Gillitts, Kloof

Gillitts is a stunning countryside area stretching between Kloof and Hillcrest and spans over a large chunk of the KwaZulu Natal countryside.

Being only a short 35 kilometres from Durban Central, Gillitts offers residents a countryside lifestyle only a stone's throw away from the city. The suburb boasts open spaces, rolling green hills, leafy scenery and homes that offer a distinct rustic country charm and loads of character. Many residents commute to and from the city daily to places of employment and enjoy coming home to a relaxing haven.

Gillitts is a great suburb for families to settle down in and for children to grow up. It's safer and cleaner than the inner city and its surrounding suburbs and the spacious freestanding homes of this village provide ample space for the whole family.

A brief history of Gilitts

While a lot of development has taken place in the surrounding areas of Hillcrest and Kloof, Gillitts has remained fairly stable over the years and part of the suburb's appeal lies in its old worldly charm.

Gillitts originated as an extensive farm that extended over the whole of the Upper Highway area. This farm was sold off over time and a portion was bought by William Gillitt after whom the suburb was named.

Today only the 100-year-old farmhouse remains inside the Gillitts Driving Range and 9-hole, mashie golf course.

The Gillitts Train Station in the centre of this suburb is a beautiful example of 1900-era architecture. Dating back to the Boer War in the first decade of the 20th century, the train station was used as a stop for British soldiers transiting from Durban through to the Midland battlefields as well as returning wounded soldiers.

Climate                                              

While Durban is known for its extreme humidity, Gillitts is only occasionally humid in summer. The suburb does get a fair amount of mist - and this is often a welcome relief from the humidity.

Rainfall in Gillitts occurs mostly during the winter months and the highest temperature averages 29 degrees in January and the lowest 19 degrees in June.  

Schools

The Upper Highway area is renowned for its prestigious schooling and with Kloof only seven kilometres away from Gillitts there are many schools to choose from including Kloof High School, Kloof Junior Primary School and the Kloof Pre-Primary School. Each of these schools offer sound education and are literally only a stone's throw away.

Gillitts is also home to the Fulton School for the Deaf - a school devoted to the education of profoundly deaf and hearing-impaired children and offers them Pre-Primary to High School education.

In Gillitts you will also find Mary Poppins Pre Primary and Gillitts Primary school.            

Healthcare, shopping centres and distance from key points

Gillitts is only 35 kilometres outside of Durban city centre and to make the commute even easier, the suburb offers easy access to various highways and byways and even public transport.

Helping you on your way to Durban Central is the Gillitts train station and railway line, an effective way to bypass the morning rush hour traffic. Driving in with your own vehicle, taking the M3 is the closest and most direct route into the city. The King Shaka Airport is also only a 45 minute drive away.

The Hillcrest Private Hospital and various other medical centres and doctorsˈ rooms including the Apav Clinic, MediCross Delamore and MediCross Meer and See are in close proximity and for all your shopping and entertainment needs there is the Gillitts shopping centre, Maytime shopping centre and the Hillcrest Corner Shopping Centre where you will find a variety of stores catering to every desire from fashion to food.

Restaurants and special attractions

The Gillitts shopping centre offers many restaurants to choose from including Japanese, Indian and Italian cuisine, while the nearby Hillcrest and Kloof are also home to many different bistros, restaurants, bars and fast food outlets.

Gillitts and the immediate surroundings offer many things to do for people from all ages, including museums, farm stalls and markets, extreme sports like rock climbing routes, scenic drives, nurseries, flea markets, art galleries, cultural sites and horse riding amongst others.