What Was Umdloti Called Before?

Before 1 October 2010, the village was officially gazetted as “Umdloti.” On that date, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture renamed it “eMdloti,” applying standard Zulu orthography (the “e-” prefix is a locative form, roughly “at/of Mdloti,” referencing the Mdloti River at whose mouth the village sits).

So the honest answer to “what was it called before” is: it was called Umdloti, the same word most people still use today. The rename did not change the pronunciation much and did not rebrand the place commercially. Nearly every business, accommodation listing, road sign approaching from the M4, and search query still uses “Umdloti,” which is exactly why this site, like almost every other source about the area, leads with that spelling.

You will see “eMdloti” used in more formal or governmental contexts: Wikipedia’s article title, some eThekwini municipal documents, and civic body names like the “eMdloti UIP” (Urban Improvement Precinct). Both names refer to the identical village at the mouth of the Umdloti River, bordering La Mercy to the north and the Sibaya Coastal Forest Reserve to the south.

There is no meaningful difference in what the two names refer to; it is a spelling-standard change, not a boundary or identity change. If you are searching, booking, or asking a local for directions, either spelling will get you there.

For the wider area profile, see living in Umdloti. For where it sits relative to Durban and Umhlanga, see is Umdloti in Durban.