{"id":49316,"date":"2026-07-21T12:11:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T10:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/?p=49316"},"modified":"2026-07-21T12:11:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T10:11:06","slug":"why-we-love-durban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/07\/21\/why-we-love-durban\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we love Durban"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As the Best of Durban Readers\u2019 Choice Awards shine a spotlight on this year\u2019s winners, we thought we\u2019d also hear from some of the city\u2019s best-known personalities on the one question that unites us all: Why do you love Durban?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49318\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49318\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49318 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2-267x400.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"267\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2-267x400.jpeg 267w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2-683x1024.jpeg 683w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2-280x420.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2-696x1044.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Jane-2.jpeg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Brett van Dort,\u00a0 Black Stag Creative<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Joy activist, keynote speaker, founder of Hello Poppy NPC and the ReJoyce Collection, now evolving into FUNdles, Jane Linley-Thomas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Durban is more than a place; it\u2019s a feeling. When I think of Durban, I picture a little girl eating ice cream on the beachfront, celebrating birthdays at Mini Town, and visiting the Playhouse with my grandparents, gazing up at the star-spangled ceiling and its richly draped velvet curtains.I remember the excitement of driving through the city at Christmas, watching the festive lights twinkle against the Durban night sky. Ours is a city of warmth \u2013 not only because of its climate, but because of its people. Courageous, resilient and deeply connected, Durban has always felt like home.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49320\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49320\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-49320\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3-269x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"269\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3-269x400.jpg 269w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3-689x1024.jpg 689w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3-283x420.jpg 283w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3-696x1034.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Marissa3.jpg 727w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49320\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Mother of two, entrepreneur, marathon runner, history-maker and better known as The Rope Runner, Marissa Groenewald<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Durban isn\u2019t just a city I love &#8211;\u00a0 it\u2019s the city that believed in a woman with a rope and a dream. Its people, beautiful coastline and incredible energy have carried me through countless kilometres, proving that courage, kindness and purpose can travel together while inspiring hope and creating conversations that truly matter. I will miss Durban tremendously. It has changed me for the better, and I\u2019ll always be grateful for the role it has played in my journey. If you ever need to reset your life, reconnect with your purpose or simply feed your soul, I can\u2019t recommend Durban enough.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49321\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49321\" style=\"width: 367px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49321 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-367x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"367\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-367x400.jpg 367w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-940x1024.jpg 940w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-768x837.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-385x420.jpg 385w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped-696x759.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Megan-and-FayCropped.jpg 991w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 367px) 100vw, 367px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49321\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Mother-daughter business partners Megan Bobbert and Fay Coleman, co-owners of Image Insured<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Durban has always been home for us. My mom has lived here since she was a teenager, and I was born and raised in this beautiful city. We\u2019re both sun lovers, so the weather is definitely one of the biggest reasons we love living here &#8211; you really can\u2019t beat a Durban winter! We also love the laid-back lifestyle. Life just feels a little slower and a lot more relaxed than other cities in SA &#8211; which suits us perfectly!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49341\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49341\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49341 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-400x356.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-400x356.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-1024x911.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-768x683.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-472x420.jpg 472w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-696x619.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped-1068x950.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/aaron-and-lisa-2Cropped.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49341\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo:\u00a0 Val Adamson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Celebrated, award-winning husband-and-wife theatrical comedy duo Lisa Bobbert and Aaron McIlroy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Durban has its problems &#8211; we are not living under a rock &#8211; BUT at the end of the day &#8211; \u201cIs there anywhere else you would want to live?\u201d Durban is home. We live on a green belt and the bird life is insane. Every day is a safari in our back yard with the monkeys popping in for a snack! Durbanites are resilient! Living here is not for the faint hearted, it\u2019s a wild place but this city has soul &#8211; some of the most creative artists were born here! Personally, I need a lot of vitamin D. I would get depressed living in a cold climate. I think we take the weather for granted but we are completely blessed living in such a tropical paradise.