Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal

Amanzimtoti, fondly known as “Toti”, is a popular seaside destination for families. The town borders the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, only 26 km south of Durban, and is popular for its warm climate and numerous beaches!

The warm water is home to a variety of exotic fish species, stunning coral reefs and even the odd wreck for exploring and allows for all year round, swimming, diving, snorkeling and surfing. But this seaside town is not only about sun, surf and beaches, it has many outdoor activities for the younger visitors from indoor arcades, outside water worlds and ice-skating to animal sanctuaries, gold clubs and plenty of pubs, sports bars and restaurants.  With Durban being only a short drive up the coast, visitors to Amanzimtoti can also experience all that the city has to offer with Ushaka Marine World being of the most popular attractions!

Besides the natural summer holiday crowds, The Sardine Run during June and August has become very popular and during this time, Amanzimtoti once again becomes a buzz of activity as many begin scooping up the little fish as they explore the beaches or just lay back enjoying watching the bird life as they dip and dive into the ocean for their catch of the day!

Amanzimtoti beachfront is littered with holiday apartments, self-catering and serviced and the area also offers other accommodation in the form of Hotels, Boutique Guesthouses, B&B’s and cottage rentals.

Places to Visit

Things to do and see

• Splash Water World
• Amanzimtoti Bird Sanctuary
• Ilanda Wilds Nature Reserve
• Pipeline Coastal Park
• Amanzimtoti Main Beach
• Pipeline Beach
• Baggies Beach
• Glow Mini Golf
• Spin Zone Bumpber Cars
• Jumperz Trampoline Park
• Toti Brewing Company
• Amanzimtoti Golf Club
• The Galleria Shopping Mall

Climate

Amanzimtoti receives approximately 783 mm of rain annually with the majority of its’ rainfall occurring during the summer months.

Summer months, November to March will have average temperatures of between 18˚C and 28˚C.

Winter months, May to August will have average temperatures of between 10˚C and 22˚C.

Transport

There are daily flights into King Shaka International Airport. Amanzimtoti is approximately 58.5 km’s away travelling along the N2. Car hire facilities are available at the Airport.

History

According to local legend, Amanzimtoti received its name when the Zulu King Shaka led his army along the south coast on a raid against the Ponodos in 1828 and rested along the banks of a river. After drinking the rivers water, he exclaimed “Kanti amanzi mtoti”, meaning “So, the water is sweet”. The river became known as Amanzimtoti – “Sweet Waters”.

Amanzimtoti was officially founded in 1928, was proclaimed a township on 1939 and a borough in 1952. In 1961, Amanzimtoti, Isipingo Beach and Isipingo Rail were amalgamated into  single municipality and named after the River.