Durban: A perfect mix of splendour, culture, order and fear

A local narrative goes thus:  When God created Africa, He smiled, but when He got to Durban, He winked. And it is not difficult to see why.

The east coast city is the third largest in South Africa and whose mainstay is tourism. And, just like the Kenyan case, negative publicity and insecurity threats have been a challenge they have had to live with. In spite of that, about 7.5 million tourists visit the beaches, spending R19.2 billion (Sh153 billion) every year.

The figures keep growing with almost 1.5 million visitors touring the city from mid-December last year to mid-January this year.

Durban has been named among the seven wonder cities of the world alongside La Paz, Kuala Lumpur, Beirut, Doha, among others, thanks to the sun-kissed beaches and a city built around one of the busiest ports in the world. This intricate mix of business, fun, and history makes the city a must-visit.

And, while in Durban, you will discover more than a good life and its purpose as well. Author Mark Twain once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

For any visitor, the second most important day in their lives is when you visit Moses Mabhida Stadium: A world record event awaits.

When you stand 110 metres above the grounds of the stadium, you experience mixed emotions. A bit of adrenaline and fear, excitement and uncertainty.

BIG RUSH SWING

Fitted with a body harness, a participant is given a two-minute tutorial on how to jump after which you proceed to the roof of the stadium.

The participant will descend a few metres onto the platform where the harness will be fixed to the jump-chord.

The assistants will ask the participant if he-she is ready. It is at this stage that the faint hearted will usually withdraw.

They will count 3-2-1 and shout “big-step” then the descent begins.It takes more than guts to look down into the stadium, let alone take the plunge.

Jumping 80 metres to the ground and a subsequent 220 metre swing before being hauled back up is an experience of a lifetime.

It will take roughly 10 to 15 seconds. When you’re moving at 120 kph, the first two seconds are not fun.

You feel as if your intestines want to displace your eyes and ears.

But as you struggle with this feeling, the remaining seconds are the most breathtaking. A feeling of accomplishment, pride and joy are overwhelming.

“I cannot believe I have done this. I fear heights, and this was the most unimaginable thing that I could do,” exclaimed Daniel Mbaabu after his jump. He was uncertain up to the last minute when colleagues had to convince him.

To get to the platform, you have to climb more than 250 steps, something that will make the unfit huff and puff. But after the jump, one realises it was all worth it. The Big Rush Big Swing has been officially characterised the world’s tallest by the Guinness Book of Records since May 14, 2011. After the jump, the organisers award certificates of completion. But not all who go up actually take the plunge. For some, the fear is overwhelming and they chicken out at the last minute.

But this is not all that Durban offers. The city is known for marine and aquatic life as well. A visit to the uShaka Marine summarises all this. With myriad events taking place, a swim with the sharks, the dolphin show and the ocean walk are a must-do.

The interesting part is you do not need to know how to swim to get into the pool. Visitors are put into a metallic tank that is lowered into the giant aquarium that has sharks, rays and a number of other sea creatures. The fish swim so close to the tank you will be amazed by their sizes. The session takes roughly 10 minutes but the experience is invaluable.

Similar to swimming with sharks is the ocean walk where you get oxygen supplied as you walk on the ocean floor. During the walk, fish, which include sharks and rays, will sometimes nudge you.

A knock here and there can sometimes feel ticklish or hard enough to jerk you. There is no danger, however, as the fish are used to people and there are professional divers who walk along visitors and, should one feel threatened or uncomfortable, they will help.

SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS

At uShaka, schoolchildren’s ululations will rent the air every so often. This is the dolphins show. So well trained are the dolphins they will leave you agape with their performances. For the prize of a fish, the dolphins even play some sort of volleyball.

They synchronise their dives in the large pool and even bid the visitors farewell. Hundreds of schoolchildren cheer the dolphins’ magical performance. The pupils are a permanent feature at uShaka and will usually fill up the 1,200-seater Dolphin Stadium during the shows.

After the show, lunch or dinner at the Moyo restaurant will sum up a day well spent. The restaurant, built on a pier, gives one the feeling of lunch in a ship or a yacht. The breeze and ocean waves perfectly complement the menu served at the hotel.

A visit to Durban is incomplete without a tour of their shopping malls. The Gateway Theatre of Shopping is a city of its own. With more than 20 theatres, 70 restaurants and hundreds of clothing stores, Gateway is a marvel. The giant shopping mall is home to probably each and every designer you would ever imagine. From Timberland to Givenchy, Ralph Lauren to Dolce and Gabbana, the mall is home to high-end fashion. A lover of jewellery will be at home in Gateway. Anything gold, diamond-encrusted or with precious stones such as rubies, saphires, and tanzanite are sold here.

An awkward situation for any Kenyan will be the lack of security men wanting to frisk you even for fun. While the shops are high end, you will not notice the hyper-active club wielding security men. But be warned there are pickpockets who lurk around. In a flash, you could be holding an empty purse at the till, unaware what hit you. This is what Durban will offer — a perfect mix of splendour, order, culture and fear.

The fear is real. While you may not encounter locals who openly hate foreigners, those who have been in the townships have a different story. A Nigerian who has worked in the country for five years said he has had to change his lifestyle and looks over his shoulder when in unfamiliar territory.

