Uvongo is a seaside resort town situated along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast at the mouth of the Vungu River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Situated 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Margate, Uvongo is the largest upmarket residential area on the lower South Coast.
Uvongo beach lost its "Blue Flag" title due to storms damaging it in April 2007 but has managed to regain a clean and prestigious beach front. Uvongo still remains the playground of the rich, with multimillion rand properties in the area. Uvongo is one of South Africa's favourite holiday destinations and attracts local and foreign tourists.
Etymology
The town is named after the Vungu River, which is derived from the Zulu word that describes the sound of a waterfall or the wind in a gorge.
Geography
Uvongo is situated along the Lower South Coast, between St Michael’s-on-Sea and Shelly Beach to the north and Manaba Beach and Margate to the south. The town consists of three smaller suburbs, namely Uvongo Beach, situated north of the Vungu River along the coast, Beacon Rocks, situated south of the Vungu River along the rocky coastline and Uvongo, situated inland from Uvongo Beach and Beacon Rocks.
The Vungu River flowing through Uvongo forms a 23 metre high waterfall known as the Uvongo Falls above the river lagoon that flows into a small gorge near the river mouth. The Mhlanga River borders Uvongo to the north, flowing into the ocean in the adjacent St Michael’s-on-Sea area.
Infrastructure
Roads
The R61 is a north–south toll freeway connecting Port Shepstone with Port Edward that by-passes Uvongo, while the R620 is the untolled north–south alternative route to the R61 connecting Port Shepstone with Margate that passes through Uvongo as Marine Drive. To the south, Seaslopes Avenue provides access to the R61 and connects Uvongo with Izotsha Road (to Ramsgate and Izotsha) to the west, while Knoxgore Drive to the north connects Uvongo with Gamalakhe to the west.