By 6am the surfers have arrived, followed by the runners and their dogs, then executives-cum-cyclists, speed walkers and yoga instructors. By 7am the cafes are open for breakfast and children, on holiday from inland schools, are already in the water. Beachfront theme parks and twirling public waterslides attract families from around the country, and all walks of life.
But it is setting out to address those issues with several new models of growth β the waterfront, a privately funded development of restaurants and retail along Florida Road, and the redesign of the traditional market at Warwick Triangle.
Each embodies a different theory of how Durban can best become a more inclusive city β and each has its defenders and detractors. Beaches were once contested spaces in South Africa.
Twenty-five years after the fall of the brutal apartheid regime, South Africa's cities remain hugely divided, both economically and racially.
This week Guardian Cities explores the incredible changes taking place, the challenges faced and the projects that bring hope. Africa correspondent Jason Burke reports from the Flats, where violence and death are endemic just miles from Cape Town's spectacular beaches and trendy cafes.
