9 Things You Didn’t Know About Durban, South Africa

When South Africa comes to mind, the first thing/s the average American thinks of is apartheid, racism, and colonization. But there’s also other hidden gems about South Africa for people that have never set foot in the country (myself included).

Here are 9 things that you probably didn’t know about Durban, South Africa below…

1. Gateway Mall: Durban is home to the biggest mall in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. Gateway Mall was modeled on Minnesota’s Mall of America and houses over 350 stores, 70 restaurants, 18 movie theaters, and more.
2. Ushaka Marine World: Durban is also home to the 5th largest aquarium in the world.
3. Surf City: Durban is known as Surf City because it’s one of the county’s top surf spots. The water’s very warm all year ’round so you can wear shorts to surf, instead of wetsuits.
4. An Indian Influence: People of Indian descent make of 40% of the city’s population. Also, Mahatma Ghandi first began his political and social activism in Durban.
5. Shark Obsession: Durban’s rugby team is named The Sharks and for good reason. Back in the day, the city suffered five deadly shark attacks between December 1957 and April 1958. That period of time is now known as Black December. In 1962, the Natal Sharks Board was created to deal with the shark issue, as more fatalities continued to occur.
6. Major Whale City: Durban is also a really great place to whale watch. In fact, it’s one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.
7. Bunny Chow: Bunny Chow, a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with curry, is one of Durban’s most popular dishes.
8. The Zulu Community: Durban is part of the KwaZulu-Natal Province, where many Zulu currently live.
9. Nelson Mandela: Former President of South Africa cast his first democratic ballot at Ohlange High School near Durban. It was the first election all races were allowed to participate in.

You can give the visual version of this list a read via NewsOne!!!