Not much is known or written about the ancient history of Ballito, although it is generally accepted that a migration of Nguni speaking people from Central East Africa took place in the mid 1600’s.

It is believed that they trekked South along the East Coast, in small groups, and many of these migrants settled in the region, which was then a virgin subtropical paradise teeming with the full the diversity of local wildlife.

By around 1800 more than a hundred small Nguni chiefdoms occupied the area, and apart from minor skirmishes normally involving cattle rustling, they tended to live a peaceful co-existence or written about the ancient history of this area, although it is generally accepted that a migration of Nguni speaking people from Central East Africa took place in the mid 1600’s. It is believed that they trekked South along the East Coast, in small groups, and many of these migrants settled in the region, which was then a virgin subtropical paradise teeming with the full the diversity of local wildlife.

It was here that Shaka, one of the most brilliant military leaders the world has known was born and built an empire, the might of which was felt as far North as the Limpopo River approximately 1000 kilometres inland.

Shakas’ early years, according to oral sources, were difficult as he was often teased and taunted, having been born of an illicit relationship between Nandi and Senzangakhona, the head of a small chiefdom, the Zulu.

All this changed when he, as a young man, was drafted into one of the Mthethwa regiments, immediately taking to the military way of life, and rapidly rising through the ranks in Dingiswayo’s army.

Clearly Shaka become one of Dingiswayo’s favoured subjects, and on the death of Shakas father Dingiswayo provided the support that enabled Shaka to assassinate his older brother, and become chieftain of the Zulu, albeit under the overall rule of Dingiswayo.

It is said that in 1818 when Dingiswayo was murdered by his rival Zwide, Shaka immediately took advantage of the situation and assumed leadership of the Mthethwa state, and set about building his kingdom by conquering surrounding chiefdoms and incorporating them into his realm.

With the growing personnel  and resources at his disposal he soon build a formidable army, introducing longer shields and a short stabbing spear, rather than the traditional throwing spear, and at the same time changing the established long range battle tactics that prevailed at the time, in favour of engaging the enemy at close quarters, while executing an encircling manoeuvre.

The Zulu army ranged far and wide and, at their peak were in control of a vast area, and there are many parallels that can be drawn between the Zulu and Roman armies.
Initially, in around 1820 Shaka had established his capital at Bulawayo (not to be confused with the city in Zimbabwe), situated about 27 km from Eshowe, however in 1825, he moved his capital to KwaDukuza near the present day town of Stanger.
As early as 1487 Vasco da Gama, had named the area Natal while sailing around the coast in search of a sea route to the east, however it took another 337 years (1824) before the first white settlers started arriving, by boat, from the Cape.

They called the settlement Port Natal, but it was later renamed Durban, after Cape Governor D’Urban.

On arrival the settlers met up with Shaka, who gave them land around the bay, and they were soon trading with the Zulus, with ivory, skins, meat and carvings, traded for beads, trinkets, blankets and brass.

On 22 September 1828 Shaka was assassinated, by his half-brother and successor Dingane.

Gradually the settlers started venturing out into the surrounding areas, and in the first White family Mr. Willem Landman and his wife, Maria, settled near Blythedale in 1836.

The next two major events that had a lasting impact on the history of the area are closely related.

In 1846 Edmond Morewood, who had started farming on the outskirts of Port Natal, travelled to Reunion and Mauritius where he immediately recognised the potential of sugar cane farming, and after arranging the importation of a quantity of seed cane, he started growing sugar cane on his new farm “Compensation”.

With the masts salvaged from a sailing ship wrecked nearby he managed to set up a crude mill and in 1851 he was able to take his first consignment of sugar to the Durban market.

Thereafter the sugar industry grew in leaps and bounds, and by 1854 six mills were in operation in the area.

The sugar industry has been the major contributor to the economic development of the Dolphin Coast over the years, now characterised by the undulating green hills of sugar cane.

However, the rapid expansion of the industry soon outgrew the available labour pool, due to the Zulus’ general unwillingness to become farm labourers, and it is recorded that in 1851, there was already a call from the “Natal Colonists” for indentured labour from India, to work in the sugar cane fields, and eventually in 1859 the necessary legislation was passed.

In any event history shows that November 1860 the first of 384 vessels that were to complete the trip, over the next half a century, arrived in Durban

As a result the North Coast is presently home to a large Indian community, who have had a significant impact on the economic progress and cultural diversity of the area.

To the North the Voortrekkers had reached the Drakensburg in 1837; however their immediate presence had a greater influence on the history of inland areas than the coastal region.

Following the discovery of gold in the interior the port of Durban grew in importance, however it was perhaps only when the rail link between Johannesburg and Durban was established, and the roads between these cities started improving that, firstly Durban and then the North and South Coasts, started becoming popular tourist destinations.

Initially the road passed through all the towns on this route, and early motoring articles tell of intrepid motorists and motorcyclists having to stop from time to time to open and close farm gates in the road.

The history of the town Ballito, which was initially part of a sugar cane farm, owned by Basil Townsend, dates back to 1953, when a group of businessmen began identifying land to develop a township in the Compensation Beach area.

The town was established in 1954 as a private township, by Glen Anil Development Corporation/Investments. It is reported that in a newspaper advertisement, at the time, plots of land were being offered from R790-00.

Ballito was proclaimed a town in 1954 and reached borough status in 1986.

Ballito translated from Italian means “little ball”, the town’s name having been borrowed from a glossy advertisement for hosiery made by Ballito Hosiery of St. Albans, England.

For many years Ballito was the best kept secret of the KZN Coast and has been the perennial playground of the young and young at heart.

Unsurprisingly, since the secret got out Ballito has attracted an increasing number of tourists as well as permanent residents, and the town and surrounding areas have recently experienced a period of exceptional economic growth, and there is no doubt that  it is now one of the top resort towns in the country.