Check the beach status before you swim in Durban

Card swapping and skimming at ATMs is a known problem across South Africa, and a friendly stranger offering help with your card or PIN is the usual opening. Say no, cover the keypad and walk away from any machine that looks tampered with or keeps your card. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping malls, take out small…

Durban's planned bus network, branded GO Durban, has already missed earlier launch dates. In July 2026 the city said the Pinetown to KwaMashu C3 service was planned for December 2026, with more routes to follow, and a soft launch with taxi rank activations was announced for October. Treat it as not running until you…

The Royal Hotel on Anton Lembede Street, opposite City Hall, opened in 1845 as McDonald's Commercial Hotel and is described as Durban's oldest operating hotel. Its Grill Room keeps colonial-era charm with stained-glass skylights, so book dinner there even if you stay elsewhere. The location suits the city centre and…

The Durban International Film Festival is presented by the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts. The 2026 edition ran from late July to early August, centred on Suncoast CineCentre with satellite screenings at community arts centres across eThekwini. Pick a mix of features, shorts and documentaries…

Poetry Africa is a week-long international poetry festival held in Durban every October, run by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Expect readings, performances, workshops, slams and seminars, mostly with South African and other African poets. Venues change between editions, with the 2025…

Bean Bag Jazz Lounge on Lilian Ngoyi Road in Windermere is a live jazz venue with food, listed by both Time Out Durban and the city tourism site. Line-ups are announced separately and change by night, so check the venue's Instagram before you go. Book a table, arrive in time for dinner and ask for a seat with a view…

The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in Durban in 1983, plays its seasons at the Playhouse Company on Anton Lembede Street, with concerts in the Opera Theatre. In 2026 a summer season ran in March and a winter season followed in June. Tickets are sold through online event pages, so watch for the next…

On Dr Yusuf Dadoo Street, formerly Grey Street, Fair Price Supermarket stacks spices in big bags, including the curry powder now sold as Bombay masala, once nicknamed mother-in-law's tongue. Fabric shops along the street sell shweshwe cloth, and the genuine fabric carries a three-cats logo. Go before mid-morning, when…