OThongathi

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oThongathi Tongaat
Aerial view of oThongathi
oThongathi Show map of KwaZulu-Natal oThongathi Show map of South Africa
Coordinates: 29°34′00″S 31°07′00″E / 29.56667°S 31.11667°E / -29.56667; 31.11667
Country	South Africa
Province	KwaZulu-Natal
Municipality	eThekwini
Area [1]
• Total	11.72 km2 (4.53 sq mi)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	42,554
• Density	3,600/km2 (9,400/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011) [1]
• Black African	41.1%
• Coloured	1.2%
• Indian/Asian	56.7%
• White	0.4%
• Other	0.5%
First languages (2011) [1]
• English	59.3%
• Zulu	32.3%
• Xhosa	3.6%
• S. Ndebele	1.0%
• Other	3.8%
Time zone	UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)	4399
PO box	4400
Area code	032

oThongathi, previously and still commonly known as Tongaat, is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Durban and 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of KwaDukuza. It now forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, or the Greater Durban area. The area is home to the oldest Indian community in South Africa, having been where the first indentured Indian laborers settled in 1860 to work in the sugar-cane plantations.^[2] Much of the architectural style in the town was the work of Ivan Mitford-Barberton,^[3] and many buildings are in the Cape Dutch style of architecture.

Prior to 1 December 2023, vehicle registration plates in oThongathi started with NJ - N for Natal. It is still unknown exactly what the J stands for as this vehicle registration code also covered Verulam, Inanda and Ntuzuma.