Mount Edgecombe

Mount Edgecombe
View of the Mt Edgecombe Country Club Estate with Phoenix in the background
Mount Edgecombe Mount Edgecombe
Coordinates:29.721°S 31.050°E/-29.721; 31.050
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
Municipality	eThekwini
Area
• Total	8.34 km2(3.22 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	7,323
• Density	880/km2(2,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
•Black African	10.5%
•Coloured	1.5%
•Indian/Asian	36.5%
•White	50.0%
• Other	1.5%
First languages(2011)
•English	84.1%
•Afrikaans	4.8%
•Zulu	4.4%
• Other	6.7%
Time zone	UTC+2(SAST)
Postal code(street)	4302
PO box	4300

Mount EdgecombeorMt Edgecombeis a town inKwaZulu-Natal,South Africa,situated just north ofDurban,which forms part ofeThekwini,the Greater Durban Metropolitan area. Much of the suburb is cordoned off as a gated settlement comprising resorts, golf courses and aretirement home.It was previously a sugar growing area. The population increased by 89% between 2001 and 2011 from 3,874 to 7,323. Its name is derived fromMount Edgcumbe HouseinCornwall,England, the family seat of theEarls of Mount Edgcumbe.

Geography

Mount Edgecombe is situated in a hilly area just 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) inland from the coastal resort ofuMhlanga Rocksand approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northeast of the Durban CBD. Bordered by theN2to the east, theM41to the north, and theR102to the west, it neighboursuMhlangato the east andPhoenixto the west. The area features three distinct areas: the Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate, an industrial area to the west and a retail precinct to the north.

Culture and contemporary lifestyle

Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate has long held its reputation as the most expensive estate in the Greater Durban metropolitan area and comprises two smaller golf estates, numbered 1 and 2 which contain their respective championshipgolf courses.

Economy

Sugar

Mount Edgecombe, historically a prominent sugarcane growing region, is now the centre of South Africa's sugar industry. It hosts the corporate headquarters of the South African Sugar Research Institute and the South African Sugar Association.

Though much of the surrounding farmland has been developed, Mount Edgecombe still borders expansive sugarcane plantations to the north, marking the change from suburban development to the rural countryside.

Industries

Mount Edgecombe is a smaller industrial centre in the Greater Durban metropolitan area, primarily hosting light industries like hardware and logistics, including the head office and distribution centre for Freedom Stationery and the regional distribution centre forSpar(perishables).

Retail

While primarily a residential area, Mount Edgecombe also boasts a retail precinct along Flanders Drive, featuring the Flanders Boutique Mall and a diverse range of automotive and technology businesses. A key landmark is the Cornubia Mall, a 65,000-square-metre (700,000 sq ft) shopping centre opened on 27 September 2017, part ofCornubia City,a planned smart city developed on former sugarcane land byTongaat Hulett.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Mount Edgecombe is served by Life Mount Edgecombe Hospital, a private facility owned by theLife Healthcare Group.Situated in the suburb of Rockford, which falls underPhoenix,the hospital lies at the boundary between Phoenix and Mount Edgecombe.

Rail

Mount Edgecombe is served by the Mount Edgecombe Railway Station, located on the North Coast Line, which runs betweenDurban(viaPhoenix) andKwaDukuza(viaVerulam) and is operated byMetrorail.

Roads

TheN2Outer Ring Roadis a north/south freeway, connecting Mount Edgecombe withDurbanto the south and withKing Shaka International AirportandKwaDukuzato the north, while theM41is an east/west freeway, connecting Mount Edgecombe withuMhlangato the east.

TheR102is a north–southregional routeconnectingVerulamwithDurbanthat by-passes Mount Edgecombe to the west as North Coast Road. TheM26is an east/westmetropolitan routeconnecting Mount Edgecombe withPhoenixas Phoenix Highway.

Developments

The newly upgraded Mount Edgecombe Interchange

TheMount Edgecombe Interchange,recently upgraded in October 2018, serves as the connection between the N2 and M41 freeways. It has become a prominent landmark in Mount Edgecombe, particularly due to one of its flyovers, which is the longest incrementally launched bridge in South Africa, spanning 948 meters.

See also

• Illovo Sugar