World Cup. ITU Triathlon World Cup was a series of triathlon races organised by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) for elite-level triathletes. There were twelve races held in twelve countries, each held over a distance of 1500 m swim, 40 km cycle, 10 km run (an Olympic-distance triathlon). Alongside a prize purse, points were awarded at each race contributing towards the overall World Cup for which an additional prize purse was awarded. The 2008 World Cup was sponsored by BG Group. The 2008 World Cup series marked the final year of this race and championship format as the ITU shifted its focus to developing the World Championship Series.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Due to its regional airport, its proximity to Durban (3-hour drive) and its status as the gateway to Zululand, Richards Bay was identified as a possible training base for the World Cup. A small stadium aimed at achieving FIFA accreditation was developed. In late 2009, a Ghana delegation visited the town, raising speculation that the Ghana football team could base themselves in the town. In May 2010, it was announced that the Nigeria football team would move their base to Richards Bay for the duration of the World Cup.
2011 South African Surfski Championships
Zululand Kayak Club, Richards Bay, was nominated by Kwazulu Natal Canoe Union (KNCU) to host the yearly surf ski championship for single and double surf ski formats. This was achieved on 17 and 18 September 2011. This race brought in professional and amateur surf ski racers alike from Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg. The race was sponsored by Rio Tinto-Richards Bay Minerals and Midbay Motors.
2015 South African Surf Championships
In 2015 Richards Bay was selected by the governing body of South African surfing, Surfing South Africa (SSA), to host the South African Surf Championships. South Africa's top provincial surfers gathered to compete at Alkantstrand during the week-long event in August. The contest was handled and coordinated by the local surf club, uThungulu Surfriders (formerly Zululand Surfriders Association).
Canoe / Surfski: Zululand Kayak Club is a water sports organisation, focused on canoe and surfski paddling, and competing in many races on the KNCU calendar. This is a local club that caters to the Zululand community. the club offers a surf ski school to the community for anyone interested in trying a new sport.
Cycling: The Zululand Cycling Club is active and can be contacted through the Zululand Cycling Facebook page. (ZCC)
Surfing: King Cetswayo District Surf Club (formerly uThungulu Surf Riders)
Wrestling: Richards Bay Wrestling Club is one of the top wrestling clubs in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Casimiro Monteiro – Portuguese intelligence officer and assassin for the Portuguese Colonial Police and PIDE (International and State Defense Police). Monteiro retired to Richards Bay.
↑ Aniruth, Jayanthi; Barnes, Justin (1998). "Why Richards Bay grew as an industrial centre: Lessons for SDIs". Development Southern Africa. 15 (5): 829–849. doi:10.1080/03768359808440052.
↑ "The Channel Autumn 2017"(PDF). Port of Newcastle Operations Pty Limited. April 2017. p.3. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
The Province of Natal, commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organised into the bantustan of KwaZulu, which was progressively separated from the province, becoming partially autonomous in 1981. Of the white population, the majority were English-speaking people of British descent, causing Natal to become the only province to vote "No" to the creation of a republic in the referendum of 1960, due to very strong monarchist, pro-British Commonwealth, and anti-secessionist sentiment. In the latter part of the 1980s, Natal was in a state of violence between the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African National Congress, with violence subsiding soon after the first non-racial election in 1994.
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu and Natal Province.
Durban is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is largest port city in sub-saharan Africa and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbour and city centre lies the mouth of the Umgeni River; the flat city centre rises to the hills of the Berea on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the Bluff. Durban is the seat of the larger eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which spans an area of 2,556 km2 (987 sq mi) and had a population of 4.2million in 2022, making the metropolitan population one of Africa's largest on the Indian Ocean. Within the city limits, Durban's population was 595,061 in 2011. The city has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, wet summers and mild, dry winters.
The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. The area was previously named Natália by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christmas. The republic came to an end in 1843 when British forces annexed it to form the Colony of Natal. After the British annexation of the Natalia Republic, most local Voortrekkers trekked northwest into Transorangia, later known as the Orange Free State, and the South African Republic.
Empangeni is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is approximately 157 kilometres north of Durban, in hilly countryside, overlooking a flat coastal plain and the major harbour town of Richards Bay 16 kilometres away. The N2 freeway runs east from Empangeni intersecting John Ross Highway (R34) which connects Empangeni and Richards Bay.
KwaZulu was a semi-independent bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a homeland for the Zulu people. The capital was moved from Nongoma to Ulundi in 1980.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and biodiversity in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Their headquarters is in Queen Elizabeth Park situated on the northern slopes of Pietermaritzburg, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial capital. Prior to 1994, it was known as the Natal Parks Board.
Scottburgh is a coastal resort town located along the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It situated south of the mouth of the Mpambanyoni River (confuser of birds).
Mtunzini is a small coastal town that is situated almost exactly halfway along KwaZulu-Natal's coastline in South Africa approximately 140 km north of Durban. In 2011, the town's population was 2,199.
The N2 is a national route in South Africa that runs from Cape Town through George, Gqeberha, East London, Mthatha, Port Shepstone and Durban to Ermelo. It is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. Its current length of 2,255 kilometres (1,401 mi) makes it the longest numbered route in South Africa.
The University of Zululand or UniZulu is a comprehensive tertiary educational institution north of the uThukela River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The university has established partnerships with schools in the United States and Europe such as the University of Mississippi, Radford University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Chicago State University. UniZulu was founded with the help of the Prince of Phindangene, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who was also chancellor of the institution when it was established.
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its provinces. It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
The Zulu Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Zulu Empire, was a monarchy in Southern Africa. During the 1810s, Shaka established a standing army that consolidated rival clans and built a large following which ruled a wide expanse of Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to the Pongola River in the north.
The Port of Richards Bay is located in Richards Bay harbour on the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, and contains the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) which is the largest coal export facility in Africa.
The Mhlathuze River is a river in South Africa. Located in KwaZulu-Natal, its catchment area has a surface area of 4,209 km2. It rises in the west in the Babanango hills at an altitude of 1,519 m and flows over 100 km eastwards to the sea forming an estuary. The deep-sea port of Richards Bay is situated at the mouth of the Mhlathuze River and all industrial development is focused within the Empangeni / Richards Bay complex.
uMhlathuze Local Municipality is an administrative area in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The municipality is named after the Mhlatuze River.
eSikhaleni popularly known as eSikhawini is a town in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.
Baldwin Sipho "Ben" Ngubane was a politician from South Africa. He held multiple positions in the post-apartheid government of the country. In particular, he was Premier of KwaZulu-Natal from 1997 to 1999 and Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology from 1994 until 31 August 1996 and from February 1999 until April 2004.
The KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, better known as the North Coast is a coastal region north of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It stretches from Zinkwazi Beach in the north to Zimbali near Ballito in the south. The coastal region is governed by the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, forming part of the iLembe District Municipality.
Vikinduku Victor Mnculwane is a South African Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Zululand. He was elected at an Elective Assembly of the Diocese of Zululand, held on 20 May 2021 and his episcopal ordination was on 12 September 2021, held at the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels in Eshowe. He succeeds Bishop Monument Makhanya as the fifteenth bishop of Zululand.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
