Hibberdene
Hibberdene | |
|---|---|
  Hibberdene  Hibberdene | |
| Coordinates: 30°34′20″S 30°34′20″E / 30.57222°S 30.57222°E | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | KwaZulu-Natal |
| District | Ugu |
| Municipality | Ray Nkonyeni |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.26 km2 (5.51 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 4,037 |
| • Density | 280/km2 (730/sq mi) |
| Racial makeup (2011) | |
| • Black African | 67.1% |
| • Coloured | 1.2% |
| • Indian/Asian | 1.8% |
| • White | 29.4% |
| • Other | 0.4% |
| First languages (2011) | |
| • Zulu | 60.9% |
| • English | 18.1% |
| • Afrikaans | 15.8% |
| • Xhosa | 3.2% |
| • Other | 2.0% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal code (street) | 4220 |
| PO box | 4220 |
| Area code | 039 |
Hibberdene is a small coastal town on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in South Africa, approximately 23 km (14 mi) north-east of Port Shepstone and 90 km (56 mi) south-west of Durban and halfway between coastal towns of Scottburgh and Margate. It was named after C. Maxwell-Hibberd, the former postmaster-general of Natal.
Law and government
Municipal administration
Previously an independent municipality and part of the defunct Hibiscus Coast Local Municipality, Hibberdene now forms part of the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality and the larger Ugu District Municipality.
Municipal re-demarcation
As the 2024 national government elections near, there have recently been several demarcation proposals made by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) to relocate Ward 13 of the Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality which includes Hibberdene and its neighbouring settlements of Woodgrange-on-Sea, Umzumbe (Umzumbe Village), Fairview/Fairview Mission and eNtaba to the adjoining Umzumbe Local Municipality.
However, Umzumbe Village and Fairview would still remain part of Ray Nkonyeni. It has also been highlighted that the relocation of most of Ward 13 to Umzumbe Municipality is in a bid to stimulate economic activity in the Greater Umzumbe area, a rural municipality plagued with administrative mismanagement, high levels of unemployment and little economic and social development. The reason for the relocation is also attributed to the fact that Hibberdene serves as the nearest urban service centre to the Greater Umzumbe area. A final decision on the demarcation proposals is yet to made regarding the relocation of Hibberdene to Umzumbe Municipality.[2][3]
Geography
Hibberdene is set on a hillside looking down onto the Indian Ocean situated between the mouths of the uMhlungwa River to the north and uMzimayi River to the south. It is bounded by the seaside villages of Mthwalume to the north and Woodgrange-on-sea to the south.
According to the 2011 national census, the administrative boundaries of Hibberdene encompass Hibberdene proper, the adjoining beachside villages of Catalina (north), Woodgrange-on-Sea (south) and Umzumbe (south) as well as the rural areas of Fairview, Fairview Mission and eNtaba further inland to the west.[4]
Retail
Hibberdene serves as a shopping centre for the small settlements and countryside surrounding it such as Mthwalume and Mathulini. The sizable commercial area of Hibberdene is located on the service road adjacent the R102 which is lined with few retailers such as PicknPay, clothing stores, hardware stores and small businesses as well as the Hibberdene Village Mall which is anchored by Superspar.
Culture and comptemptory life
Tourism
Similarly to most towns along the South Coast, Hibberdene mostly depends on tourism for its small-scale economy. Lying at the gateway to the Hibiscus Coast (Hibberdene-Port Edward region), Hibberdene is popularly known as an affordable holiday destination and for its beaches. Hibberdene has five popular beaches, four of which are netted and thus are safe for swimming. Hibberdene's beaches are popular because of the warm Indian Ocean flowing across its shoreline, making diving, snorkelling and scuba diving very pleasant. Two of its beaches, Hibberdene Beach and Umzumbe Beach are accredited with the international Blue Flag beach status.[5][6][7]
Transport
Hibberdene lies on the R102 between Port Shepstone and Mthwalume and is located just off the N2 freeway (South Coast Toll Road) which runs north-south from Durban to Port Shepstone. In passing Hibberdene, the N2 offers direct access to the town at the R102 exit just north of the town. The R102 between Hibberdene and Port Shepstone is commonly used by motorists wishing to avoid tolling on the N2 in Port Shepstone.
A twice daily shuttle bus stops in Hibberdene connecting the town with Margate, Port Shepstone, Durban and King Shaka International Airport.
References
- ^ a b c d "Main Place Hibberdene". Census 2011.
- ^ https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/kwazulu-natal-could-have-a-new-municipality-by-2026-municipal-elections-66d16f25-5e28-46c7-b177-43c00b3f04b0
- ^ "OPINION: New demarcation plans will impact existing ratepayers – South Coast Herald". southcoastherald.co.za. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Census 2011: Main Place: Hibberdene". census2011.adrianfrith.com. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "These are South Africa's Blue Flag Beaches of 2022". Good Things Guy. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Hibberdene Beach in Hibberdene, KwaZulu Natal". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Umzumbe Beach in Umzumbe, KwaZulu Natal". www.sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
Places adjacent to Hibberdene | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities of Ugu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal | ||
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District seat: Port Shepstone | ||
| Ray Nkonyeni | .svg) | |
| Umzumbe | ||
| uMuziwabantu | ||
| uMdoni | ||