Hope the week's treating you gently. The weekend's looking mild and a touch moody — Friday and Saturday overcast around 25–26°C, with Sunday turning rainy and cooler, so get your outdoor plans in early. The sea's holding at a swimmable 22° if you're brave enough to test it before the wet arrives Sunday.

This week, with Women's Day landing on the long weekend: the Durban International Book Fair puts local voices in the spotlight, a fleet of young women sailors charges offshore for the ILCA KZN Regionals, and Women's Month fills the calendar — hikes, wellness mornings, masterclasses and more. Plus the water-and-power heads-up for the south, a Sharks squad shuffle, and the usual stack of weekend plans.

Here's your week…

Durban International Book Fair — on now through Monday
Durban has always been a melting pot of stories, and that shows this weekend at the Durban International Book Fair, running through Monday 10 August at the Umhlanga Apart-Hotel. It puts a spotlight on the diverse voices shaping South Africa's literary landscape — a warm reminder that the city's cultural life runs well beyond the beachfront. If you've got a free morning this long weekend, it's worth the trip. (Source: The Witness)

Heads-up for the south: parts of southern Durban are facing water and power outages this week — worth checking if you're in the affected areas before you're caught out.
Source: ecr.co.za

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Boxer Super Run is growing: the Durban race has upped its capacity, with 2026 entries opening this week — one for the runners to lock in early.
Source: The Witness

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ILCA KZN regionals to take place in Durban
Source: The Witness

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FRI 07 AUG — Micheal Jackson Tribute
Venue: 100 Compensation Beach Rd

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FRI 07 AUG — Tamia in Durban
Tamia in Durban entertainment event

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FRI 07 AUG — Only Soul DBN – Two Man Show (Soul Tracks X Yash V)
Venue: 7 McCausland Cres

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SAT 08 AUG — DBN / OMS ft Clint L
Venue: The Villa

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SAT 08 AUG — Coffee Rave Durban - Queens of the Morning
Venue: Bardot Umhlanga - The Pearls Mall (old Café La Plage)

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SAT 08 AUG — The Art of Seeing: Charcoal & Graphite Drawing Foundations (Part 2)
Venue: 148 Montpelier Rd

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SAT 08 AUG — NGUDU SATURDAY at Hue Cafe
Venue: Hue Café

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SUN 09 AUG — Lira, Nomfundo Moh in Durban
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SUN 09 AUG — Glass Painting Workshop - Hillcrest - Women’s Month
Venue: Willow Way Manor

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SUN 09 AUG — Glass Painting Workshop - Women's Day
Venue: The Capital Pearls Durban

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SUN 09 AUG — All White Womens Day Experience
Venue: 1 King Shaka Avenue

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SUN 09 AUG — Chutney Fusion Festival 2026
Venue: Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium

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SAT 08 AUG — Cooking Experience with Shankar R. Santhiram in Durban
Venue: Caraway International Hospitality Institute
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FRI 07 AUG — Dis-Chem Payot Masterclass: Beauty in Motion - Venue: La Lucia Mall
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FRI 07 AUG — R&B Fest Is Coming To Durban!
More Info Here

SAT 08 AUG — Andy’s Masterclass Experience (Women’s Month)
Venue: Willow Way Manor
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SAT 08 AUG — Nashville Road - Country Night at Greenbank Services Club
More Info Here

SAT 08 AUG — Summit of Her event
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SAT 08 AUG — ARC X Fenty Skin Body Experience_ARC Gateway
Venue: ARC Store Gateway Shop G303
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SAT 08 AUG — The Durban Renfaire 2026
Venue: Umhlanga KZN Sharks Board & Conference Centre.
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SUN 09 AUG — Chutney Fusion Festival 2026 (CFF)
Chutney Fusion Festival 2026 event
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SUN 09 AUG — Women’s Day Hike & Picnic
Venue: Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve
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SUN 09 AUG — ELEVATE | A Women's Wellness Experience
Venue: The Oyster Box Hotel
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SUN 09 AUG — Beautifully Broken
Venue: D176 Esenembi Rd
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SUN 09 AUG — BOLDLY BEAUTIFUL WOMENS DAY EVENT
Venue: Conference Hall, Level 4 of The Radisson Blu Hotel, Durban Umhlanga
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MON 10 AUG — Disco Dawn Women’s Day Style Edit
Venue: Izwa Manzi Beachfront Villa
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TUE 11 AUG — Why Women — A Space to Uplift, Inspire and Empower
Venue: Cherish - The Heart of Skincare
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TUE 11 AUG — DRIVE Conference 2026 hosted by the Irresistible Church Network
Venue: 400 uMhlanga Rocks Dr
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WED 12 AUG — Passion Paint and Sip - Floral Rhino - Big 5 Series
Venue: RocoMamas Westville
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WED 12 AUG — Floral Masterclass with Elize Bezuidenhout
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Sharks rejig pack for Cavaliers clash
Source: SA Rugby magazine

Vowles shuffles deck as Junior Bok speedster starts for Sharks
Source: Rugby365

SHARKS WOMEN KICK OFF LEAGUE SEASON AGAINST GLOUCESTER
Source: Sale Sharks

SHARKS vs ALL BLACKS event

Did you know….

Research reveals sharks prefer the company of their relatives
Source: hpenews.com

Thinking about a side hustle? iKhokha has rounded up 50 low-cost ideas to get something going — handy if you're weighing a small venture on the side. Worth a browse for the spark, then make it Durban: sell at the local markets, cater for the neighbourhood, tap the beachfront foot traffic. Source: https://www.ikhokha.com

Durban got its name on 23 June 1835, after Sir Benjamin D'Urban — governor of the far-off Cape Colony — back when it was still a tiny, remote outpost. It started life as "D'Urban," apostrophe and all; that little mark quietly vanished over the years to leave the name we use today.

Which Durban restaurant deserves way more hype than it gets? Email us on [email protected] — we read every one.

A quick favour, Durban 📩 — if you'd like Durban Unlocked to land in your main inbox (and not wander off to the Promotions or Spam tabs), just drag this email over to your Primary tab. On your phone? Tap the three dots in the top corner, choose Move, then Primary. Do it once and we'll always arrive where you'll actually see us.