Durban voted as coolest city
DURBANITES are basking in the glory of a major accolade after their city was chosen as the coolest city in South Africa, by global news channel CNN.
An article which appeared on the CNN Travel website earlier this week described Durban as the “coolest city in South Africa you’ve never seen”.
The writer believes that Durban is overlooked, with overseas tourists preferring to take in the sights of Joburg, the Kruger National Park and Cape Town when in the country.
And with Durban having the highest concentration of Indians living outside of India, the local Indian culture has clearly left its mark.
Tucking into a bunny chow, and a visit to the Phoenix Settlement where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked, were listed among the “10 most awesome things to do in Durban”.
Other hot spots include the Golden Mile, uShaka Marine World and Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“We are ecstatic that Durban is finally receiving the recognition it deserves,” said Praneetha Aniruth, chief executive of Carver Media in uMhlanga and founder of the “I Love Durban” Facebook page.
Aniruth said that since the CNN report was published, people from all the over the world had indicated that Durban was on their bucket list of things to do before they died.
She said that within 24 hours of posting the article on their Facebook Page and website, it had reached more than 100 000 people and had had been shared 566 times.
Passionate about Durban, Aniruth said that apart from being promoted as a tourist attraction, the city needed to be promoted as a business hub.
“Durban as a city is often overlooked and hence those talented people who live here are also overlooked. This needs to change.”
Phillip Sithole, head of Durban Tourism, attributed Durban’s charm to “unique experiences, lifestyle and culture”.
He said increased global marketing efforts had helped boost Durban’s tourism image.
“Durban is becoming a top-of-mind destination and a must-visit city for South Africa,” he said.
“We are extremely proud of being recognised as the coolest city in South Africa.
“We need more of our Durbanites to start sharing their positive stories and becoming tourism ambassadors for their city.”
A year ago Durban was voted South Africa’s “friendliest city” by City Brands Index, which measures perceptions of cities among nationals of both developed and developing countries.
Meanwhile, Gounden’s Restaurant in Umbilo also got a mention on CNN for its bunny chows.
“It is truly an honour, and we always strive to make the best bunny chows,” said restaurant manager Sheila Naidoo.
She said Gounden’s had been in operation for over 15 years and international tourists were “nothing new”.
“They come to the restaurant especially to taste the bunny chow.”