Richards Bay: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Richards Bay is a city of 252,968 people in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), 9 m (30 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Richards Bay Airport (RCB), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It is a port city: Richards Bay Coal Terminal.
Key facts
Open Richards Bay in Google Maps
Daylight in Richards Bay runs from about 10 h 21 min a day in late June to 14 h 2 min in late December (computed for -28.78° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Richards Bay is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Richards Bay Airport (RCB), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 4,265 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Richards Bay: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Richards Bay · Driving and car hire · Ferries
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Durban, 154 km — flights · buses · car rental · ferries · tours
- Maputo, 318 km (Mozambique) — flights
- Matola, 316 km (Mozambique) — flights
- Pietermaritzburg, 185 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Newcastle, 236 km — buses · car rental · tours
- KwaDukuza, 95 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Vryheid, 166 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Pinetown, 161 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Ladysmith, 222 km — buses · car rental · tours
- eMbalenhle, 385 km
Common questions
Which airport serves Richards Bay?
Richards Bay Airport (RCB), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre.
How big is Richards Bay?
About 252,968 people live in Richards Bay (GeoNames).
What time zone is Richards Bay in?
Africa/Johannesburg, currently UTC+2.
What currency is used in Richards Bay?
The Rand (ZAR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Richards Bay?
Durban (154 km), Maputo (318 km), Matola (316 km), Pietermaritzburg (185 km), Newcastle (236 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.