We commonly understand promenades to be beautifully crafted and designed public areas, that are more often than not, nestled by the seaside. These can be huge walkways, commonly made in the midst of a big city or town. There are promenades that house several cafes and eateries. There are promenades that are decked by beautiful art galleries and other places of interest related to the public convention.
But guess what?
There happens to be one of a kind promenade that is increasingly being identified as the longest promenade in Africa. In fact, it’s the longest promenade in all of Africa.
That said, how about a guess as to where is it located? For starters, it is not in Nigeria, Kenya, Mali, Zimbabwe, Zambia Mozambique or any of those African nations.
In fact, the longest promenade in Africa is situated in South Africa’s Durban. But a key aspect about the one-of-a-kind emblem of hallmark architecture is that it is around 8 kilometres in overall length.
The latest buzz about town in Durban stretches from the Blue Lagoon all the way up to the Durban harbour. That said, if you are in Durban already or happen to be visiting one of the most cosmopolitan cities in all of Africa, you know now the latest attraction around the Durban shores.
Breezy weather, plenty of vast open spaces, actually an ideal place to put on those jogging shoes, and a resplendent overall view- there’s more to the longest promenade in Africa than one may know.
In fact, the charming and very touristy offering in Durban has already succeeded in attracting herds of cyclists and skaters, many of whom take to the promenade whilst commuting to work and in the process, enjoying a mouthful of sun and wind.
But truth be told, implicit in the construction of something mega is always a huge cost. Ditto for Durban’s signature new point of attraction. The said promenade underwent an extension construction budget and work and in all, costed a massive sum of R380-million.
The biggest plus, it ought to be said, is for the pedestrians, who by virtue of having the blessing of witnessing the ocean on one side and the city on the other, find themselves tugging into beauty galore.
Providing both locals and travellers, commuters and explorers a serene panoramic view to ingest Durban’s magnificent and friendly landscape, one can only expect the number of visitors hitting up the latest address in the big Protean city to increase as the days go by.
Ultimately, it’s a novel new way to enjoy the best that the city has to offer.
The South African, among the widely-read online journals from South Africa had the following to elaborate in relation to the longest promenade in all of Africa:
“It will enhance our tourism as a city,” said Ethekwini Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, who lead the launch event. He continued by saying this facility was created with the purposes of family in mind: families can take walks along the promenade, enjoy picnics en route and interact with different people.
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The sentiment is further echoed by Economic Development MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who says small businesses will also benefit from the development: “We are already reaping rewards from this promenade.” Dube-Ncube added that small businesses would be opening at the promenade during the festive season.
The facility has been developed with a first aid room and a lifeguard tower. There are undercover parking bays, and it has been built in a wheelchair friendly manner with pedestrian ramps. The promenade also has an amphitheatre and is 30 metres wide.