“I no longer spend my free time in public places as I used to. If I have to meet friends, then I invite them to my place or I go to their homes. I recently went to a local bar with a friend and we were joined by two other patrons and, in the spirit of generosity, I bought a round of beer. To my amazement, one of the revellers asked where I got the money to buy them drinks. I tried explaining I work for a reputable company and do side hustles, but the sitting was turning chaotic so I left,” said the man who sought to protect his identity for fear of reprisals.

He explained that the few who are angry are so because of an inferiority complex; they are largely uneducated youth who want to prove their worth.

“The men are bitter that I work in South Africa and accuse me of taking their opportunities, but what they do not know is that I supplement my income by doing side jobs which are plentiful. But if you want to laze around and look for excuses, then that’s up to you,” he said.

And, while his lifestyle has changed, he is unperturbed by the hate and says he is in the country to stay.

TERRIBLE MOMENT

In any event, the South African government is taking firm steps to end the hostility and thousands of immigrants hope the calm will hold.

This last Monday, no less than the country’s Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, attended our Madaraka Day celebrations in Nairobi and took the opportunity to apologise for xenophobic attacks. He said that Kenyans and Africans are welcome to the economic powerhouse.

Mr Ramaphosa unequivocally apologised for the “terrible moment” his country went through when a mob of youths targeted African immigrants.

“We want to demonstrate our unity as Africans. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Kenyans and, indeed, the African continent for the recent xenophobic attacks.

“Our country recently went through a terrible moment of xenophobic attacks … we want to assure all Africans that we are part of the African dream and we are all united for the love of our continent,” he said at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium.

At least 10 people were killed when frustrated jobless youths targeted African migrants in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial capital of Durban in  March. The violence, thought to have been incited by an influential Zulu King, later spread inwards to Johannesburg as thousands of migrants fled to camps.

Whereas fighting bad publicity has been their main challenge, the sector keeps growing the positives.

Mr Thulani Nzima, the chief executive officer of South African Tourism, while apologising for the xenophobic attacks that rocked the city, noted that it was a case of the few bad examples and that, as a nation, they will ensure nothing of the sort is repeated.

“I wholeheartedly condemn the xenophobic attacks taking place in various locations in our country. It has a negative impact on our country’s image as a welcoming tourist destination. As South African Tourism, we continue to promote tourism through our warm and welcoming people.”

The city and the tourism sector have been on an aggressive marketing campaign the world over that has seen their foreign tourist numbers rise by 15 per cent.

The most recent was the Indaba 2015 that was held in May soon after the latest xenophobic attacks. Players from the Kenyan industry were on board to interact with global tourism leaders at a function chairman of the Mombasa Coast and Tourism Association and CEO of Heritage Hotels Mohammed Hersi hailed as a huge success. He urged the Kenyan industry to borrow lessons from the fair.

“Very few private investors are doing something to attract tourists. Many just sit in their offices and wait to lament. Too much negative energy is doing little to revive the sector,” Mr Hersi said at the conclusion of the Indaba 2015.

So serious are they about the industry that the South African Tourism and government are spearheading a campaign where they want to sell Africa as a region.

“We want Africa to speak with one voice. South Africa has its issues, Kenya has its issues and so do other African countries. The only way we can sell to the world is if we speak with one voice. South Africa cannot be happy when there are travel advisories in Kenya and vice-versa,” said Mr Derek Andre Hanekom, the country’s Tourism Minister, while addressing journalists at the Indaba conference.

Marketing Durban city as home of water sport has pushed tourism numbers up. Surfing, kayaking, jetskiing are some of the sports Durban is known for internationally. And the city hosts international competitions, a thing Mombasa can easily do.

Apart from the message they send out to the world, one word sums up their success — efficiency.

There can only be efficiency if everything works as is supposed to. The roads in the city are in top condition. Not only are they good but if, for some reason, a car gets damaged because of a bad road, then the municipality pays for the repairs.

With an international airport and a myriad transportation facilities, movement is very easy. And visitors remember this, just as they surely do when they take to the bumpy and dusty trip to the Maasai Mara.

ROMANTIC WEAVE

But Kenya – with its scenic landscape and wildlife, not to mention a hospitable people and culture – must not let insecurity kill its dream of being the go-to-place.

Durban is home to the biggest and busiest port in Africa. The port has a total of 59 effective berths excluding those used by fishing vessels and ship repair. Mombasa port has around 25.

The romantic weave of sugar cane and eucalyptus trees that extend to the horizon carry an important history of the city.In the 1800s the British colonisers introduced sugar cane to the region. Their attempts to get the Zulu to cultivate the land were futile as the men felt it was a woman’s duty to till the land, and it was demeaning for the men to cultivate a white man’s crop.

Lacking manual labour, the British resorted to importing it from India. This explains why Durban is a little Mumbai. There is a large Indian population — Durban has the highest population of the approximately one million Indians in the country. And little wonder any visitor to the city is encouraged to “taste the best Indian curry in the world”. Little wonder Mahatma Gandhi spent 21 years in Durban as a young lawyer trying to set up his law practice. His granddaughter rose to become a member of the South African parliament.

The introduction of sugar cane put South Africa among the world’s top 10 producers, a position they brag about, saying when the rains fail the worst they have been is number 14. The eucalyptus trees also contribute to the city’s economy with South Africa supplying paper to many countries in the world.