CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

At the Meeting Point of Durban and Pietermaritzburg

When we talk about Westown being the new city of the West, location is a big part of the story.

Westown sits in Shongweni, strategically positioned between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and alongside one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important transport corridors — the N3. eThekwini Municipality itself describes Westown as being positioned between Durban and Pietermaritzburg on the N3, giving the precinct direct connection into the wider region.  

But perhaps more importantly, Westown isn’t somewhere you need to go out of your way to find.

For many of the communities of Durban’s Outer West, it’s already on the way.

TWO HIGHWAYS. ONE CONNECTED PRECINCT.

Westown is positioned close to both the N3 and M13, creating two important connections between the precinct and the communities around it.

From Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the N3 provides the primary regional route, with access to Westown via Exit 32 at Shongweni/Assagay. From the Upper Highway area, the M13 provides another route, connecting through Kassier Road via Exit 33.  

Kassier Road then becomes an important link between these major routes and Westown itself.

And that connection is getting stronger.

The wider Kassier Road infrastructure programme includes new bridges, the expansion of sections of the existing two-lane road to four lanes, pedestrian infrastructure and a new loop road and bridge providing direct access into Westown.  

It means the roads aren’t simply bringing people to Westown.

They’re increasingly making Westown part of the way the Outer West moves.

HILLCREST, ASSAGAY & KLOOF — RIGHT ON OUR DOORSTEP

For people living in the Upper Highway, Westown is very much a local destination.

Hillcrest connects directly to Westown via Kassier Road, crossing the M13 and N3 before entering the precinct.   Current Westown residential material places the N3 corridor roughly 2 minutes away and the M13 around five minutes away from within the precinct.  

That places Westown within easy reach of Hillcrest, Assagay, Kloof, Gillitts and the surrounding Upper Highway communities.

Whether it’s dinner at The Barn, shopping at Westown Square, an event at The Bowl, work, healthcare or simply spending time outdoors, Westown is becoming part of everyday life in the West.

WESTVILLE, PINETOWN & DURBAN — HEAD WEST

Follow the N3 out of Durban and Westown sits naturally along the route towards Pietermaritzburg.

For communities around Westville and Pinetown, the N3 and M13 provide direct corridors towards Shongweni, while Durban itself connects directly to Westown via the N3. Official directions from Westown simply send Durban visitors west on the N3 before taking Exit 32.  

So while Westown has the space, landscape and character of Shongweni, it remains connected to the economic heart of Durban.

You can leave the city without leaving it behind.

PIETERMARITZBURG — THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONNECTION

From Pietermaritzburg, Westown is reached by travelling east along the N3 and taking the same Shongweni/Assagay/Westown interchange at Exit 32.  

That makes Westown more than a destination serving Durban’s western suburbs.

Its position on the Durban–Pietermaritzburg corridor gives it relevance to people travelling between two of KwaZulu-Natal’s major urban centres — whether they’re coming to shop, work, meet, eat or experience what’s happening in the precinct.  

BUILDING THE CONNECTIONS FOR WHAT COMES NEXT

Roads are easy to think of simply as infrastructure.

At Westown, they’re part of a much bigger story.

As new homes, businesses, retail, healthcare, recreation and commercial spaces continue to emerge, the ability to move easily into, out of and around the precinct becomes increasingly important.

That’s why the investment in Kassier Road and its surrounding infrastructure matters. It’s infrastructure designed not only for where Westown is today, but for the precinct and wider Outer West that are still taking shape. Westown has described the Kassier Road upgrade as critical infrastructure for unlocking the broader precinct and supporting the greater Hillcrest/Assagay sub-region.  

Because a city isn’t defined only by what happens inside it.

It’s defined by how well it connects to everything around it.

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. CONNECTED TO MORE THAN YOU IMAGINE.

Hillcrest. Kloof. Westville. Pinetown. Durban. Pietermaritzburg.

Different communities, different directions — connected by some of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important roads, with Westown sitting at their intersection.

And as the West continues to grow, that position becomes increasingly significant.

Head West. You might be surprised by just how close we are.