An extended stay in eThekwini this winter has given me the opportunity to see Durban rather differently. Beyond the city’s lush suburbs, it’s the warm embrace of the Mozambique-Agulhas current that defines life here. Clear skies, low humidity and mild winter days make for ideal mornings on the promenade, where joggers, cyclists, surfers and swimmers continue their routines while much of South Africa shivers.
For those seeking a mid-winter escape from the Western Cape’s rain or the Highveld’s icy mornings, KwaZulu-Natal remains one of the country’s most underrated destinations. Up the North Coast at Tinley Manor, South Africa’s first Club Med Beach & Safari recently welcomed its first guests. The Indian Ocean is inviting, the beaches appear remarkably clean, and Durban city’s magnificent promenade hums with life from dawn until well after sunset. Whatever else Durban has endured, its natural generosity remains intact.
I’ve known this province since childhood through my late father’s extended family, who settled here in the 19th century. Later, as editor-at-large for Elle Decoration and editor of Wanted, I returned frequently, drawn as much by the city’s creative energy as I was by its climate. The province has long punched above its weight culturally, producing artists, designers and musicians whose influence extends far beyond provincial borders.
Among them are internationally acclaimed visual artist and activist Zanele Muholi, painters Penny Siopis and Georgina Gratrix, mixed-media artists WonderBuhle and Cameron Platter, and relative newcomer Sthenjwa Luthuli, whose monumental carved wooden reliefs have found homes in major collections locally and abroad. KwaZulu-Natal has also given rise to Grammy Award-winning musicians Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Zakes Bantwini and DJ Black Coffee, singer-songwriter Shekhinah, rapper Nasty C, virtuoso guitarist Guy Buttery, the Drakensberg Boys Choir and legendary jazz musician Dr Madala “Bafo” Kunene. There are many other acclaimed artists whose unique styles were shaped by their time in Durban – think of the “future ghetto punk” of Moonchild Sanelly.
KwaZulu-Natal’s cultural influence continues to evolve. Those heavy, minimal beats of Gqom emerged from Durban’s townships in the early 2010s to become a global electronic music phenomenon, while Maskandi is enjoying an extraordinary revival among younger audiences. According to Spotify, the traditional Zulu genre has become South Africa’s fastest-growing music movement, inspiring a contemporary “Bhinca” subculture that confidently blends heritage with the newest streetwear and identity.
Yet it would be naïve to ignore the city’s more recent history. Over the past decade, Durban has become synonymous with deteriorating infrastructure, governance failures and an exodus of businesses and creative talent. I’ve watched friends invest their savings, passion and years of hard work into creative ventures, only to relocate in search of more reliable infrastructure, stronger commercial markets and greater institutional support.
Spending extended time here, however, has shifted my perspective. Cutting through the noise with curiosity rather than cynicism, I find myself noticing quieter signals of renewal that rarely make national headlines.
The challenges remain immense. Years of infrastructure neglect and allegations of corruption cannot be reversed overnight. While the Government of Provincial Unity has initiated reforms and major South African National Roads Agency upgrades are transforming the N2 and N3 transport corridors, many residents understandably remain frustrated by unreliable municipal services and persistent water shortages. The scale of the task is enormous and meaningful recovery will require patience, competent leadership and political stability in a province long shaped by disruption.
The story of a new chapter unfolding is perhaps most visible in the people who continue to create, collaborate and invest in KwaZulu-Natal’s cultural life. One need only spend an evening at the First Friday gatherings along Mahatma Gandhi Drive in Durban Point to see it. Once overlooked, the precinct is quietly developing into one of the city’s most compelling creative districts. My guide was Angela Shaw, co-founder of the new KZN Art Fair and, until recently, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts. Few individuals have done more to nurture the province’s visual arts ecosystem.