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49317\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49317\" style=\"width: 319px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49317 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-319x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"319\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-319x400.jpg 319w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-817x1024.jpg 817w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-768x962.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-335x420.jpg 335w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped-696x872.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/Darren-Cropped.jpg 862w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49317\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: @mattwillmedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>Breakfast radio host, comedian and MC Darren Maule<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This year marks 15 years since I made Durban my home and began hosting East Coast Radio\u2019s Breakfast Show &#8211; one of the best decisions I\u2019ve ever made. While Durban\u2019s curries and climate are world-famous, it\u2019s the people who make this city truly special. Their warmth, openness and resilience inspire me every day, whether I\u2019m on air or meeting listeners around the city. Through my #UltimateBlazer project, visiting schools across KZN and collecting school badges, I\u2019ve also discovered the incredible hope, pride and sense of belonging our young people have. The true heart of Durban has always been its people, and they\u2019re the reason this city inspires me every day.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_49319\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-49319\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-49319\" src=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-400x276.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-400x276.jpg 400w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-1024x707.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-768x530.jpg 768w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-1536x1061.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-608x420.jpg 608w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-218x150.jpg 218w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-696x481.jpg 696w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-1068x737.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1-100x70.jpg 100w, https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/John-van-de-Ruit-1.jpg 1564w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-49319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>Best-selling South African author of the much-loved series Spud John van de Ruit<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, when cabin fever enshrouds my writing desk, I steal away. Just down the hill I slink into a primordial forest. People know Pigeon Valley but you seldom find anyone there. I linger among the figs and the elms marvelling. These trees were here before Durban was. Humbled and somewhat awed, I head home leaving my cabin fever in the dappled light of our city\u2019s ancient relic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Best of Durban Readers\u2019 Choice Awards shine a spotlight on this year\u2019s winners, we thought we\u2019d also hear from some of the city\u2019s best-known personalities on the one question that unites us all: Why do you love Durban? Joy activist, keynote speaker, founder of Hello Poppy NPC and the ReJoyce Collection, now evolving [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":49322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[894,1548,9293,13006,1536,13009,11464,5899,2036,11507,13008,13007,11508,8523],"class_list":{"0":"post-49316","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personalities","8":"tag-aaron-mcilroy","9":"tag-aaron-mcilroy-and-lisa-bobbert","10":"tag-best-of-durban","11":"tag-best-of-durban-readers-choice-awards","12":"tag-darren-maule","13":"tag-fay-coleman","14":"tag-image-insured","15":"tag-jane-linley-thomas","16":"tag-lisa-bobbert","17":"tag-marissa-groenewald","18":"tag-megan-bobbert","19":"tag-megan-bobbert-and-fay-coleman","20":"tag-the-rope-runner","21":"tag-val-adamson"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why we love Durban - Get it Highway &amp; Berea<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/07\/21\/why-we-love-durban\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why we love Durban - Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As the Best of Durban Readers\u2019 Choice Awards shine a spotlight on this year\u2019s winners, we thought we\u2019d also hear from some of the city\u2019s best-known personalities on the one question that unites us all: Why do you love Durban? Joy activist, keynote speaker, founder of Hello Poppy NPC and the ReJoyce Collection, now evolving [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2026\/07\/21\/why-we-love-durban\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Get it Highway &amp; Berea\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-21T10:11:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2026\/07\/slider-test2-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2363\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"886\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GetItDurban\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bronwyn Forbes-Hardinge | Journalist\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5bf473ea93243871d6f91d475b233fda\"},\"headline\":\"Why we love Durban\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-21T10:11:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":785,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/23\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/slider-test2-3.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Aaron McIlroy\",\"Aaron McIlroy and Lisa Bobbert\",\"Best of Durban\",\"Best of Durban Readers\u2019 Choice Awards\",\"Darren Maule\",\"Fay Coleman\",\"Image Insured\",\"Jane Linley-Thomas\",\"Lisa Bobbert\",\"Marissa Groenewald\",\"Megan Bobbert\",\"Megan Bobbert and Fay Coleman\",\"The Rope Runner\",\"Val Adamson\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Personalities\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/getitmagazine.co.za\\\/highway-berea\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/21\\\/why-we-love-durban\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why we love Durban - Get it Highway &amp; 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