This trendy area has become a creative hotspot where you can find everything from co¬ffee shops and breweries, to stores selling designer clothing and leather goods.
The Station Drive Precinct was established a few years ago as part of Durban’s regeneration of tired, no-go areas. Since then, creativity and entrepreneurship have been at the heart of leisure and business there.
Today, there’s even more of a buzz at Station Drive. There are few places in Durban where you feel that east coast energy that has little to do with the sea and more to do with growth and hope. Station Drive has been trailblazing because of the courage of some brave vendors who opened a little retail outlet in an abandoned part of town, with limited parking, and found ways to market themselves and grow their businesses.
Mentorship and communal energy have played a big role here. There’s a focus on loud and proud Durban-made products and services. That focus feeds into the local entrepreneurial spirit and gets communities excited.
From co¬ffee shops and breweries, to stores selling designer clothing and leather goods, the co-operative ethos of the Station Drive strip has allowed small enterprises to take up little, large or shared a¬ffordable workspaces which they would previously have struggled to find or a¬fford. The Foundry, for example, is a renovated old clothing factory, with di¬fferent workspaces, from workshop and studio space for artisan manufacturers, to move-in-and-start working offices, co-working spaces and desk hire. There are modern solutions for start-ups and the environment is conducive to productive thinking.
Open Plan Studio is all about co-working and events, and there’s always something artistic happening there. On Sunday mornings, you’ll find crowds at The Morning Trade, the brainchild of Anna Savage, (owner, I Heart Market, and former professional chef). It’s a hive of activity, with fresh produce on sale and delectable goodies to take home or eat there. You’ll find the Renegade Kitchen, the mobile food company which, aside from catering for events around the city, has Lucy Markewicz, of CakeLab and previously Freedom Cafe, at the helm. Homemade pasta, sauces and relishes can also be snapped up at the market. Small artisanal enterprises, such as Organics, Artisan Cheese and The Cold Press Juice Co, serve delicious specialist products.
Shoppe, Con Amore and The Vintager can also be found at Station Drive. You’ll also find stores within stores, like Savior Brand Co, Savior Co¬ffee, Holmes Bros surf brand, and Fortune Co¬ffee tucked inside Con Amore. S43 Home to That Brewing Company and Distillery 031 bring in crowds of young, trendy visitors. Station Drive Artisan Studios is perfect for the craftsman, the jeweller and the artist.
First Thursdays, the monthly art event that started in Cape Town, has now become a popular Durban event, with the Station Drive Precinct leading the trend. You’ll find live music, movies, pop-up eateries and so much more. Everybody’s there, shopping, eating, dancing and enjoying a safe Durban by night.
Station Drive is as much a road as it is a precinct. The Warehouse, The Plant, The Loading Bay and The Exchange are buildings and names reminiscent of rolling stock, railways, goods trains and stations. The precinct is a full circle of¬ Umgeni Road, and Durban’s upward trajectory starts here.
Station Drive is an amazing model for urban renewal. It has grown organically with many small businesses contributing to the growth of the precinct rather than one big developer owning it. For the first time in Durban, there’s a space for creative businesses to live side by side. It feels like we finally have critical mass and Durban’s creative revolution has started!
-Andrew Rall, The Foundry.
Eating out in Station Drive, Durban:
- Fortune Cafe: for a great cup of coffee and a slice of cake
- Parkside Cafe: for tasty lunches
- 031 Bar and Restaurant at Distillery 031: for craft beers and fantastic cocktails
- S43: for delicious craft brews
- Shisanyama Shandisi: for scrumptious local cuisine
- Just Peachy SA: for stunning baked goods and desserts
- Momenti Artisan Gelato: for terrific traditional gelato
Retail attractions in Station Drive:
- Tempracha
- Ooh Khamba
- Mindovermatter clothing
- Disorder
- Lightship Tattoo Gallery
- Incense Wear
- S’Bhekile Jewellers
- Krag Drag
- Scout
- Con Amore
- Savior Brand Co
- Holmes Bros
- Shoppe
Things to do in the Station Drive Precinct, Durban:
- Take a walk along Lilian Ngoyi Road and visit the antique shops.
- Visit the Moses Mabhida Stadium and ride the SkyCar for spectacular views of the city.
- Visit the Golden Mile and Durban’s beautiful beaches down the road.
- Explore The Morning Trade every Sunday morning.
- Experience Durban’s growing art scene during First Thursdays.
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
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