eThekwini Municipality issued a formal 30-day notice to vacate on 1 September 2026, requiring the operators (Lebotrax (Pty) Ltd, trading as Surf Riders Café) to hand back the municipal premises by 30 September 2026 (today, as of the current date). The lease had expired years earlier—reports cite March 2019 (specifically around 21 or 31 March)—after which the business continued on a month-to-month basis. The notice required the premises to be returned clean, tidy, sanitary, and in good repair, with any damage repaired at the café’s expense, all equipment and belongings removed, and keys returned. Failure to comply risked legal action.
Background and context
Surf Riders Café opened at the South Beach location (17 Erskine Terrace, near the promenade and uShaka Marine World) in 2012. It built a strong reputation as a relaxed, surf-culture-inspired spot popular with locals, tourists, and especially dog owners (it was pet-friendly with a dedicated “woof” menu). The eclectic menu—run with input from well-known local chef Samantha Small-Shaw—featured pizzas, pastas, burgers, seafood, crab curry, poke bowls, all-day breakfasts, and more, under the motto “Just Good Chow.” Owner Jason Caradas declined to comment publicly on the eviction.
This fits a broader municipal pattern. In recent years eThekwini has moved to reallocate beachfront and other municipal properties as part of a proactive land-release and business-development strategy (adopted around 2021). The goal includes stimulating economic activity, promoting Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), and preferring leases for companies owned by historically disadvantaged individuals. Similar notices went out to other beachfront operators in prior years. The municipality has stated it aims to avoid leaving buildings empty and to attract new investment to revitalise the beachfront, though public reaction has included criticism that popular, well-run spots are closed with properties sometimes left vacant or underperforming afterward.
Impact on the business and staff
The South Beach branch has closed. On social media the operators announced: “We have had to close our Surf Riders South Beach restaurant. Not all is lost; we are still trading well in both our Cabana Beach resort restaurant and our Umhlanga Boulevard store.”
Critically, chef Samantha Small-Shaw stated that all staff from the South Beach location were moved to the Cabana Beach Resort branch in Umhlanga (which opened in June 2025 with an expanded kitchen and updated menu). She described the closure as “very sad” given the original site’s popularity, but added that the kitchen expansion at Cabana means more people are employed overall: “So in a way some good has come from a bad thing.” This directly counters the idea that staff were simply left unemployed heading into the holiday season. The remaining branches continue operating, so the brand itself is not shutting down.
Public and tourism reaction
Patrons have expressed strong disappointment, calling it a loss for Durban’s Golden Mile/promenade tourism, family memories, and the local vibe. Some social media comments criticised the municipality’s approach to long-standing (often white-owned) businesses on municipal land. Others noted the broader challenges of beachfront revitalisation and empty properties. The timing—just before the busy summer holiday period—has amplified the sense of disruption for a well-loved casual eatery.
In short: the forced closure with short notice is confirmed and stems from an expired lease plus the city’s property strategy. The business continues at its Umhlanga locations, and according to the chef involved, staff were transferred rather than left jobless. This is a live local story reflecting ongoing tensions around municipal property management, tourism assets, and economic transformation goals in eThekwini.
