Skip to main content
Neighbourhoods › KwaZulu-Natal › Redfern
67
/ 100

Redfern

Moderate

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Residential
Watch PDF Report card Map Compare Report
Worth shortlisting Based on 7 scored dimensions
Best reasons
94
Affordability
85
Safety — 8,081 reported incidents in the latest period
82
Schools — 135 schools within range
Trade-offs
30
Lifestyle
31
Amenities — 20 amenities mapped nearby
Is Redfern right for you?

Redfern stands out for low crime and affordable homes, with the trade-off of fewer shops and services and little to do nearby.

What is good here

  • Crime is lower than in most areas.
  • Homes cost less than in most areas, compared with local incomes.
  • There are more schools within reach than in most areas.
  • Public transport is good, so a car is optional.
  • Property prices have held up better than in most areas.

Things to weigh up

  • Shops and everyday services are thin on the ground.
  • It is quiet, with little to do nearby.

Who it suits

  • Families with children Could work

    Low crime and schools nearby, but fewer shops and services.

  • Young professionals and renters Less suited

    Good public transport, but fewer shops and services and little to do nearby.

  • Retirees and a quieter life Could work

    Low crime, but fewer shops and services.

  • Living without a car Could work

    Good public transport, but fewer shops and services.

  • Buying on a budget Suits well

    Affordable homes and steady property prices.

Compared with nearby areas

In Durban In South Africa
Safety Among the best Among the best
Affordability Better than most Among the best
Schools Better than most Among the best
Transport About average Better than most
Amenities About average Below most
Lifestyle Below most Below most
Property Confidence About average Better than most
What's happening
Local & city news, notices and alerts
Durban commuters have to relieve themselves in buckets in a tent Ebnewsdaily
In Durban, commuters relieve themselves in buckets inside the tent on the left. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko In January, GroundUp reported that the toilets at the bus and taxi ranks in KwaMashu and in central Durban near the city hall had been closed for renovations for seven months. At the time, eThekwini municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana […]
1 day ago Read article
Matlala demands investigator’s notes be struck from record Daily Maverick
Organised crime-accused Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s appearance before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was dominated by a tussle over whether evidence gathered by the commission’s investigator, Bongani Dlamini, could remain on the record.
1 day ago Read article
Police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades to disperse March and March protesters in Durban Iol
Police use rubber rounds and stun grenades to disperse March and March protesters in Durban.
1 day ago Read article
Chiefs Dream And European Ambition For SA Teen At Villarreal Soccerladuma
Linamandla Thage, 19, is pursuing his European football dream after earning a place in Villarreal's player development programme, his father Sello tells Soccer Laduma.
1 day ago Read article
IFP willing to sit in opposition over unstable coalitions The South African Broadcasting Corporation
IFP says its coalition decisions will be guided by its manifesto prioritising service delivery.
1 day ago Read article
Data confidence
High coverage
95

Coverage confidence reflects geographic matching, source authority, freshness, record coverage, and demographic alignment. It is not a liveability score.

geography
25 pts
source authority
20 pts
freshness
20 pts
record coverage
25 pts
demographic alignment
5 pts
Verified schools
7 inside · 128 nearby
Data sources
Report incorrect data
Official school register
School · verified 2026-10-06
Source
Score dashboard
SAPS 2022-2023 · OSM Nov 2026 · modelled
85
Safety
Excellent
2022-2023
94
Affordability
Excellent
modelled
82
Schools
Good
2020
50
Transport
Below average
Nov 2026
31
Amenities
Weak
Nov 2026
30
Lifestyle
Weak
Nov 2026
70
Property Confidence
Good
RPPI 2010-2023
What these scores mean for Redfern

Each score is out of 100. Higher is better for you: a high affordability score means cheaper relative to local incomes, and a high safety score means less crime. Comparisons are with other areas in the same country.

