| Berea | |
| Pushpin Map: | South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa |
| Coordinates: | -29.8508°N 30.9931°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | South Africa |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | eThekwini |
| Subdivision Type4: | Main Place |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Leader Title: | Councillor |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 24.68 |
| Population Total: | 102920 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Racial makeup (2011) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black African |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 41.3% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Coloured |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 4.6% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Indian/Asian |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 26.1% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 26.5% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 1.5% |
| Demographics Type2: | First languages (2011) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | English |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 61.0% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Zulu |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 22.2% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Xhosa |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 3.7% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Afrikaans |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 3.6% |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 9.4% |
| Timezone1: | SAST |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code (street) |
| Postal Code: | 4001 |
| Postal2 Code Type: | PO box |
| Postal2 Code: | n/a |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 031 |
The Berea is a ridge above the city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on the northern side which overlooks the city centre and the Indian Ocean. Berea is also used as a collective designation for the suburbs in the area.[2] It has been described as the area between the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Burman Bush Nature Reserve.
Some of the oldest mansions in Durban were built in this once-forested area. Today, many of these have been converted into offices or made way for apartment buildings. The Berea was once the most expensive real-estate area in the province but is now third to Umhlanga and Durban North.
The two main areas of the Berea are Musgrave, Bulwer, and upper Glenwood, which are separated by the N3 national route that leads into the city centre. A related neighbouring area designation is Overport. The Berea borders the orange-roofed Durban suburb of Morningside.
Places of interest include shopping malls such as The Atrium (formerly Overport City), Berea Centre, and Musgrave Centre; schools including Clifton School, Durban Girls' College, Durban High School, and Maris Stella; Mitchell Park and the Durban Botanic Gardens; and the Howard College campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Durbanites who have called Berea their home include cricketer Andrew Hudson, radio personality Alan Khan, and TV presenter Imraan Vagar.
Since the early twentieth century, the suburb has been home to the Durban United Hebrew Congregation.[3] [4]
Berea in the 1950s is described by the writer Alan Paton in the novel Ah, but Your Land Is Beautiful as being notable for its "stately indigenous trees".