Shaw, together with co-founder Lungelo Mkhize ― founder of fine art logistics company Section 9 ― have established the KZN Art Fair to encourage artists to remain in the province while connecting galleries, collectors and emerging practitioners. Rather than attempting to replicate Johannesburg or Cape Town, the fair builds upon an existing creative ecosystem that has matured quietly over many years. “There are already many thriving practitioners, collectives, a dynamic incubator gallery and eager collectors,” says Shaw. “The KZN Art Fair is the organic result of abundant content and a clear demand for creative industry growth in KZN.”
The optimism is contagious. Shaw introduced me to ART-ISTS Collective, an artist-led initiative founded in 2025 to create more accessible exhibition opportunities while fostering collaboration between artists, curators and audiences. Alongside is New Noise, a multidisciplinary audio and branding studio, Studio Kalki’s beautifully crafted ceramics, and the working studio of Sthenjwa Luthuli. A short walk away is The Chairman, one of South Africa’s finest jazz venues established by acclaimed architect and early pioneer of the district, Ndabo Langa. Together they reveal a city whose creative pulse has never truly disappeared ― it was simply less conspicuous.
That momentum continues inland. Now in its 34 year, the Hilton Arts Festival has become one of South Africa’s most respected cultural gatherings, drawing about 25,000 visitors to Hilton College in the picturesque Midlands village each August. The extensive programme features both local and national talent, spanning drama and physical theatre, comedy, live music, film and literature, while the inaugural KZN Art Fair adds another significant platform for audiences to engage with contemporary art and design. Alongside the fair, Creative Futures introduces an enriching art and design programme for younger audiences. Combined with the festival’s youth programme, Jongosi, and the Just Geekin’ initiative celebrating gaming, cosplay and popular culture, it reflects a welcome commitment to cultivating the next generation of creative practitioners and audiences.
Slide into the weekend with a blend of melodic rock, soulful balladry, and folk-influenced alternative rock, as Arno Carstens takes to the stage with band members David Watkyns and Giovanni Serci on opening night. I’ve secured a chilled Saturday afternoon of hypnotic rhythms from highly accomplished multi-instrumentalist Guy Buttery.
It’s been two decades since I last saw the legendary comedic duo Louw Venter and Rob van Vuuren aka Corné and Twakkie in the act, so I am thoroughly amped for lashings of their absurdist humour in The Most Amazing Show on Sunday midday. For more sharp comedic character satire from award-winning stand-up Van Vuuren aka “Namaste Bae”, bring your bedhead but be advised to leave your fragile ego and hangover at the theatre door as this one-man show starts at 10am sharp on Saturday. Given the popularity of both Venter and Van Vuuren, tickets for these shows will sell out fast.
It would be easy to measure KwaZulu-Natal solely against its recent challenges. The headlines have certainly encouraged that. But spending time in Durban has reminded me that cities particularly are more than their infrastructure and politics. They are living cultural ecosystems, shaped by the people who refuse to abandon them.
Arts and culture are far more than entertainment. They are among the primary ways societies make sense of themselves, preserve collective memory and imagine different futures. By encouraging critical thought, freedom of expression and creative experimentation, they expand our field of awareness and challenge established worldviews. They also generate tangible economic value through tourism, entrepreneurship and employment. Thriving creative ecosystems make cities more innovative, more resilient and, ultimately, better places to live.
Durban still has much to repair. No-one who lives here would suggest otherwise. Yet beneath the surface, there is a quiet confidence returning. Artists are creating. Entrepreneurs are investing. New institutions are emerging. And perhaps most encouraging of all, a new generation appears determined not merely to inherit the city’s creative legacy but to build upon it.
Creative ecosystems have a remarkable capacity for renewal. In KwaZulu-Natal, the next chapter may already be taking shape ― quietly, collaboratively and well beyond the headlines.
- The Hilton Arts Festival runs from 7 to 9 August. For the full programme visit hiltonfestival.co.za
- KZN Art Fair kznartfair.com
Wanted