Safety: 85/100 · Excellent
Scores 85 out of 100, which is excellent and better than 88% of areas in South Africa. In practice, reported crime is low for its size. What it measures: How safe the area is, from reported crime adjusted for population, with burglary and robbery counting most. How it is worked out: Severity-weighted reported crime per 1,000 residents vs the urban benchmark. Burglary and robbery are weighted heavily. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: SAPS crime statistics (SAPACR 2008–2023) (2022-2023).
Affordability: 94/100 · Excellent
Scores 94 out of 100, which is excellent and better than 63% of areas in South Africa. In practice, rent takes a reasonable share of local incomes. What it measures: How average rent compares with what households here typically earn. How it is worked out: Average rent as a share of median monthly income. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: Stats SA income & rental index (modelled).
Schools: 82/100 · Good
Scores 82 out of 100, which is good and better than 73% of areas in South Africa. In practice, there is a good choice of schools nearby. What it measures: How many primary and secondary schools are within reach. How it is worked out: Real schools within range by phase (primary/secondary/pre-primary), weighted toward secondary. This is based on reasonable data, but not the most recent or most local. Source: DBE National Masterlist of Schools (2020) (2020).
Transport: 50/100 · Below average
Scores 50 out of 100, which is below average and lower than 55% of areas in South Africa. What it measures: Access to public transport stops, stations and main roads. How it is worked out: Density of public-transport stops and stations. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap transport nodes (Nov 2026).
Amenities: 31/100 · Weak
Scores 31 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 63% of areas in South Africa. In practice, you may need to travel for everyday shopping and services. What it measures: Everyday places nearby, such as shops, pharmacies, clinics and banks. How it is worked out: Daily-convenience density: shops, food, healthcare, community. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OpenStreetMap & Google Places (Nov 2026).
Lifestyle: 30/100 · Weak
Scores 30 out of 100, which is weak and lower than 67% of areas in South Africa. In practice, it is a quieter area with fewer places to go out. What it measures: Places to eat, relax and spend free time, such as restaurants, parks and gyms. How it is worked out: Parks, food culture, and community sentiment once reviews accrue. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: OSM green space + resident sentiment (Nov 2026).
Property Confidence: 70/100 · Good
Scores 70 out of 100, which is good and better than 60% of areas in South Africa. In practice, property data is plentiful and prices look steady. What it measures: How much reliable property data we have and how stable prices look. How it is worked out: Directional year-on-year price movement — not a valuation. This is based on strong, recent official data. Source: Stats SA Residential Property Price Index (RPPI 2010-2023).
Full scoring method
Flood & earthquake history
🌊 Flood: None on record
🌍 Earthquake: None on record
See details

Population (Census 2022)

eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality — for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

4,121,285 people in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
Black African 71%
Coloured 3%
Indian or Asian 20%
White 6%
Other 0%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

Municipal service delivery

Real Stats SA General Household Survey (GHS 2022) — based on 1,026 households surveyed in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Flush toilet access
76%
Pit/bucket toilet (backlog)
21%
Has electricity
99%
Regular refuse removal
81%
Water interruptions (past yr)
84%
Less happy than last year
45%
What residents are complaining about

% of households reporting each problem as present in their area.

Illegal rubbish dumping 39%
Littering 37%
Water pollution 19%
Air pollution 13%
Land degradation 19%
Noise pollution 12%

Source: Stats SA GHS 2022.

Households (Census 2022)

Real Stats SA Census 2022 — full count, based on 80,245 households. for the wider municipality/province this suburb sits in.

Piped water inside dwelling
66%
Flush toilet
77%
Bucket toilet (backlog)
1%
Electricity for lighting
98%
Regular refuse removal
78%
Home internet access
14%
No internet access
13%
Owns a motor car
30%
Food security

% of households reporting hunger at least sometimes in the past year.

Adult hunger 21%
Child hunger 18%

Source: Stats SA Census 2022.

Sign in to report your rent, utility reliability, or fibre availability here.

Local services in Redfern

No verified local businesses serve Redfern yet.

Run a moving, cleaning, agency or trade business here? List it free

Tips from residents

No tips yet. If you live in Redfern, share something you wish you had known when you moved in.

Tips are residents' own experience, checked by our team for language and personal details, not verified facts.

Sign in to share a tip.

Visiting Redfern

No attractions near here have been checked and published yet.

Estimate a trip here Browse attractions
Load-shedding
No load-shedding
National status
✓ No load-shedding
Area-specific schedule not available for this suburb yet.
National status shown above. We're working on matching all suburbs.
Data via EskomSePush · Updates every 15 minutes
Similar suburbs
Review Redfern
Help others understand what life here is really like
Step 1 of 3
How do you rate
Redfern?
Your overall impression of living in this suburb.
Tap a star to rate
Reviews are moderated
We verify all reviews before publishing. No personal names, please.
Step 2 of 3
Rate the specifics
Optional — skip categories you're unsure about.
Safety
Amenities
Transport
Lifestyle
Noise
Step 3 of 3
Tell your story
What's the area actually like day to day?
0 / 1500
Don't name specific individuals.
Only used for moderation follow-up — never shown publicly or shared.
Related guides
Is Redfern safe? Safest in Durban Most affordable in Durban Best for families in Durban

NeighbourhoodIQ is an information service, not legal or financial advice. Scores are computed from public data and are indicative only. Crime data: SAPS. Demographics: Stats SA. Amenities: OpenStreetMap contributors.

Show nearby content

Allow location access to see nearby suburbs, complexes, and relevant local information.